A concrete revival
According to this Wall Street Journal story (subscription required) concrete is back in homes...in a big way. I grew up in the house that was exposed concrete and brick designed in 1972 by my mother (and inspired by Wright and Corbusier) and so I'm hardly surprised to hear this news!
The latest hot look in home design? Take a look at the garage floor. In a trend that started in downtown Manhattan lofts and the houses of Los Angeles hipsters, once-humble concrete is challenging granite and marble as the material of choice for everything from kitchen counters to fireplace mantels -- and even chairs. Sales of cement (the major ingredient in concrete) are expected to rise 27% this year for use in homes, according to the Portland Cement Association. "You're really looking at a concrete revival," says Ward Malisch of the American Concrete Institute.
...Designers have been using decorative concrete since the early part of the 20th century. Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright was a big fan, using the material in landmark houses like Fallingwater in western Pennsylvania. But after falling out of favor during the 1960s, concrete was pretty much relegated to basement walls and garage floors. Then, during the '80s, a handful of cutting-edge designers began using it in raw loft spaces and minimalist houses, polishing it to a high sheen and adding color. But even hipster homeowners rebelled when they realized that it was actually pretty hard to keep up -- and had a nasty tendency to crack.