The Spain-based global surfacing giant has added another sustainably produced line to its renowned Silestone® portfolio.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Cosentino, a leading global manufacturer of innovative mineral hybrid and engineered architectural surfaces, has added to its portfolio with the newest collection under its Silestone® brand.

“Le Chic” is a unique collection characterized by finely crafted veined patterns typical of natural stone, evoking timeless Parisian and Victorian aesthetics in classic cream and rich hues. Among the designs are silver, gold, copper and gray veining, two-toned marbling backgrounds, gradient and pearlized effects. Le Chic revisits classic shades through a modern interpretation, and its new, distinctive colors portray a sense of refined allure with a nostalgic flavor.

Part of Le Chic’s innovation lies in its environmentally friendly production. Cosentino is committed to safe and sustainable methods and materials, aiming for a carbon-neutral manufacturing process.

“Sustainability is deeply embedded in our DNA, it’s how we do business,” said Eduardo Cosentino, CEO of Cosentino Americas and EVP of Global Corporate Sales for Spain-based Grupo Cosentino. “Our sustainability strategy is based on several pillars, including efficient production, decarbonization, the circular economy — using recycled water and materials — and our innovative HybriQ+ Technology®.”

In 2020, Cosentino started producing Silestone® surfaces with its proprietary HybriQ+ Technology®, supporting the company’s mission for a clean, renewable, safe surface offering. Because it is available in varied thicknesses and large formats, Silestone® can be used for kitchen and bath countertops, backsplashes, shower walls, custom sinks, shower bases, wall cladding, fireplace mantles, furniture and much more. HybriQ+ Technology uses 99 percent reused water and 100 percent renewable electric energy in the manufacturing process, and its composition has a minimum of 20 percent recycled materials, like glass, and less than 40 percent crystalline silica — much healthier for people and the planet.

In 2022, Cosentino implemented 197 energy-efficiency measures and reduced its Carbon Footprint (Scopes 1-2-3) by 6.1 percent, achieving a 12.8 percent accumulated reduction since 2018. It is part of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international non-profit organization that helps companies, governments and other entities assess and report their impact on the environment.

“We developed an Energy Transition Plan as part of our Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan to accelerate the energy transition and emissions reduction,” noted Cosentino, who is also a member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2023 national Board of Directors. “We have one of the largest self-consumption solar installations in Europe, capable of generating 15 percent of our annual electricity consumption.”

The company is based in Almería, Spain, with North American headquarters in Coral Gables, FL. Among its portfolio of brands are Silestone® Dekton® and Sensa®. The company was founded in 1979 as a producer of marble for architecture and construction, and now serves more than 110 countries with its eight production facilities worldwide. It maintains 41 distribution centers in the U.S. and seven in Canada, and operates 11 City Center super-showrooms throughout North America.

For more info on Cosentino and Le Chic, go here.

LG’s luxury brand introduces an innovative refrigerator and opens a stunning new showroom.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS), the elite appliance brand in the LG Electronics portfolio, continues its evolution in the luxury space with the introduction of an industry-first 48-inch built-in French door refrigerator and a spectacular new space in which to showcase it.

SKS has officially opened the Skyline Showroom at its new corporate headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, an immersive Experience & Design Center (EDC) modeled after its innovative EDC in Napa, CA, which opened in 2019.

The Skyline Showroom along the Hudson River in New Jersey is part of the LG Electronics LEED Platinum Certified North American headquarters — dubbed the Innovation Campus — and establishes an East Coast hub for exceptional customer experiences. It serves as a showcase for SKS’ industry-leading appliances and all LG products, from kitchen and laundry appliances to smart TVs and robotics. The showroom, overlooking the Manhattan skyline, brings the brand’s True to Food philosophy to life, with immersive culinary experiences and interactive demonstrations in state-of-the-art chef’s kitchens that spotlight the appliances’ features and benefits.

The custom showroom features two kitchens and dining spaces, with cabinetry and furniture from renowned luxury brand Molteni & Co. Exquisite parquet floors from Listone Giordano, ceramic tiles from Porcelanosa and lighting from Incolight provide the showroom’s sleek finishing touches.

Among the highlighted appliances are 48-inch dual-fuel pro-style ranges (boasting built-in sous vide modality), advanced induction cooktops, wall ovens, wine columns, ENERGY STAR®-certified refrigerators and dishwashers and more. This curated kitchen package embodies the brand’s commitment to luxury and functionality, all with leading-edge technology to provide more flexibility in food preparation and preservation.

