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.