Objects of Desire: Beautifully Individual Concrete Floors
If you have pets, kids or a clumsy housemate, chances are that durability is a top priority when it comes to choosing finishes in your home. And perhaps no flooring material is as durable as concrete. It is also sustainable and budget-friendly, works well with radiant heat and comes in an ever-expanding array of colors and textures, all factors that help explain why it’s so popular.
The look of concrete depends on two main factors: the aggregate particle mix that makes up the actual concrete, and the color. Color can be achieved via the aggregate itself, mixing colored powder or liquid into the aggregate (integral color), acid etching, staining or using a tinted wax. Both the color and texture can also be altered by polishing, which exposes more of the aggregate, and sealing. You might also consider adding a coat of wax to create a gloss or matte finish, although this can also darken the color.
Does it sound like concrete might work for you? Learn more with the six beautiful concrete floors below as examples.
Stained Concrete Floor
The rich chocolate finish of this concrete floor evokes the warmth and richness of leather.
How it was made: The color was achieved using asemitransparent concrete stain that comes in several colors.
Why it works here: “We felt that the color we chose went well with the natural wood in the house,” saysCurtis Gelotte, Principal at Gelotte Hommas Architecture. Concrete is also an economical finish in homes with radiant heat, like this one.
Tip: Stained concrete floors will always have natural variations in color, because of the way concrete takes the stain. “You have to embrace its uncontrollability in a sense and go with the organic nature,” says Fisher.
Integral Color Concrete Floor
How it was made: Indigo Architecture & Interiors achieved this texture using a granite aggregate, also known as pea gravel. They then added Davis Colors‘ Outback 667 into the mix to create this gorgeous gray.
Why it works here: This concrete floor enabled Indigo to further blur lines between indoor and outdoor spaces in this home.
Tip: Indigo founder Jeb Thornburg points out that while it’s possible to achieve your desired concrete color, it will never be exact. “Concrete coloring and finishing is a lot like cooking,” he says. “You can make the same dish 10 times, and each time it comes out a little bit different.”
Thornburg points out that many factors can influence the way your floor turns out — everything from the local sand mix to the air temperature during the pouring and curing. “To us this is just part of the nature of the material, but it is something to keep in mind up front,” he says. “You need to make sure you are comfortable with the imprecise nature of the color outcome.”
Custom Concrete Floor
This gorgeous floor is the result of some creative value engineering by the homeowners. While they were hoping for wood, it just didn’t fit the budget. Concrete was a beautiful alternative that will allow them to easily install wood on top of it should they eventually opt to splurge.
Why it works here: The rich chocolate brown takes the cold commerciality out of the finish, creating a cozy and relaxing space.
Tip: Amy Simmons of Greenbelt Construction advises homeowners to embrace the cracks and color changes that will eventually happen to a concrete floor. “That’s the beauty of concrete floors: Nobody else’s floor is ever going to look just like yours,” she says.
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Objects of Desire: Beautifully Individual Concrete Floors
