Carved In Stone
Eduardo Cosentino, President and CEO of Cosentino North America, shares on the beauty of natural stone and quartz surfaces, and why more homeowners are opting for these materials
There’s been a trend of homeowners opting for quartz and stone worktop surfaces in recent years. What do you think prompted this change in preference?
One of the reasons for this change is because there are a lot more textures and designs to choose from when selecting stone and quartz worktops. Our flagship product Silestone is available in over 90 different colours and designs. Another reason is that new research and technology has allowed us to create stone and quartz worktops that are not only stain-, scratch- and acidresistant but have antibacteria properties as well. As a result, our products can be safely used on surfaces where hygiene is a key concern, such as kitchen countertops and in bathrooms, laboratories and hospitals.
How is Silestone different from the average marble surface?
Silestone is a compound made from 93 per cent quartz, making it exceptionally hard and resilient. Quartz itself is the second hardest mineral in the world, with diamond being the hardest. When used on kitchen countertops, its nonporous quality also means that homeowners can work with or prepare different types of food ingredients without worrying about damaging their kitchen counter.
The issue of sustainability seems to be a key issue for Cosentino, why is that so?
We are very committed to protecting the environment simply because we rely on the use of the natural quartz for our products. In fact, we’ve also introduced a new product called Eco by Cosentino, which is made from 50 per cent recycled materials (porcelain, glass, mirrors, and vitrified ash), together with natural stone scraps and an organic resin of plant origin.
Tell us more about the Cosentino City Center.
We began setting up Cosentino City Centers in the countries that the brand is present in because we wanted to be situated close to our commercial customers, such as architects, interior designers and developers, as well as end consumers. The Cosentino City Center in Singapore, located along Duxton Road, is the second of such experiential showrooms (the first being in Sydney, Australia) and it’s open to all. We are currently working on our next one, which will be in Manhattan, New York.