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This looks beautiful, so much so that I just called and spoke with them since I'm in the beginning stages of thinking about a kitchen re-do. The problem is if you are in NYC, they are based in L.A., and the cost of shipping this product freight is quite expensive -- a rough estimate I was given was $1,000 to ship a small countertop and small island. Unfortunately, they don't have a New York outlet. They told me that they are more oriented to doing commercial spaces and only do about 40% residential.

My thanks to AT for helping me out tremendously in my projects.
I'm always thinking about you guys when I see or hear new ideas. For instance, there will be a flagship Alessi store opening in the Tree Studios building in Chicago's River North neighborhood!

BB, was the actual price of the product more expensive than other materials you have looked at locally? I wonder how accurate that shipping cost really is since they gave you a "rough" estimate. That is a lot of weight even if the pieces are small so $1000.00 may not be that exorbitant.

Have you thought about having actual concrete countertops poured? I did a small one myself. http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/829822164/ It turned out just o.k. But if you have a good finish carpenter build the molds for you you shouldn't have any problems.

My first attempt didn't turn out so well because I kind of rushed it and didn't have enough concrete to come to the top of the mold. I also did a reverse mold where the bottom of the mold is actually the surface of the countertop so you don't know if you did everything right until you unmold it. But you can actually pour the countertop in place and smooth it out by hand and you will see if there are any air bubbles etc.

Or, you can hire a professional to do concrete countertops and the cost will be the same or slightly higher than a top quality granite installion.

art - the price of the product was actually less, an estimated $.65 a sq. ft., compared to the approx. $.90 a sq. ft. I've been quoted for other things I've liked. But I think the shipping costs would cut into that margin. I love how it looks and I love that it isn't as heavy as concrete. As I said, I'm in the beginning stages, so I will keep looking. There's a lot of research to do and AT has been very helpful with many ideas and resources. Thanks for this one. If I were in L.A., they'd be at the top of my growing list.

Wouldn't that catch all sorts of food particles in the little holes?

I had concrete counters custom-made by Get Real Surfaces maybe 3 years ago. They were nice and extremely professional and have a lot of choices in treatments, colors, etc. Plus they also had an office in the city so I was able to go in and see the finishes in person. However, it was NOT cheap - definitely more than the price estimates I see for granite.

Michael, Maybe that's why the photo gallery on their website doesn't show any pictures of their product in kitchens - bathrooms, yes, but I couldn't find any kitchens per se?

has anyone dealt with miracote? it's a polymer, but looks just like concrete. http://www.miracote.com/ i saw it on "small space, big style" or "dwell". it was designed for industrial use, but a couple was using it in their shower.

it seems like a great solutions since it can simply be spread on a surface. it sounds much easier to apply (if there are any professionals who have dealt with it around here) and, i would think, could just go over an existing surface.

has anyone dealt with miracote? i would love to hear anything as i think it may be a good option for an eventual kitchen and bathroom remodel.

I was really interested in them when we did our kitchen reno back in 2003. I had seen a Koning Eizenberg project in MetHome; their kitchen counters were truly gorgeous. However, the syndecrete folks really aren't interested in small projects, and the total cost came out double the cost of the terrazo-like concrete counter we finally got (with excellent, PERSONAL, customer service).