SKS’ award-winning 48-inch French-door refrigerator offers unprecedented capacity and function, in stainless steel and panel-ready options and Signature Fit™ Integrated Design, allowing for proud or flush installation.  It features four freezer drawers, including a convertible drawer adjustable from 41⁰ F to -7⁰ F, allowing for precise food preservation across five temperature settings: chilled wine, fridge/deli, meats and seafood, beverages or fully convertible to freezer temps. Its dual ice maker drawer offers traditional ice cubes and slow-melting Craft Ice^TM. The appliance is Wi-Fi enabled and may be monitored via smartphone or other mobile device through LG’s exclusive ThinQ® Care app. Other features include dual compressors, adjustable hidden LED under-shelf lighting, and Lift and Go^TM drawers and bins.

This newest refrigerator has captured a number of design and performance honors. Besides ENERGY STAR® certification, it earned the prestigious Red Dot Design Award, naming it a top product for 2023. Some 20,000 products compete in the juried Red Dot competition, and this particular model is the sixth SKS product to earn a Red Dot Award since the brand’s 2018 debut.

After 2021 wins for SKS’ innovative Undercounter Convertible Refrigerator/Freezer Drawers and Undercounter Wine Refrigerator, this year SKS also took home the iF Design Award in the kitchen appliance category for its 48-inch French-door model. The annual German competition is widely viewed as one of the world’s top three industrial design awards, and this year drew 11,000 entries from around the world, competing in 76 categories across nine disciplines.

The refrigerator has also won NKBA’s “Best of KBIS” award, the Connected Design “Design Meets Tech” award, Kitchen & Bath Business product award, and Kitchen & Bath Design News’ Top 20 Products of the Year, among others.For more information on the full portfolio of built-in Signature Kitchen Suite appliances, visit the website here.

The cloud-based service makes 3D home interior design and product configuration accessible to everyone.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

HomeByMe, a unique online, cloud-based platform for interior design, represents the next advancement in omnichannel, interactive design tools. The platform allows users to access its services across multiple web-enabled devices, from smartphones to laptops, tablets and desktop computers. Initially designed for consumer use, the company is now marketing a platform aimed at streamlining the kitchen design process for professionals. One of its main advantages is the ability to deliver high-quality renderings, and since it is cloud-based, there is no need for complicated installation.

HomeByMe, with 28 million users, was developed by France-based Dassault Systèmes, a global leader in 3D digital innovations. The company generates more than 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) annually and does business in 137 countries. Its U.S. headquarters is in Waltham, Mass.

The company conducted extensive research that revealed a shift in consumer behavior to seek inspiration and information online before embarking on a project. In fact, 66 percent of consumers surveyed said they purchased home items online in the past year, and 75 percent said they prefer to start planning their kitchen on their own before enlisting a pro. HomeByMe was initially focused on consumer applications and simple interior-design solutions. Its research also showed that 36 percent of consumers prefer omnichannel shopping, starting with online inspiration and ending with in-store purchases, highlighting the importance of web-to-store strategies.

The beauty of this platform is that it allows consumers to start on their journey of inspiration and seamlessly transition these ideas to kitchen industry design and sales professionals, who can refine the design and layout, generate pricing and renderings, create item lists, schedule deliveries and more.

HomeByMe is driven by an understanding of the challenges faced by designers when they use complex tools and heavy software. Its solutions include the HomeByMe Kitchen Experience and HomeByMe Bathroom Experience, which include planners and an application to facilitate sales operations management. This end-to-end solution is dedicated to kitchen and bath specialists, combining best-in-class 3D space planning with sales operations and management capabilities.

Designers and consumers may generate plans in less than 10 minutes with the web-based software, which incorporates 150 business rules for safety and security, ensuring reliable designs.

HomeByMe is highly user-friendly for consumers as well as design, manufacturing and distribution professionals. It requires minimal training, is intuitive to use, and includes a guided design approach, automatic layout proposals and embedded business rules.

“The kitchen and bathroom markets’ need for digital transformation became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumers seeking online inspiration and purchases,” said Ricky Vescovacci, North America sales representative for HomeByMe. “HomeByMe’s solutions meet this evolving market demand, providing online, cloud-based and omnichannel options. The K&B sector requires specific functionality and adheres to industry-specific rules, making standard software solutions unsuitable. Our offerings take these factors into account, including security considerations. As the industry undergoes significant transformation, both online and in physical stores, there is a growing demand for 3D layout and design solutions. Our solutions match the needs of both consumers and sales, providing user-friendly tools to meet the unique requirements of this sector.”

