Completed Project · Clifton, NJ

Microcement Checkout Counter for Veiled Flagship Store in Clifton, NJ

All Time Paint & Plaster Co. completed a custom microcement checkout counter for the Veiled flagship store in Clifton, New Jersey, using Meoded Concretta FS.

The project required extensive surface preparation, full mesh reinforcement, Quartz Primer, two coats of mixed Concretta microcement and a protective sealer to create a seamless architectural finish across the large custom retail counter.

Location

Clifton, NJ

Client

Veiled flagship store

Project type

Commercial retail

Finish

Meoded Concretta FS microcement

Application

Custom checkout counter

Location

Clifton, Passaic County, NJ

Client

Veiled flagship store

Scope

Custom retail checkout counter / cash wrap

System

Mesh + Quartz Primer + two coats Meoded Concretta FS + sealer

Custom Microcement Counter for a Clifton Retail Flagship

Veiled's flagship is a high-end retail environment where every surface is part of the architecture. The checkout counter sits at the center of the store, directly in front of a large sculptural feature wall, so it could not read as a typical countertop dropped onto a base cabinet. It had to look built — a single continuous form in a soft, neutral material that belongs to the room rather than sitting inside it.

That is exactly the kind of work microcement is made for. Applied by hand over the custom-fabricated counter, it follows the shape the designers drew: a long horizontal top, tall vertical faces, a rounded end return, stepped cash-wrap sections and the transitions between them, all finished as one surface.

Preparing the Counter for Microcement

A microcement finish is only as good as what sits underneath it, so the first phase of the project was entirely preparation. The fabricated substrate was inspected across every face, and the surrounding finished areas — polished terrazzo floor, adjacent millwork, the feature wall and the store's completed ceiling and lighting — were masked and protected before any material was opened.

Corners, edges and transitions were worked out first, because they are where a hand-applied finish either reads as continuous or gives itself away. The goal of this phase was a stable, consistent base for the full Concretta system rather than any visible progress on the counter itself.

Full Mesh Reinforcement

The entire counter was meshed before any decorative microcement was applied. Sheets were rolled out along the length of the counter, cut to fit and wrapped over the top, down the vertical faces and around the curved end, then embedded into base material and skimmed flat.

Reinforcement is a standard part of a professional microcement system, and it matters most over fabricated substrates like this one, where the form is assembled from panels with seams, joints, corners and changes of direction. Meshing the whole counter turns those separate pieces into one continuous field for the decorative coats that follow.

Quartz Primer Application

With the reinforced base cured and flat, Quartz Primer was applied over the counter to prepare it for the Concretta system. Quartz Primer is a textured primer rather than a standard flat sealer: its fine aggregate leaves a consistent, slightly gritty profile across the whole surface, so the microcement has something uniform to key into as it is troweled. On a counter with this much variation in orientation — horizontal top, vertical faces, curves and returns — that consistency is what keeps the first coat behaving the same way everywhere.

Two Coats of Meoded Concretta FS

Meoded Concretta FS was mixed on site to a consistent body and applied in two coats, entirely by hand with steel trowels. Long horizontal runs were worked in continuous passes so no start-and-stop line landed in the middle of the top. Material was wrapped around the leading edge and carried down the vertical faces so the top and the front read as one piece of material, not two surfaces meeting at a joint.

The rounded end and the internal corners were worked separately and blended back into the field, keeping the tone and texture even through every change of direction. The second coat is where the finish is decided: the amount of movement, the tightness of the trowel pattern and the overall softness of the surface are all controlled by hand while the material is still open.

Finishing and Sealing the Microcement

Once the decorative coats were complete, the surface was refined by hand — sponged and worked back until the texture was even across the full counter — and then protected with the appropriate sealer for the system. The sealer completes a microcement installation: it locks in the finished appearance and leaves a surface suited to a working retail environment. Final detailing, mask removal and cleanup returned the store to the client ready for merchandising.

