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Your Online Guide » Quality Home Improvement » What Is Interior Design

[D219]Designs For Your Home
by Ryan Burden, Rya
I can assure you that this comical vision is far from the stylish, warm and natural look of this surface.

Concrete countertops can be customized with unique colors, unusual shapes and specialty finishes not available with other surfaces.

Truly a designing dream, concrete countertops are rapidly gaining popularity with restaurants, hotels and homeowners.

Colors

Virtually any color can be achieved with cement counter tops. Every fabricator of mixes their own recipe of sand, water and stone and custom color pigmentation can be added to the mix or stains can be applied in the later stages. Either way you get a unique color variation to your finished countertop.

The particular coloring process results in colors that are warm and rich with earthy tones. Considering that the colors found in nature provide us with an amazing spectrum from sandstone creams to deep reds and every shade in between, your choice is almost endless.

The most popular colors are creams, grays and browns that are a natural complement to popular decorating and design materials like wood, stone, stainless steel and brick.

Design Possibilities

As coloring pigments, stains, various aggregates, and epoxy coatings are added to the concrete mixture, your countertop may be created to resemble the look, texture, and feel of quarried stone such as marble, granite, and limestone.

Interesting objects such as shells, coins and glass tiles may be set into your kitchen counter top to enhance your decorating theme or give added depth to the counter top surface. This is particularly beneficial to restaurants and hotels when creating decor themes, but offers equally enticing design possibilities for your home as well.

Like stone or other natural surfaces, concrete is not a static material and it will acquire character over time.

Unlimited Shapes and Forms

If you desire a non-traditional shape, then concrete countertops definitely are the most versatile surface on the market. Your countertop can be as unique as your imagination. Molds can be individually shaped to perfectly suite any space, or unusual location.

Curves, L-shapes and V-shapes are all available options when designing with concrete.

Trivets for hot pots and pans can be made and built-in sinks are popular for both kitchen and bath.

Many edge styles are available and you're sure to find one you like, but each fabricator is a bit different so your choices depend on your contractor.

Fabrication and Installation

As with coloring, each manufacturer has their own method. They may be pre-cast the countertop in a shop controlled environment or create it on location.

Concrete countertops are made with a combination of cement, lightweight aggregates and additives such as silica, fume, pozzolan and acrylic fiber. Structural steel or wire mesh and/or fiberglass is used for reinforcement.

Sometimes the concrete may be ground or polished to achieve a finer, smoother finish.

The final step when installing your countertop is sealing the concrete. The type of sealer used varies so consult with your installer.

Price

Concrete countertops range in price from $66-$125 per square foot for materials, plus installation of between $40-$50 per hour. Installation is difficult and requires a high level of skill and experience to do properly. Hence, the steep price.

This might be far more than laminated surfaces, but concrete countertops offer more style and durability than laminate.

Actually, the price of an installed concrete countertop may rival that of some expensive granite or marble countertops with beauty to match.

Cleaning and Care

It is not recommended to use your concrete countertop as a cutting board or place hot pots and pans straight onto the surface. Concrete may be hard and durable, but your countertop must still be treated with proper care.

Cleaning your concrete is no different than cleaning your granite countertop. Hot water and a sponge will clean suitably. When more aggressive cleaning is required, neutrally balanced ph soaps are recommended. Abrasive cleaners should be avoided.

Your concrete countertop should be waxed every three months for continued care and protection of the sealer.

Are Concrete Countertops Right For You?

Let's see:

Pro's:

**Concrete countertops offer custom colors. The colors of wood, granite, marble and other durable alternatives are restricted to the material itself.

**Unique personalization is possible by embedding objects into your countertop to add depth or create a particular theme.

**Any shape or form can be fashioned with built-in sinks and drain boards.

**Concrete countertops can be installed without seams in many instances.

Con's:

**Concrete countertops are more porous than granite requiring sealing initially and waxing on a regular basis

**They are not heat or scratch proof

**Concrete is more susceptible to cracks

**Expensive--often more than granite or marble

Concrete countertops certainly offer interesting and stylish design possiblities not found with other surfaces and a few trade-offs as usual.

