Tables, worktops, exceptional furniture: discover the mineral terrazzo / granito coating from Beal International — a contemporary and improved alternative to traditional granito — and its application in our workshop near Brussels.
A terrazzo / granito reinvented by a Belgian manufacturer
Terrazzo, also known as granito in Belgium and France, is making a powerful comeback in interior architecture and high-end furniture. Originating in Italy several centuries ago, this coating made of stone fragments embedded in a mineral matrix was long associated with the floors of public buildings and the grand Art Deco homes of Belgium. Today it returns in a fully modernised form, and that is precisely what BEALSTONE® offers — the mineral coating developed by Beal International, a Belgian manufacturer based in Fernelmont, one hour from our workshop in Steenokkerzeel.
Beal International is also the creator of MORTEX®, the béton ciré we have been working with for fifteen years. It is therefore no coincidence that we chose BEALSTONE® as the second reference material in our workshop: we know the quality, rigour and long-term stability of Beal products. Our experience with BEALSTONE® began in 2015 — ten years of practice with this specific material, complementing our fifteen years of MORTEX®.
What exactly is BEALSTONE®?
Beal International describes BEALSTONE® as a mineral coating of the "terrazzo / granito" type, applicable from 2 mm thickness, composed of 97% ingredients of natural origin. In practice, it is a mixture of mineral binders and aggregates, prepared on site, that forms a continuous, dense surface with no visible joints, then sanded and polished to reveal the material.
A note on the terms "terrazzo" and "granito": they refer to the same material and technique. "Terrazzo" is the original Italian term, adopted internationally and in contemporary design. "Granito" is the term historically used in Belgium and France, inherited from the Italian craftsmen who spread the technique here in the early 20th century. Beal itself systematically uses both names, and we follow this logic: whether you speak of a bespoke granito table or a contemporary terrazzo table, you are referring to the same type of material.
Where traditional Italian granito or terrazzo is cast in thickness (several centimetres) and requires heavy infrastructure, BEALSTONE® is applied as a thin layer. This radically changes the possible applications: it becomes compatible with furniture, worktops, vertical surfaces, and even renovations on existing substrates such as tiles, MDF or prepared mineral surfaces.
Beal International explicitly positions BEALSTONE® as "a contemporary and improved alternative to Granito or Terrazzo-style concrete — crack-free, fine in thickness and easy to apply". It is this combination of finesse, resistance and absence of cracks that makes the material particularly suited to our craft as furniture makers.
The technical characteristics that change everything
Here are the official performance figures announced by Beal for BEALSTONE®, and what they mean in practice for a bespoke table:
Multi-substrate adhesion. BEALSTONE® adheres to mineral surfaces, tiles, MDF and other prepared substrates. For furniture, this means we can build a table top on a technical panel structure (high-density MDF or plywood) and then apply BEALSTONE® on top. The result: a rigid table, light relative to cast terrazzo, and extremely durable.
Hardness and resistance. All components of BEALSTONE® are fused to form a coating that Beal describes as highly resistant, guaranteeing according to the manufacturer an "unrivalled service life". For use as a dining table or worktop, this surface hardness is an essential criterion, determining resistance to scratches, shocks and daily wear.
Fine thickness from 2 mm. This is probably the most decisive characteristic for furniture. Traditional terrazzo imposes a thickness of several centimetres and very significant weight, which drastically limits the possible shapes and the design of the bases. BEALSTONE® allows thin tops, sharp edges and free geometries — exactly what contemporary architects and designers are looking for.
Near-total customisation. This is where BEALSTONE® stands out most radically. Where conventional granito or terrazzo is limited to a few predefined stone types, BEALSTONE® makes it possible to incorporate a virtually infinite variety of aggregates: marbles, quartz, semi-precious stones, shell fragments, glass chips, metallic particles, photoluminescent aggregates, and even personal elements (mementos, bottle fragments, porcelain). Beal also offers a bespoke colour-matching service for professionals, useful for precisely matching a table to an interior architecture project.
Interior and exterior, horizontal and vertical. BEALSTONE® is compatible with all environments and all orientations. For our workshop, this opens up the possibility of creating indoor tables, garden tables, bar tops and wall consoles in the same coherent material.
BEALSTONE® and MORTEX®: two distinct technical signatures
Working with both Beal materials every day, we want to clarify what distinguishes them, because confusion is common.
