COLORS
Order our color sample pack
Finishes
We have been working on our finishes for almost a decade now. We use mostly two cement colors: white and grey. By adding pigments, we can produce a wide range of tones. Vibrant or faded colors, it’s just a question of how much pigments is mixed. All our concrete creations are casted within molds; we always cast the whole piece in the chosen color, meaning that the color is not only on the surface.
After casting, and a bit of waiting for the concrete to harden, the piece is demolded. Starts then the water polishing. Water polishing happens with diamond pads. The idea is to remove the “cement glue” that forms on the surfaces.
In most of the cases we expose the sand held within the mix; like this the surface is more abrasion resistant and you get a deeper stone look.
A “cream” finish can be achieved as well, but is not recommended for surfaces we either eat or cook on. The abrasion resistance of a “cream” finished piece is lower to the one that has its sand exposed.
After polishing, the surface is finally protected. (for more information see our Protection section). Our creations are soft to the touch and in 90% of the cases they are protected with a semi matte or matte protection.
Salt and Pepper
This is the most common finish. The surface is very neutral with minor imperfections. The surface is polished to expose the sand.
Suitable for furniture tabletops, countertops, integrated sinks.
Pressed
The pressed surface has more movement. The perfect imperfections give a more vibrant look to the piece. The surface is polished to expose the sand.
Suitable for furniture tabletops, countertops, integrated sinks.
Drip Spray
The drip spray finish is made by spraying concrete to the surface at low pressure. The surface has a lot of movement and has a softer look than the pressed version. The surface is polished to expose the sand.
Suitable for furniture tabletops, countertops, integrated sinks
Marbled
This more rugged look is achieved by using 2 different colors of mixes. It can be the same mix but with lighter/heavier tone or it can be a totally different color. The surface has more profile.
Suitable for furniture tabletops, countertops, integrated sinks.
Trowelled
Trowelled surfaces are casted right side up. Once the concrete starts to set/ harden, the surface is flattened using trowels to achieve a dense and flat finish. The final surface has a lot of movement. The surface is then wet or dry polished to expose the sand.
Suitable for seamless projects and longer countertops, tabletops.
Terrazzo & Granito Finishes
Our basic concrete mix is mostly a mix of cement and fine sand. To this mix we can add different types of crush or aggregates so that we can achieve a terrazzo look. After demolding the piece, the concrete piece is heavily polished with water to expose the aggregates.
We have a wide selection of aggregates (marble, granite, glass, pebbles,...) in different sizes and colors. We can play with the four main ingredients being: cement, pigment, sand and aggregate. The possibilities are endless and here is a selection of our favourite terrazzo finishes. We mostly produce custom terrazzo mixes so if you have something in mind, drop us a line.
We charge 40€ for a 20/20cm custom terrazzo sample.
Wood and metal inlays
It is common to combine or embed different materials in concrete countertops or tabletops.
PROTECTING YOUR CONCRETE
Due to its porous properties, all our concrete creations are sealed with a suitable protective coating that will keep your concrete looking great for years to come.
The word great is something that we need to discuss here.
For some of us “great” means “new”. Some of us like the raw and chunky look of concrete. They might also like how patina develops on the surface over time. On the other hand, some of us want a quartz-like, clean cut slim countertop that doesn’t stain at all. Do you keep the kitchen countertop clean at all times? Are you constantly wiping the surfaces? Are you always in a hurry and tend to forget to forget to clean your countertop? These are the things we need to discuss before we start your project.
The market provides a huge amount of protection systems that are each better than the other. We can find:
Topical sealers: in which case you protect your porous concrete with a film of material, which is usually PU (polyurethane). We use topical sealers for most of our creations (tables and countertops) It is very resistant to stains but may scratch easily. Topical sealers keeps your concrete looking new as long as you take good care of it.
Reactive sealers: a chemical reaction with the concrete itself happens and crystals are built within the matrix of the concrete. Reactive sealers protect the concrete in depth giving a more natural look to you countertops.
Waxes: carnauba and bees wax are the most commonly used waxes for concrete. Their protection level is lower than most topical or reactive sealers. On the other hand they are great maintenance and care products for your concrete. Waxes are mostly applied on concrete legs and decorative elements.
Oils: Tung, flax, paraffin oils work very well with concrete. We use oils for eg. on outdoor dinner tables. They are also great maintenance products.
At 16JUIN we work with all the above mentioned products. A kitchen countertop will not be used the same way as a wall panel, therefore it doesn’t need the same protection.
The protection process starts with the preparation of the surface; it is a key phase before applying any sealer.
In the end, remember that there are no material that will last forever. Your concrete piece will age and that is what’s beautiful about this material.
EDGE PROFILE
All edges are either slightly beveled or rounded and we do not leave any sharp edges that may chip easier or be dangerous in household with smaller kids.
As our creations are casted within molds, we can route edgeprofiles with different methods offering fully round edges for different thickness…
