Frank Clements has heard it before.

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A hand-troweled counter for a Dallas client's kitchen remodel creates a finish that few can identify as concrete.

"You want that for your kitchen counters?" he says, repeating the confused reaction of most people when they first hear about interior finishes using concrete. "They're thinking sidewalks. You can tell by their expression they're wondering, 'Why would anyone want that?' "

As it turns out, more people in the know are considering concrete because it's durable, original and has good looks that would make a sidewalk jealous. Mr. Clements has gained a reputation among architects and designers in Dallas and beyond for masterful concrete work, especially counters and sinks. People often cannot identify the material upon first noticing it, he says, and they like that uniqueness.

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The master craftsman executed a design for a trough sink at Corgan Associates, an architecture firm in downtown Dallas.

"A slab of granite or marble is going to be smooth and very formal. Concrete has the slightest undulation and softness that makes it more casual. It looks handmade," he says.

For every project, he creates custom molds using wood and plastic. After pouring the mix and letting it set up until it's stiffened just a bit, he hand-trowels the surface for a finish that's one of a kind.

"For our counters we wanted something different, and we also wanted a low sheen," says homeowner Elizabeth Howard, who had Mr. Clements install concrete countertops in her contemporary kitchen. Ms. Howard and her husband, Todd, who is a commercial architect in Dallas, finished a renovation of the kitchen in their East Dallas house in June. "The most common reaction of people who've seen them is they wonder what exactly it's made out of," Ms. Howard says.

Mr. Clements has a graduate degree in architecture and builds fine furniture as both a hobby and as part of his business, but he spends more of his time now on concrete, which he's been working with since 1985.

"The wonderful thing about concrete is that it will take whatever form you give it," Mr. Clements says. "You could form it into the shape of Texas if you wanted."

In addition to countertops, Mr. Clements has cast sinks, tabletops and address blocks using the material. Concrete can be tinted a wide range of colors from light to dark, he says. Maintenance for counters includes periodic buffing and sealing, similar to some varieties of stone. The color is consistent throughout the formed piece, so one can use sandpaper to remove minor stains or scuffing.

Mr. Clements uses steel reinforcing rods in his concrete work to strengthen it and keep it from cracking, one potential pitfall. He warns clients of that possibility and has developed techniques, he says, to minimize and often prevent cracks.

The cost to install a concrete counter is roughly equivalent to that of midrange stone and depends on a variety of factors, including the intricacy of the custom molds.

Erin Covert is a Dallas freelance writer.

FOR MORE INFO

To contact Frank Clements, call 817-265-8961 or e-mail kfclements@ sbcglobal.net.