MORTEX® is a mineral béton ciré — smooth, with a matte or velvety appearance. It offers a continuous surface, monochromatic or nuanced by the trowel passes, with a subtle visual depth. It is a material of great restraint, very contemporary, which highlights the purity of forms.
BEALSTONE® is a terrazzo / granito-type coating. Its visual signature is the opposite of MORTEX®: it reveals visible aggregates — stone specks, coloured chips, mineral contrasts. It brings a textured, living, expressive material. A BEALSTONE® top tells a story at first glance; each piece is literally unique, because the arrangement of the aggregates never reproduces identically.
One is not superior to the other: they respond to different aesthetic intentions. MORTEX® for mineral restraint and purity; BEALSTONE® for bold material and character. In our workshop, we offer both because together they cover virtually the entire contemporary high-end decorative universe.
Why BEALSTONE® enters our furniture range
Our workshop has been working bespoke for fifteen years for a demanding clientele: private clients, architects, hoteliers and restaurateurs, in Belgium and across Europe. We built our reputation on MORTEX®, and the addition of BEALSTONE® responds to a demand we have been identifying for several years in our exchanges with interior architects and designers.
Supplier consistency. Working with both Beal ranges allows us to guarantee homogeneous quality, coherent certifications and 100% Belgian sourcing for a 100% Belgian workshop. Beal International designs, manufactures and distributes its products from Fernelmont — an argument for short supply chains and traceability that we are proud to uphold.
Accumulated experience. Our first application of BEALSTONE® dates back to 2015. Ten years of practice is what separates a competent applicator from a workshop that truly masters tonal variations, finishes, sanding and the challenges of application on furniture. BEALSTONE® is not a material you can improvise.
Complementarity with MORTEX®. The same client can order a table in MORTEX® and a side table in BEALSTONE®, in a consistency of workshop and finish that few manufacturers can offer. Architects appreciate this unity of artisan signature.
Applications in our workshop
BEALSTONE® will soon be integrated into our bespoke furniture range, through three distinct creative lines:
100% BEALSTONE® tables: top and base entirely in BEALSTONE® mineral terrazzo / granito coating. This line showcases the material in its full breadth, with total consistency between surface and base, and allows sculptural pieces where the material expresses itself without visual interruption.
Mixed BEALSTONE® + MORTEX® tables: BEALSTONE® top with MORTEX® base, or the reverse. This combination plays on the contrast between the speckled texture of granito and the velvety purity of béton ciré, in a unique workshop consistency. This is the most signature line, because it draws on the rare expertise of mastering both Beal materials simultaneously.
Mixed BEALSTONE® + noble wood tables: BEALSTONE® top with a solid oak or walnut base, finished in oiled or brushed finish. This line will appeal to contemporary Scandinavian interiors and projects seeking a balance between the strong mineral material and the warmth of natural wood.
These three lines will be available across all typologies we offer: rectangular, oval and round dining tables, organic-form coffee tables, bar tops, consoles and signature pieces for professional clients (restaurants, hotels, boutiques) who want a striking, durable surface fully personalised to their identity.
Each piece can incorporate specific aggregates chosen with the client: chips of rare marble, metallic particles, or even personally symbolic elements (a fragment of tile from a family home, a family object embedded in the material).
What distinguishes an expert workshop from a simple applicator
BEALSTONE® is a demanding material. The final quality of a piece depends on several parameters mastered simultaneously: substrate preparation, binder/aggregate dosage, application in successive layers, drying time, sanding technique (dry or wet), polishing, final protection. An error on any one of these parameters is immediately visible and cannot be corrected.
This is why Beal International explicitly warns against imitations and counterfeits. A workshop that has been working with BEALSTONE® for ten years, like ours, has tested all the variables — including those that only appear over time, such as tonal stability or the behaviour of the material on large-format tops.
Coming soon
Our collection of tables featuring BEALSTONE® will be available soon. We are currently working on the first models, the colour charts and the aggregate compositions that will define our signature with this material.
If you are an architect, designer, hospitality professional, or a private client interested in a bespoke BEALSTONE® table — whether terrazzo or granito — do not hesitate to contact us ahead of the launch. We can already study your project, present samples in the workshop, and schedule your order in our production calendar.
The Concrete Table Co., MORTEX® and BEALSTONE® workshop near Brussels. Fifteen years of béton ciré expertise, ten years of BEALSTONE® experience, 100% handcrafted in Belgium.