However, with professional installation and proper care, you can be confident your concrete countertops will provide you with years of fashionable and functional satisfaction.

Moroccan Decorating: What is a home without the
right decor? Everyone at some time or the other
lives the dream of having their own home and
probably you are living that dream. Along with
the dream comes many things like renovating the
home, brightening the interiors, new paint,
decorations, wall pieces, show pieces,
chandeliers etc. But sometimes, people also end
up using so much decoration that it takes away
the charm of living in that house. But on the
other hand, you can experiment with earthen
decors and subtle interior decoration or art to
instill a new life into your home. One of doing
is by introducing themes based on colors and the
other is to use themes based on countries like
using the Moroccan decor.

You would probably ask what is so great about
Moroccan decor. There is a subtlety in Moroccan
decor and it is very earthy in nature. The
important point is that if you want your home to
stand out of the crowd then you need to think
different. Everyone uses the same decors, almost
the same ceramic tiles, the aqua colors on the
walls and even the ever so popular and classic
wrought iron decorative pieces. But if you use
Moroccan decor, you are definitely going to
create a stir and your friends and neighbors are
going to ask you questions about how you went
around doing it all. It is not just about
decorating the interiors of your home; it is also
about creating your own class and being a part of
an elite crowd in the society.

Moroccan Decor Influences: Let's take a few steps
back in time to know more about a country that
has made its impact in the worldwide interior
decoration market with their artistic themes.
Morocco in North Africa has a rich cultural and
historical heritage that exudes beauty through
various forms of art, which are often seen as
mysterious or magical. Moroccan decor in the last
couple of years has been re-discovered and today
it is used to add a sensual appeal through art
and colors to homes.

If you have visited Morocco then you have had the
opportunity to enjoy the rich cultural heritage
that it boasts of. If you have never been to
Morocco then you can become an integral part of
the country, the people and the art through
understanding and using Moroccan decor. Moroccan
culture was a mix of five ethnic groups, Arab,
Berber, Islamic, African and Iberian and their
heritage has survived the harsh destruction of
time because till around the 20th century, the
land was free from foreign invasion. Around the
early 1900's, Moroccan culture was influenced
immensely by various characteristics of the
European cultures but in spite of the influence,
Morocco was able to keep its tradition, art &
culture alive. Some instances are like the
existence of the traditional Moroccan house with
a garden in the interior, which is known as Riad
and it has not changed for almost five centuries.

Moroccan Style: The Moroccan style and decor is
spectacular in looks and sensuous in appeal and
has been there was centuries. The intense colors
of the Moroccan style cast a magic spell on
anyone who uses it and even on those who see it.
Most of the Moroccan decor is created from a mix
of raw terracotta clay, and the color can vary
from the passionate red of the paprika spice to
the intense blue of the Mediterranean and the
shimmering yellow of the Sahara. You can almost
feel the decor as if it were alive!

In fact one of the spectacular Moroccan decor is
created with an intense blue as is there at
Jardin Majorelle located in the Avenue Yacoub el
Mansour in Marrakesh. You have to really see it
to believe it but we warn you: you won't be able
to stop yourself from falling in love with the
color. The blue is unique because no one has ever
been able to copy it. But Moroccan decor is not
just about vibrant colors, there more to it than
meets the eye. You can use Moroccan lighting with
different designs and patterns that has a subtle
touch of Moroccan and Islamic architecture. The
intricately designed filigree lanterns or
Moroccan chandeliers with colored glass inserts
is a temptation you can hardly refuse and it
exudes a class that has elegance. There are
special Moroccan henna lamps that come in a hue
of colors and can hold you spellbound for hours.

Article Source : Interior Design School Ny

About Author
Both Ryan Burden & Moe Tamani are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ryan Burden has sinced written about articles on various topics from Kitchen Home Improvement, Home Management and Interior Design. Author Ryan Burden publishes , which provides expert guidance and information on custom countertops AND .. Ryan Burden's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Moe Tamani has sinced written about articles on various topics from Affiliate Programs, SEO Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing. Moe Tamani is an online marketer and importer of Moroccan Furniture and Moroccan Home Decor and related products displayed at: ,. Moe Tamani's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.
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