HomeByMe aims to accompany K&B companies in the U.S. through a successful transition, leveraging the expertise and experience the company has gained in Europe.

“By offering specific solutions and dedicated support, we seek to become a trusted partner for K&B businesses,” said Vescovacci. “We are committed to developing our awareness and reputation in the North American market. While we are well-known in Europe, we acknowledge the need to increase our visibility in North America. As we just entered the North American market, our focus is on establishing a strong presence, building relationships with key industry players, and showcasing the value and benefits of HomeByMe’s offerings.”

HomeByMe will host an informative one-hour online webinar on Sept. 26. “From Inspiration to Reality: Experience HomeByMe Kitchen Planner in action” will detail and demonstrate the features and advantages of the solution. Register here. 

For more insights on the transformation of the Kitchen market, consumer expectations and expert retail analysis, download the HomeByMe Consumer Survey Report. To contact HomeByMe for additional information, go here.

The Spain-based luxury design giant remains committed to its founding principles as it moves toward its second half-century.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Porcelanosa is celebrating its 50^th anniversary with an eye on innovation, sustainability and expansion.

The company was established in 1973 by José Soriano, Héctor Colonques and Manuel Colonques on four core pillars — innovation, quality, design and sustainability — to which it remains true. It started as a small tile producer best known for white-paste ceramic floor and wall tiles, and has evolved into a global provider of design solutions, especially for kitchen and bath. Today, it manufactures and distributes tiles and mosaics, natural stone slabs, kitchen and bath cabinetry, hardwood and laminate flooring, innovative bathroom sanitary fixtures, construction systems and installation materials, and its innovative Krion® solid surface product.

Based in Villarreal, Spain, the company employs more than 4,600 around the world, including at its 35 showrooms throughout the U.S. and Canada. It produces more than 215 million square feet of ceramics annually. Three new U.S. locations are opening this year, in Austin, TX, Scottsdale, AZ, and Palm Beach, FL, with more planned for 2024.

Throughout its first five decades, the company has developed new technologies and unique product solutions and brands. The Porcelanosa brand is part of Porcelanosa Grupo, a diversified holding company and a leader in the production of ceramics, kitchen and bathroom furniture and architectural solutions that range from ventilated facades to ceramic laying materials. Among its subsidiaries and brands are Porcelanosa, Gamadecor, L’Antic Colonial, Butech, Noken, Krion and others. Their wide array of products, systems and categories has helped the group expand throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America. Currently, the overall group has 1,082 points of sale and 43 logistics centers around the world — with more in the pipeline.

Kitchen Innovation

The company adapts to rapid changes in the market through innovative product design and technology. For instance, SmartKitchen by Gamadecor features invisible dual worktops blending innovation and design, harnessing cutting-edge technology to power up to 2,000 watts, without batteries or external cables. Its dual-purpose induction plates can be used as a cooking area while simultaneously providing a wireless electrical charge for household appliances through electrical induction. It also has an integrated induction charger for mobile devices.

Porcelanosa was one of the first companies to pioneer the use of large slim porcelain slabs for countertops. These XTone tiles install easily — weight is no problem due to reduced thickness — and they are water- and warp-resistant, therefore their lightness is not an issue. They are easy to maintain, resist stains and damage from fire, frost or thermal shock.

Porcelanosa has dedicated architectural and design representatives throughout the country to help architects and designers alike on residential, commercial and even healthcare projects. The company collaborates with many major architectural and design organizations, including NKBA, AIA, ASID and others, as well as with various healthcare-design groups like the Center for Health Design, the AAHID and the Nursing Institute for Health Design.

Sustainability Standards

The company has consistently maintained a commitment to protecting the environment. Porcelanosa Grupo was one of the first conglomerates in the tile industry to obtain ISO 14001 certification for environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. This certification reflects Porcelanosa’s long-standing tradition to conserve natural resources. Its manufacturing plants are equipped with water depuration and recycling systems, gas-burning technology that reduces consumption and emissions, and other processes and equipment that aim to reduce resource depletion and contamination.

Its overall environmental strategy centers on product design that contributes to the reduction of water and energy consumption in the home. Examples include taps that limit water flow, and building solutions that allow for energy savings in heating systems.

Sustainability has been critical to the company since its inception, as its industrial plants must harmoniously coexist with an agricultural sector that requires environmental responsibility. Its ecoTech philosophy strives to respect the natural environment, transform raw materials into eco-friendly products while reducing consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, implement sustainable development and manufacturing practices, and minimize negative environmental impacts of sourcing and production.

Learn more about Porcelanosa here.