A Seamless Look for the Veiled Flagship Store

The finished counter is clean, minimal and seamless — a soft neutral volume that reads as architecture rather than furniture. Against the large sculptural feature wall behind the register area, the smooth microcement gives the eye somewhere quiet to land: the wall carries the texture and the relief, the counter carries the calm. Together they share the same warm, mineral palette that runs through the rest of the store.

Why Microcement Works Well in Retail Spaces

• Seamless appearance across large surfaces, with minimal visible joints.
• Wraps custom-built forms — curves, returns, stepped sections and thick edges.
• Works on counters, cash wraps, reception desks, feature walls and built-in display surfaces.
• Creates a far more custom look than laminate, solid surface or a painted millwork face.
• Available in a wide range of textures and tones to match an interior palette.
• Integrates naturally with modern commercial and hospitality interiors.

Commercial Microcement in Clifton, NJ

This project was completed in Clifton, in Passaic County, one of the busiest retail corridors in North Jersey. We install microcement and decorative plaster finishes for commercial interiors across the region — retail stores and boutiques, showrooms, restaurants and hospitality spaces, offices and reception desks, and checkout counters and cash wraps built to a designer's drawings.

The System We Used

• 1. Substrate preparation and site protection
• 2. Full mesh reinforcement over the counter
• 3. Meoded Quartz Primer
• 4. First coat of mixed Meoded Concretta FS
• 5. Second coat of mixed Meoded Concretta FS
• 6. Hand refinement of the finished surface
• 7. Protective sealer
• 8. Final detailing and cleanup

All Time Paint & Plaster Co.

All Time Paint & Plaster Co. is a New Jersey specialty finishes contractor. We install microcement, Venetian plaster, limewash and decorative plaster, alongside commercial painting and high-end residential finishes.

We work directly with designers, general contractors and business owners on retail, hospitality and workplace interiors, with the preparation, masking and site protection a finished commercial space requires.

NJ HIC License #13VH10434100 · 1581 Route 23 S, Suite 1, Wayne, NJ 07470 · (201) 701-8248

The Installation, Step by Step

More Microcement & Specialty Finish Projects

Microcement Countertop Questions

What is a microcement countertop?

A microcement countertop is a hand-applied cement-based decorative finish troweled directly over a built countertop rather than a slab that is cut and set in place. Because it is applied in thin coats over the existing form, it wraps tops, edges, corners and vertical faces as one continuous surface with no visible seams.

Can microcement be used on a retail checkout counter?

Yes. Microcement is regularly specified for checkout counters, cash wraps, reception desks and bar fronts in commercial interiors because it can follow custom-built shapes and curves and be sealed for daily use in a public space.

What is Meoded Concretta FS?

Meoded Concretta FS is a water-based microcement plaster system used for decorative concrete-look finishes. It is mixed on site and applied by hand in coats over a prepared and primed substrate, then protected with the appropriate sealer.

Why is mesh used under microcement?

Mesh reinforcement is a standard part of a professional microcement system, particularly over fabricated substrates that contain seams, joints, corners and transitions. On this counter the entire form was meshed before the decorative coats went on, creating one continuous reinforced base for the finish.

How many coats of microcement are applied?

On this project the counter received Quartz Primer followed by two coats of mixed Meoded Concretta FS, then final refinement and a protective sealer. Coat counts vary by system, substrate and the texture the design calls for.

Does All Time Paint & Plaster install commercial microcement in Clifton, NJ?

Yes. All Time Paint & Plaster Co. installs microcement, Venetian plaster, limewash and other specialty finishes for retail stores, restaurants, offices, showrooms and commercial interiors in Clifton, Passaic County and throughout New Jersey.

Planning a Similar Project?

Interested in a similar microcement finish? Contact All Time Paint & Plaster Co. to discuss your project and review finish options.

Project completed by All Time Paint & Plaster Co., Wayne, New Jersey.