The landscapes of Central Otago are some of the most dramatic in New Zealand, punctuated with stunning mountains, lakes, and desert-like expanses. This gorgeous new home in Queenstown, created by KOIA Architects, looks out to some of the most beautiful mountains in the region — Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ski slopes — and sits between two knolls. Architect Tony Koia knew that the house had to fit into the landscape, and survive the harsh weather the region can experience, and that the interior had to match the breathtaking topography too. 

In the kitchen, the heart of the home, an epic 3,545mm long island and a splashback were specified in Dekton, Laurent. The island is asymmetrical in shape, becoming thinner as it extends towards floor-to-ceiling glazing out to the mountains. Wood Solutions joinery in Dunedin used 12mm thickness, mitred to 30mm, for a dramatic centrepiece to the space. The dark colour, with its golden veins, is impactful and original. 

“All of the forms in the house are a direct response to the land, views and shelter we wished to create,” explains Koia. “The placement, form and materiality of the home took shape directly from the site and is a response to it.” 

“The large island is representative of the organic landscape with its non-orthogonal shape,” says Koia. “I think the homeowners, who chose Laurant, were drawn to the veins for drama and effect. In such a light-filled room, we could accommodate a darker kitchen. It adds a moodiness to the interior and ties into the aluminium joinery and louvres. And Laurent’s colour makes it stand out.”   

It was the first time the architect had used Laurent in a project, but its availability in large format slabs made it easy to specify for such a large application. And, it “seems to be very forgiving,” says Koia of the stain-, scratch and heat-resistant surface that is warrantied for 25 years. 

“We have started to use oversized islands a lot,” adds Koia. “Sometimes with benches behind them, sometimes without. It changes the whole dynamic of the space. I have found that with an oversized island, guests are more likely to involve themselves in the cooking process, which I personally love.” 

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton® here.  

“A holiday at home” was the feeling that a young Auckland couple wanted to create with the renovation of their townhouse in the inner-city suburbs. Stylish, well-travelled and uncluttered in their style, a high-end aesthetic and lots of storage were important for the clients. Interior designer Georgia Langridge of Modi Design set out to create a home with a West Hollywood vibe, plenty of luxe detailing, and Dekton by Cosentino throughout. 

Dekton, carbon neutral from cradle to grave, was specified for the kitchen surfaces, built-in furniture, the laundry and two bathrooms. In the kitchen, which looks onto a pool and tropical planting, a palette of organic forms and textures were selected. Dekton, Rem, in 12mm thickness, was specified for the benchtops. With its veining, the ultracompact surface complements the layers of warm-toned timbers and textured stone tiles in the fresh, modern room.  

“The veining and pattern of Rem is so timeless and beautiful; it catches the light and plays on the beach holiday feeling we wished to evoke,” says Langridge.  

To connect the kitchen space with the living room, Langridge designed a built-in Dekton, Arga desk, mitred to 120mm at the waterfall end, and accented with brass trim. It’s a sleek, sophisticated addition that creates a cohesive and integral connection between the two zones. It’s a multi-purpose piece of furniture: the owners can sit at the desk when working from home, or serve cocktails from it when entertaining. And because it’s warrantied for 25 years and scratch-, stain- and heat-resistant, it’s a low maintenance area in the home. 

“The house is so light-filled that we needed a product that would bear the brunt of New Zealand’s harsh UV rays even though it’s inside,” explains Langridge. “Plus, the clients are very clean and tidy people. For them, it was important we were specifying a material that is ‘what you see is what you get’, that being that Dekton is so resilient and durable, it will always look brand new. And the gloss of the Arga is well suited to the form and geometry that we wanted to bring into the design.” 

In the bathrooms, the soft glamour of Rem and Arga is repeated, to create cohesion to the interior design. Rem is specified in the downstairs bathroom for both the vanity and a large, inviting shower. Floor-to-ceiling slabs of 12mm thickness line the walk-in shower to emphasise height and bring focus to the materiality of the product.   

“Dekton, Rem was the only choice for this space,” says Langridge. “It has the perfect vein to sit against the shower window with the lush greenery behind. And the brass shower hardware works to elevate a luxe look.”  

