Discover the Cement Side Table With a Travertine-Effect Finish

This Ø60 cm round side table is cast in cement and given a travertine-effect finish, borrowing the pale, faintly pitted look of the limestone quarried around thermal springs without the cost or the fragility of the real stone. The colour sits between bone and warm grey, which is why it works so easily alongside oak, linen and plaster — the three surfaces Japandi rooms keep returning to. Its solid, sculptural profile gives a seating group something to anchor against.

Every piece is unique in tone and texture, because a cast finish of this kind never repeats exactly. For the same reason, the cement may show micro-cracks and small irregularities as it responds to its own nature and to changes in temperature; these are characteristic of the material and do not affect the integrity of the product. Read them the way you would read veining in stone — as evidence of what the cement side table is made from rather than as a defect.

Indoors, Under Cover, and Twice-Yearly Protection

The table is suitable for indoor and covered outdoor use, and that distinction matters: a sheltered loggia or a covered terrace is fine, an exposed garden through a British winter is not. Cement is porous, so standing water and freeze-thaw cycles are what shorten its life, not daylight. Protect the piece from the weather with the Iria protective covers when it is not in use, and bring it inside if a hard frost is forecast for the week ahead.

Twice a year, apply the Sterina stone protector to seal the surface against oils and pigmented liquids — red wine and olive oil are the two that stain a travertine-effect finish fastest. Between treatments, wipe with a soft damp cloth and skip acidic cleaners, which etch mineral surfaces. Indoors, set the round cement table beside a low linen sofa with a wool rug underneath; the contrast between soft textile and hard mineral is what makes the pairing work.