Stone Reimagined
by Lori Currie
“Dekton has to be the most exciting new development in the countertop industry in the last five years. What makes Dekton so unique is its versatility. We have various thicknesses of this product, which allows us to use it for a variety of applications.”
-Nick Vargas, Regional Director, Cosentino Northwest U.S.
If you are building or renovating a home, chances are you’re dedicating a substantial amount of time to selecting the material for your surfaces. The good news is that your choices have come a long way since the Formica of the 1960s. Today, innovation is the name of the game, with dozens of different materials in a dizzying array of colors.
One of the top choices continues to be Dekton Ultracompact, a proprietary composite material by global leader, Cosentino. Five times stronger than granite, Dekton has been hailed as the most scratch-resistant surface available, also proving resistant to abrasive acids, oils, vinegar, and wine. Additionally, Dekton does not fade over time, and it stands up to water and UV rays.
Dekton technology mimics the look and feel of natural stone; it’s crafted with a blend of over 20 minerals extracted from nature and compacted at high pressure that results in no weak points and virtually no porosity. Put simply, it is stone, reimagined.
“Dekton has to be the most exciting new development in the countertop industry in the last five years,” says Nick Vargas, regional director of Cosentino in the Northwest U.S. “What makes Dekton so unique is its versatility. We have various thicknesses of this product, which allows us to use it for a variety of applications.”
Cosentino recently launched three new Dekton collections: Pietra Kode, Onirika, and Stonika, each a perfect synergy of beauty and functionality.
Pietra Kode
“I’ve had the idea for a collection of Italian stones for a while. I understood that exploring and decoding their imperfections and complexities would not be easy, but I also knew that Dekton was the ideal partner to take on this challenge.”
-Daniel Germani, Designer
Created in collaboration with architect and designer, Daniel Germani, the Pietra Kode collection offers outstanding definition, deep textures, and unique patterns. The line is inspired by the work of prolific Italian Renaissance architects, like Andrea Palladio, and Germani’s lifelong love affair with Italy.
Rooted in Italian culture and history, the name Pietra Kode is derived from the Italian word for stone, pietra, and a modern reflection of the technology it utilizes, kode. “I’ve had the idea for a collection of Italian stones for a while,” says Germani. “I understood that exploring and decoding their imperfections and complexities would not be easy, but I also knew that Dekton was the ideal partner to take on this challenge.”
A variety of colorways—like Nebbia, a creamy white with a warm taupe accent, or Grafite, a graphite with a base of blacks and grays—offer hyper-realistic patterns expressed through colors, shades, and structures. New textures bring the natural look of rustic stone to life in travertine selections like Sabbia, sand in Italian, with veining throughout, and full array of different tones and hues. Ceppo, Germani’s favorite, is bold and loud but evokes a soothing and serene feeling at the same time. The flexibility of the collection is unmatched. It is a series of timeless colors designed to interact with each other.
Onirika
“This symphony of form and matter captures the eye and infuses any space with elegance.”
-Nina Magon, Designer
The intent behind the Onirika collection was to blur the line between fantasy and reality. Designed by international interior design powerhouse Nina Magon, Onirika captures the poetic beauty of natural stone with six distinct marble-inspired patterns and finishes: Neural, Magon’s favorite, is a soft white canvas with pale veins and texture that creates a fascinating neutral space; Lucid displays many shades to create an illuminative perception of colors; Awake is a re-interpretation of the precious Paonazzo stone, with thick veins of light grays and subtle hints of terracotta, plus inky blues; Trance brings life to any space with streaks of reddish-gold and blue; Vigil recreates a Calacatta structure of thick veins in gradients of light and dark grays; and Somnia is a dark base that boasts captivating details of warm browns and whites that merge under a grid of thick lines to create a sober texture. Each colorway is highly immersive, full of disruptive textures and movement.
“The collection was greatly influenced by the unique poetic beauty of natural stones and the lavish inspiration of its movement and marbled colors,” says Magon. “This symphony of form and matter captures the eye and infuses any space with elegance.”
Stonika
The latest line of Dekton products might be their most ambitious yet. Called Stonika, this series is inspired by natural stone, presenting four rich colors that feature the trademark veining of materials like marble and quartzite. The standout quality of the material is its spectacular shine; Stonika surfaces possess a sumptuously glossy finish that will hold up even after years of heavy usage.
The colors in the Stonika series are part of Cosentino’s XGloss collection: Olimpo is inspired by the highest-quality Carrara, with grayish veins on top of a white background; Taga has grayish tones with marble and crystalline streaks; Arga takes inspiration from the quartzite of the Taj Mahal, with a smooth cream background and subtle brownish gold streaks; and Bergen strives for perfection in tone, structure, and depth with greyish veins on an off-white base.
“Stonika has been a much-anticipated launch,” says Vargas. “The unique designs inspired by many natural stones have added a new dimension to the Dekton portfolio. The feedback from clients has been great. Homeowners have come to our showrooms and mistakenly thought colors from the Dekton Stonika collection were the natural materials. The great news with these colors is they get the look of beautiful natural stones but with the performance benefits of Dekton. It has been a great addition to the Dekton color palette.”
Cosentino’s Portland showroom offers customers the chance to walk through the decision-making process by working with on hand slabs and samples. The process can be overwhelming but the level of selection the Cosentino Centers offer is designed to help make it easier.
All three collections are backed by Dekton’s cradle-to-grave carbon neutrality certification. Cosentino offsets 100 percent of their CO2 emissions during the entire product life cycle of Dekton, making it the only carbon-neutral surface covering on the market. This designation distinguishes Dekton as a classic, functional, and sustainable choice that will stand the test of time. Like stone, reimagined.
“Stonika has been a much-anticipated launch. The unique designs inspired by many natural stones have added a new dimension to the Dekton portfolio. The feedback from clients has been great. Homeowners have come to our showrooms and mistakenly thought colors from the Dekton Stonika collection were the natural materials. The great news with these colors is they get the look of beautiful natural stones but with the performance benefits of Dekton.”
-Nick Vargas, Regional Director, Cosentino Northwest U.S.
