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Cosentino displays its two new collections in partnership

Published: December 26, 2024
Author: HFT

Design team Eliz Wong and Lew Yong Wei, along with Malaysian architect Fabian Tan, collaborate on a luxury surface brand with breathtaking results.

The happy promise of the holidays starts to take over more and more mental space as the year draws to a close. Despite the seasonal appeal of snowy splendor, Mediterranean getaways and glowing rivieras remain a luxurious choice for the jet-setter. The Dekton Pietra Edition, inspired by iconic Italian stones, and Silestone XM Le Chic Bohème, modeled after the elegance and individuality of the City of Light, are two new collections from Spanish surface brand Cosentino that are designed for those who want to satisfy their wanderlust by adding a touch of the old continent to their homes.

In honor of the launch, the firm unveiled two distinctive pieces of furniture in collaboration with local talent, including Dualspace Studio designers Eliz Wong and Lew Yong Wei and architect Fabian Tan. In order to demonstrate how these new releases can be used to portray European or resort-style interiors, the creative minds were given the Pietra and Le Chic Bohème lines, respectively.

“I was given the “Mediterranean” brief. Tan, who gained notoriety in 2020 for designing the Ottiqa house, which was famous for its rooftop jacuzzi, adds, “The image that came up was arches, but there is a particular set in the south of Spain, at [The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordóba].” Tan explains how he wanted to capture that impression of multiplicity in a smaller design by examining the cathedral’s layered arcs: “I wanted to incorporate modern elements with this ancient Classicism, but we tried to simplify it into a few layers.”

Made from the Sandik and Trevi surfaces, the result is a chic white credenza called Arcos, a finely sculptured table that resembles a building miniature. “When I first touched the material, I thought it was really hard, like a petrified countertop,” Tan explains. “I wanted it to be bright in some way. How could I convey this while emulating the sense of depth and multitude in the short amount of space?

The strategic use of the curved shape from multiple perspectives provided the answer. The slender pillars are purposefully spaced apart to provide the appearance of a larger area, capturing the calm intricacy of colonnades or cloisters. The architect takes great satisfaction in the corner view, where he highlights how the adjacent half-arcs combine to create a single curve, enhancing the piece’s impression of breadth and adding depth. As light streams between the slim stems, the minimalistic technique maintains the refinement and open nature of classical order columns while shedding their customary activity and grandeur.

“[Dekton’s] inspirations are from ancient stones,” explains Tan. They don’t have the same qualities as marble, however some show pebbles and some have tiny cracks. The ones I selected were intended to symbolize an earth and a structure. The difference in textures, where the travertine finish of the Trevi evokes a terrestrial cross-section and the smoother, softer Sandik forms the architectural top half, creates the illusion of half-sunkenness, as though rising from the ground.

In terms of practical application, he says Arcos would be best positioned at the end of a wall as a platform for decoration (“Topped with a bust … of myself maybe,” he jokes) or as a social bar table where one can converse with friends because the material’s exceptional stain and scratch resistance makes it ideal for setting glass or dishware, and the tactile contrast encourages idle touch.

Wong (left) and Lew were drawn to the two colourful surfaces from the Silestone XM collection

In contrast, DualSpace Studio’s Silestone XM Le Chic Bohème capsule is inspired by Parisian design and lavish holiday residences. Equipped with this theme brief, the pair, who specialize in interior design, remodeling, and consulting for both commercial and residential projects, embraced the idea of a pied-à-terre and envisioned a standing lamp known as D-Dualité O2 that would represent everyday household necessities with a contemporary twist.

Initially, we thought of several items for a house, such as a divider, bookcase, and floor light. We experimented with [carving] voids, acrylic, and murals. We have so many light collections in our studio that we’ve collected from many nations, so in the end we decided on this lamp,” Wong says.
“We were inspired by the actual structures of houses because our idea was to create something that could ‘house’ the [illumination source].”

The two say they have used Cosentino products a lot in the past and are prone to experimenting with recycled materials like plastic, balloons, and resin. They praise how the slabs’ strength and range of thicknesses make them particularly easy to use in features like a cantilever staircase, where the steps are only joined on one edge.

Using the collection’s vividly colored Château Brown and Jardin Emerald in thick, perpendicularly slotted arrangements, the D-Dualité O2 is dynamic and subtly elegant. The two tones are fashioned into L-shaped columns that are inserted one inside the other. With crisp lines that reflect the smoothness of wooden joinery and a structural firmness balanced by the stone’s delicate yet bright veining, the sculpture draws inspiration from roofs and trusses.

The spherical bulb behind it appears to float in the middle of the vertical length like a floating sun, and its warm warmth is diffused by a softly frosted surface of acrylic. “It was a smaller version, maybe two or three feet, when we designed this. A mirror was supposed to be placed next to the acrylic, but we changed it to be higher for easier display and instead chose to concentrate just on the Cosentino materials that were supplied. Lew says, “We decided that since the entire structure is so angular, we might use a sphere lighting instead of a tube and put it in the center to balance [the design].”

The two chuckle when asked where their creation would appear best: “[Tan’s] piece would look fantastic next to ours! With a lovely lamp next you, you may speak at the table,” confirming how crucial lighting is to the mood of a gathering. They point out that the original bookshelf concept persisted in this last piece since the top brackets create a book slot and the stone’s solidity allows for the stacking of ornamental items on the top layer, adding another useful feature.

When asked how the collections would be best used in the house, all three agree that it’s easy to use Cosentino’s products to add simplicity and decadence to one’s surroundings. The DualSpace partners see kitchen countertops, backsplashes, and flooring adorned with stony splendor for a vacation vibe without the need for airline tickets. Tan muses, “The application is limitless, it could be part of the architecture or interior, as furniture or objects.”

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