The boom in decorative concrete, outdoor living, and sustainable design are in full force.

Some examples:

Decorative Concrete

Futung Cheng, owner of Cheng Design in Berkeley, California, published a book this year titled Concrete Countertops. Amazingly, the book has sold over 100,000 copies in a little more than a year on the market. The book has been so well received that Cheng has started selling a bag mix with his special concrete recipe. “If you had told me two years ago that a book on concrete countertops would sell so well, and I would be selling a bagged mix across the country, I would have thought that incredulous,” said Cheng. Dwell is a home and design magazine based out of San Francisco, California. Readership of this magazine has skyrocketed to 287,000 per month. What do two of every three floors shown in this popular design magazine feature? Concrete. These floors demonstrate the beauty of polished concrete, concrete overlays, tinted or dyed concrete, stained concrete, and etched concrete. Concrete as a finished surface is so popular because concrete is solid, yet at the same time beautiful and elegant. Concrete is also clean, an important attribute for those who suffer from allergies. Concrete as a finished surface is also utilitarian; it feels good to make use of a material that already exists on the project. Why bring in another material such as wood, tile, or carpet, when you already have a perfectly good floor?

Photo courtesy of Cheng Design Products Inc. Photo courtesy of Cheng Design Products Inc.

Sustainable Design

Within 5 minutes Nicholas Vandergrift can explain to a prospective buyer why his method of homebuilding is superior - he just has them step inside one of the concrete homes he has under construction on Ocean View beach in Norfolk, Virginia, along Chesapeake Bay. Potential buyers can immediately tell his home is quieter, doesn’t move or rattle in the ocean breezes, and just plain feels solid- like concrete, which it is. “I don’t have to say a thing, notes Vandergrift, the customer can simply stand in the house and sell themselves. It is what they don’t hear that sells them.”

Green building is the concept of constructing homes and buildings we need today without depleting resources for future generations. In the new world of “green building,” information about the strength, durability, and indestructible nature of concrete as a resourceful building material is emerging. Amid the teardown-and-replace mentality still pervasive in the world today, concrete stands out defiantly. Try to replace concrete with an alternative building material, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a substitute possessing the same thermal qualities, design flexibility, and permanence.

Fortunately, a paradigm shift is taking place in attitudes about resource conservation and sustainability. More builders and homeowners are now embracing green building, and concrete is emerging as a champion rather than a rebel. Read on to find out why, and learn how you can use concrete to build environmentally responsible homes without compromising beauty, comfort, or economy.

Outdoor Living

Photo courtesy of Craftsman Workshop Photo Courtesy of Amcon, Inc.

Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular. We’ve come a long way from the charcoal grill by including gas ranges, sinks, faucets and countertop prep areas to outdoor kitchens. The lay-out of an outdoor kitchen depends on your style of cooking from grilling, stir-frying to rotisseries and pizza ovens. Concrete has the ability to handle a large range of temperatures – it will stay the same through the dead of winter to the height of summer. Sealers can be applied for water and stain resistance and clean-up can be as simple as hosing down the area. Since concrete countertops are poured into custom molds of any shape you desire, you can integrate soft curves or sharp angles to your outdoor areas, creating motion and rhythm to the space. You can also design a regular countertop as well as a bistro bar area for eating and sharing conversation with the cook.

The time for Concrete Expressions Magazine is now

Concrete’s time is here. It is not a market being dreamt up by wishful thinking marketers; buyers who want solid, beautiful homes, gorgeous floors, useful outdoor rooms, and beautiful decorative products drive this market. The market is here; let’s go get it!