DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lokahi Stone's concrete countertop with copper inlays.
Who knew concrete could turn
into such a beautiful, artistic reflection
of homeowners’ tastes?
Today's kitchen has broadened to become a social gathering space for friends and a homework space for kids, so more and more people are spicing up the area, transforming it aesthetically and functionally into the nucleus of the home.
According to the National Association of Remodeling Industry, kitchens rank third as a home remodeling project. In fact, the return for homeowners at resale, on minor home-improvement projects, is 88 percent of their renovation dollar, according to Remodeling.
One of the primary areas of remodeling are the countertops, with people upgrading to laminates, granite, natural stone, quartz or even cement, the latter often shaped into an art piece reflecting homeowners' tastes.
BIA Building & Remodeling Show
Theme: "Seek Professional Help ... Before It's Too Late"Where: Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
When: 5 to 9 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Admission: $4 for adults; free for ages 12 and under accompanied by a paying adult; self-parking in the Blaisdell lot is $4
Call: 847-4666, ext. 206
Also: Watch Hawaii Pacific Steel Frame Alliance's Steelman Competition at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the parking lot facing Ward Avenue. The event features steel tradesmen competing against the clock and each other to build steel storage modules and to show the fine craftsmanship and skill of building with steel. The storage modules will be sold at a discounted rate following the competition.
The BIA Home Building & Remodeling Show presented by the Building Industry Association of Hawaii through Sunday at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall will feature some of the newest products, services and tools for homeowners to realize their dream home. The show provides access to contractors, as well as educational seminars on such topics as "How to Increase Your Investment Through Landscaping," "Decorative Uses of Glass in the Home" and "Build New or Redo."
For those who simply want to browse, there'll be cooking demonstrations as well, including samplings of dishes from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly, prepared by Elmer Guzman, of Sam Choy's Diamond Head; Michael Longworth, of the newly opened Jackie's Kitchen; Joel Navasca, of Big City Diner; Portuguese-style cooking with George Gomes, of Tri-Star Restaurants; and more.
Among the many countertop companies participating in the event are Solid Surfaces, Granite Transformations and 8-month-old Lokahi Stone, the only company in Hawaii designing countertops out of concrete.
Sales of granite countertops, which come in hundreds of types and shades, have been increasing dramatically over the last several years with the explosive pace of remodeling, though granite needs to be sealed about once a year to prevent stains.
Granite Transformations has introduced a new product: a quarter-inch-thick granite countertop that is cut to specifications to fit over any existing countertop. This reduces labor costs and installation time from two weeks to two days or less.
Granite Transformations simply refaces the countertop, using Rocksolid Granit reinforced slabs, providing a granite-style countertop. Imported from Italy, the slabs combine granite with polymer technology to produce an engineered stone that is secured to the old countertop with adhesives. The diamond-polished surfaces are known for their style, durability and stain resistance.
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lokahi Stone custom concrete countertops come in a variety of textures and colors.
According to company executives, the cost of a granite transformation is about the same price as demolishing an existing countertop and replacing it with a new tile countertop and backsplash.
All of the available countertops have their plusses.
Quartz seems to lead the trend in natural countertops. This natural stone is available in an array of color. A quartz countertop is a smart choice, especially for an island, because it is nonporous. This makes it suitable for food preparation, with enough durability to withstand active kids and impressive enough as a centerpiece for social gatherings.
Natural stone and engineered stone are also enjoying huge popularity in new and remodeled homes. But some of the most unique countertops are man-made from concrete.
Although natural stone and granite can be customized to a homeowner's tastes, cement is manufactured on site or in the showroom in desired colors and shapes. Some embed items as well to make them individual art pieces.
Lokahi Stone creates such surfaces, incorporating custom inlays or semiprecious stone aggregates. There are limitless ways to vary color selection and texture. Individuality is crucial to contemporary homeowners, according to Lokahi Stone owners James McGuire and Andrew Simon.
A typical kitchen cement countertop takes about three weeks to fabricate, then install. A basic, no-frills concrete countertop costs about $140 a square foot. Like granite, the cement also must be resealed annually.
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lokahi Stone, the only company in Hawaii that designs countertops in concrete, also makes tabletops in the material, such as the round one, above.
Granite Transformations can be found at 1717 Colburn St. Call 234-0000 or e-mail info@granite-hi.com. Lokahi Stone is at 518 Kamani St. Call 596.8833 or e-mail info@lokahistone.com.
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