Simple and Cost Saving DIY Concrete Ledge

Apr 14

Tyler and I pride ourselves on always creating high-end homes on a budget. I’ve always been of the mindset that there are some things that will be worth the month when renovating a home, while others can be recreated with a simple DIY. Just consider how many “IKEA hacks” there are on Pinterest just look just as good as the real deal! This is exactly what happened when we were in the midst of renovating our Culver City home. Our genius designer Jessie Tate of Cien Atelier really wanted to add a concrete ledge to add some depth to our living room. However, that was simply out of our budget. Being the genius she is she gave us an incredible idea for getting the concrete “look” for the ledge in our living room without a concrete price tag.

Once you have the frame built and drywalled, here is what you need for a DIY concrete ledge!

Stucco Acrylic Venetian Plaster
Sandpaper
Trowel
Patina Wax

We had our contractor build the ledge out of wood and drywall, which is shown above. Don’t ask me how this was done because I honestly don’t know. If I knew, I would share, but I’m hoping the picture can clue you in! Once it was painted with a coat of primer the fun part got to start. I applied 3 layers of STUCCO VENEZIANO - Acrylic Venetian Plaster, High Gloss Decorative Plaster by San Marco, which was about 5 gallons. Realistically the application all depends on how much texture you want in the end. We opted for larger wide strokes as I wanted a modern feel and nothing too busy. Check out this video for application techniques. It’s also important to make sure you let it set in-between applications. I will note they also have a concrete plaster option but I felt the look was a little too rustic for what I was going for but I’m linking it here for you to check out.

Next up, you’ll want to buff your application with sandpaper. Pro-tip: make sure you wipe away all the dust and grit from the sandpaper before you move on to the next step.

The last and final step is applying the Patina Wax. I used clear, but you can also use other colors if you want a sheen of sorts. I used the same big strokes while applying the patina, and I suggest at least 2 coats. After it dries, you want to use your trowel to buff and move the patina creating your final stroke and a little gloss to the finish. And voila, here’s the final product! Feel free to DM me any questions you may have.