As a kitchen designer, quartz has been my long time favorite choice for kitchen counter tops. The reasons include durability, ease of maintenance and all the available choices for color and visual texture. Cosentino, maker of Silestone as well as other new counter top products, is the world’s largest manufacturer of natural quartz. I love the fact that Silestone is nonporous- so it doesn’t require sealers. It’s also incredibly hard and stronger than granite. This makes it naturally scratch, stain and scorch resistant. One thing that really sets Silestone apart from their competitors is their use of Microban. Since 2005, Silestone® has incorporated Microban® antibacterial technology to give extra hygiene protection and they are the first quartz kitchen worktop in the world to use it.
Silestone also boasts the largest color selection (70+) in natural quartz. My term “visual texture” refers to the different looks you can get varying from large particles, reminiscent of granite, to totally solid blocks of color which are perfect for more contemporary applications. Thickness varies from 1.2cm to 3cm with 15 edge detail choices. "Suede" is a new matte finish that is smooth to the touch, giving the surface a softer, velvety appearance with little reflection, like honed marble without the upkeep.Silestone comes with a 15 year transferable warranty so if you buy a house with Silestone tops already installed, you’re covered. One interesting bit of trivia I learned is that Silestone is used in such places at The Tower of London and the Bellagio in Las Vegas!
Cosentino isn’t just about Silestone, they are also the makers of ECO. We spent a great day with the folks from Cosentino as a part of the Modenus Blog Tour. We traveled to the, Katrina devastated, Lower Ninth Ward and saw ECO, on site, as a part of the "Make It Right" project. Cosentino has partnered with the "Make It Right" foundation which is dedicated to building 150 affordable green, storm resistant homes to enable families to return to the area. Click here to read my post about the "Make It Right" project.ECO is a green counter top choice made of recycled and natural materials including glass, mirror, porcelain, industrial furnace residuals, quartz, stone scrap and corn oil- quite the recipe! It has much the same properties as Silestone, as far as non-porousness and durability, and is available in 14 colors. (Photo at the top of this post is ECO in a color called Grey Moss)Cosentino also had a lot to offer at KBIS2013 where we were able to preview new colors, featuring the movement and graining of natural stone, coming out later this yearThey also presented the highly anticipated new ultra-compact surface Dekton for the first time in North America. This is an entirely new product which can be used for interior as well as exterior applications. It's UV resistant and will come in extra large and extra thin slabs. Cosentino products are produced in Almeria, Spain and distributed globally.Next up: We're heading back to the bath for a peek at what's new at Toto!