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Winkler and Clancy use Buddy Rhodes Concrete Products when creating their countertops, and have completed several unique precast systems in recent months, blending Buddy Rhodes' veined and vibrated techniques into one top. Winkler borrowed the idea from antique ornate inlaid tables that mix different textures or materials in the same piece.

The countertop pictured here is part of an 8-ft. 6 in.-long kitchen island with an 18-in.-deep raised breakfast bar and a 25-in.-deep countertop with an inlayed sink. All slabs were poured 1¾ in. thick and the mix was prepared with an integral color.

The dual-technique process starts with Winkler building the formwork and mapping out where the different techniques will appear. He then applies a layer of silicone caulk to separate the areas where the veined technique will appear.

For this particular countertop system, Winkler pressed in ¾ in. of concrete countertop mix prepared for the veined technique and let it set until it was firm in the mold. Then he filled in the rest of the mold with a batch of countertop mix prepared for the vibrating technique to the same level of the veined concrete application. Next Winkler applied a layer of stucco mesh and ½-in. rebar over the entire countertop and finished filling in the countertop slab with mix. Then he vibrated the fluid concrete to remove any voids and allowed the countertop to cure.

After the framework of the countertop was shed, Winkler applied a color paste to the voids to create the veined effect. The countertop was finished with a wet polish using a series of diamond polishing pads up to a 3,000 grit, a penetrating sealer and a coat of beeswax.