Black Concrete Countertops

I am pretty sure when we do the bigger kitchen reno in a year or two that we'll want to do soapstone for the main countertops. I love its look and how hard-wearing the stone is. Our little kitchen as it's currently laid out is a little dark though, so I thought I would try dark counters now to make sure that I'm comfortable with the look before we really commit.

Remodelista

I thought Ardex made Feather Finish in black, but they actually only make it in gray and white. So I poked around a little online and then called the Ardex people to make sure I could use this powdered concrete tint.

We built countertops out of scrap plywood to the exact dimensions of the old granite. 

We made the edges thicker by adding a little brick moulding beneath the plywood.

I also added a waterfall edge on the peninsula and I LOVE how it turned out. The first coat of concrete though, I didn't quite use enough black powder.

It turns out about a 1/4 cup to every two cups of concrete is just the right amount.

I used the same exact approach that I used in my laundry room, but this time I used a more expensive food-safe sealer. This stuff is pretty hard core. So far it's been worth every penny! I only needed about half of the bottle for several applications, so I think it's actually a pretty good value.

At sort of the last minute I had a change of heart about the shelving. I had wanted to use a taller series of three or four shelves, but I couldn't get this image from Remodelista out of my mind. I think the single, lower sleek shelf is just perfect here.

So we built a little backsplash and I used a pine board to make a shelf that I also layered in concrete.

It's not quite finished yet, but I was excited to share progress photos. I'm so happy with how everything is coming together! I especially love the black concrete - it's so pretty with the white cabinets. :) The cabinet hardware will finally be here tomorrow (five weeks late!) and we're finishing up the new window and door trim and then I'll take some more photos to share.

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: