What do you yearn for when you run your eager hands across the vast expanse of an empty countertop? The glassy smoothness of marble? The slightly rougher texture of polished granite? Perhaps the somewhat unorthodox yet earthy and warm give and take of cork? (see Suberra by ECO Supply). All of these have their partisans, yet Silestone and Cosentino are placing their faith in the geological commonplace of quartz. As we saw some time back with an initial look at the company and their countertops, quartz is an ideal kitchen surface—it’s durable, hard, non-porous, and bacteria resistant: “Anti-bacterial protection is contained within the matrix of the stone… this helps inhibit the growth of potentially harmful micro-organisms and bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria.” Silestone’s quartz countertops are thus extremely hygienic, but that’s just where the story begins, because the forthcoming Volcano Collection not only highlights quartz’s naturally beautiful aesthetic, it imparts a whole new sense complex into the mix: feel and touch.

Volcano Collection. Designed by Silestone.

A High Performance Textured Surface

At first glance, Volcano may not provoke all the awe and wonderment that the word implies, but I have it from an unimpeachable source that—at a microscopic level—the nooks and crannies that form this countertop’s texture appear as vast cornices of igneous rock. It’s fitting, then, that the color scheme for the collection plays on the volcanic theme. Choices include Haiku (light cream), White Zeus (pure white), Kensho (an ashy white), Gray Expo, and Nuit Bleu (light black with speckles). From an atomically small vantage, any of these might easily be confused with the great ring of sea bound mountains known as the Hawaiian Islands, or the monstrous Andean massifs flanking the Colca River as it drains down to the Pacific.

From the perspective of you, however, as you entertain the possibilities of an entirely new style of kitchen countertop by simply passing your hand, Volcano resembles the miniscule modulations of an orange peel—a surface that’s smooth enough to be comforting, yet rough enough to inspire intrigue. Silestone is betting that’s just the right mix for an exciting new breed of kitchen countertop, and I’m betting they’re right.

Via Kbbonline.