From Sketch to Site: Inside a Custom Manufacturing Project

Most of what leaves our factory is not from a catalogue. A reception desk for a hotel lobby, a run of bespoke tiles for a restaurant, a vanity sized to the millimetre for a renovation — custom work is where GFRC terrazzo really earns its place. Because we manufacture directly, with no minimum order, a one-off piece follows the same path as a hundred. Here is how a custom project actually runs.

1. The brief

Everything starts with what you are trying to make and where it will live. A sketch on the back of an envelope is enough to begin; so is an architect's drawing set. We talk through dimensions, how the piece is fixed or freestanding, the loads it will carry, plumbing or power that has to pass through it, and the feeling you are after. This is also where we flag anything physics will not allow — better to know at the sketch stage than the mould stage.

2. Colourway and sample

Next we settle the colour. That might be one of our ten standard colourways, or a tuned version — a custom base tone, a specific aggregate blend, a particular chip size. We cast a physical sample so you can approve the exact look in your own light before we commit to a full mould. Nothing goes into production on the strength of a screen.

No minimum order. A single bespoke piece is made with the same care, and the same process, as a full production run.

3. Mould and cast

Once the design and colour are signed off, we build the mould. This is the craft that custom work lives or dies on — the mould determines every edge, radius and return. The approved colourway is batched by weight, poured, vibrated to release trapped air, and cured slowly under controlled conditions. Complex pieces are cast in sections engineered to meet in the least visible seam.

4. Finish, quality check and dispatch

The cured piece is ground and hand-polished until the aggregate sits flush and bright, then sealed. Before it ships, it is checked against the original drawing — dimensions, finish, colour match. From our warehouse in Heathwood, Queensland we dispatch Australia-wide, and we will talk through fixing and installation so the piece arrives ready to go in.

What we make to order

• Reception and retail counters, and hospitality bar tops.
• Vanities and integrated basins sized to an existing space.
• Custom furniture — tables, benches, plinths and side tables.
• Bespoke tiles and wall panels, including sculpted 3D profiles.
• Planters and outdoor pieces built for the elements.

Working with trade

Architects, designers, builders and developers are the heart of our custom work. Factory-direct pricing, no MOQ, and a single point of contact from sketch to site make specifying terrazzo straightforward. If you have a project on the drawing board, send us the details — a sketch and a rough size is all we need to start the conversation.