The countertop was designed for the owner of an old farmhouse in Pennsylvania, says J&M Product Manager Jeff Kudrick. The house was built in the 1700s but had an extension added. The homeowner wanted to keep the existing cabinets but was looking for something that would add more character to the kitchen. The result was a precast concrete countertop with a wood decorative finish and custom edging details.

It took J&M about two weeks to design, mold, cast, finish and install the countertop, Kudrick says. "We had to accommodate the sink and windows," he says. The edge of the countertop had to wrap around a copper farm sink. J&M also decided to incorporate the seams into the design. "Instead of just putting the countertop together and trying to seal the seam, we made it look more purposeful. We took a hand hammered iron plate, screwed it in to the seam, and gave it more of a decorative appeal," Kudrick says.

The kitchen also included a 31/2-in.-thick radius free-form island countertop featuring a texture process that created an edge that looked like flamed blue stone, Kudrick says. He also drilled hand forged iron nails into the edge to give the island character and detail. Instead of a wood finish, Kudrick acid stained the island to replicate the color and look of the home's existing stone fireplace.