In the nearby laundry, Rem has been specified for the benchtop and upstand, while upstairs, in the master bathroom, Arga tops a wooden bathroom vanity. Like all of the interior choices in the home, it conveys the feeling of a “hotel holiday”, says Langridge. “It’s a sleek way of living. To achieve that, we’ve called upon pieces that are thoughtfully placed as small, isolated treasures through the home. With refined yet durable Dekton surfaces, we’ve achieved a pared back and refined style, but it still feels like a home.” 

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton® here. 

Photography by Hazel Redmond. 

The perfect contemporary kitchen needs to contain a few crucial elements: ample bench space, high-performing appliances and surfaces, room to move, and plenty of storage. This Wellington kitchen had none of the above — until designer Damian Hannah reimagined it.  

“The owners had no idea of what they really wanted, as the kitchen was in a completely different location and they could not figure out what to do,” explains Hannah, lead designer at German Kitchens. “They sat on it for a while and, after much deliberation, decided a professional was required. They needed more of everything: bench space, storage, functionality, refinement, and aesthetics.” 

Hannah began by moving the kitchen to the other side of the room and redeveloping the space to maximise indoor-outdoor flow. The bench space issue was solved by the selection of Dekton, Aura for a large kitchen island. The island became the family home’s informal dining area, with enough room for six to sit and dine. Its scale, and the pattern and personality it infuses into the open-plan room, created a new, luxe aesthetic and a clear design direction. To add a polished, seamless effect, kickboards, and cabinet door fronts were specified in Aura too. A mix of thicknesses was specified: 20mm on the mitred benchtop, and 8mm on the vertical panels and waterfall sides. 

Parallel to the island, an extra-long benchtop was fabricated in Aura, which is carbon neutral for its entire life cycle, as were splashbacks and an overhead open cabinet. Grey Oak veneer was paired with the Dekton colour to enhance the refined, contemporary vibe. 

“Dekton offered an Italian marble look without the porosity of the metamorphic rock,” says Hannah, when asked about functionality. “Dekton being acid resistant and impervious to heat and impact allowed the unique aesthetic of marble without the fragility.” 

“I have always been a natural stone fan,” Hannah told Stuff recently when interviewed about the beautiful kitchen. “I love working with quartzite, granite, and Carrara, but Dekton is a beautiful product and clients love the longevity, especially people who are hard on their kitchens. You don’t have to worry about scratching and putting hot pots on it.” 

In the living room, a matching bar area where the kitchen once was, features an Aura benchtop and splashback. It can also be found in the home’s laundry. 

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton®, Silestone® and Sensa® here.   

When two busy homeowners, inexperienced in building from the ground up, needed help with their multi-storeyed new build, they enlisted the services of interior designer Nicola Ross. 

Ross, who owns Nicola Ross Design in Foxton, started with the house plans, making sure the layout worked for her self-employed clients’ lifestyle. Once that was finalised, choosing materials and the perfect aesthetic became her priority. 

“Creating a cohesive colour palette across the home was key to the feel of this project,” explains Ross. “They wanted to create a relaxed feel that was easy to live with. Creating warmth in spaces with a lot of hard surfaces was a key driver, as was making the most of its incredible location and the full height windows looking out over the ever-changing landscape.”  

The couple, who have a small child, needed hard-wearing surfaces and plenty of storage in their Palmerston North home. Ross specified Cosentino products in no less than seven rooms of the house, for benchtops, cabinetry, bedside tables, vanities, a kitchen island and splashbacks.  

Dekton, Lunar was the ideal choice for the open-plan kitchen, with its pared-back aesthetic of wood and warm greys. The carbon-neutral surface from Cosentino’s Industrial collection gave the materiality of concrete to the island, which can seat at least six diners, and to the benchtop around the adjacent cooktop.  

“Whilst they loved the look of real concrete, the maintenance of it was something my clients didn’t want to deal with, so Dekton was a great choice,” explains Ross. “It gave us the ability to use it on the counters and wrap the island and wall in a way that could not have been achieved with concrete on this project.” 

For a seamless look, Ross also specified Lunar to clad the entire wall behind the cooktop. “Combining structural pattern, and layering concrete tones created a minimal feel with a cosy vibe,” says Ross. “Keeping our material palette simple, we have taken the benching up the wall, giving great function and looking beautiful.” 

 Lunar also makes an appearance in the family and media rooms, atop custom-made cabinetry and built-in ledges. Thanks to Dekton’s high performance and durability, the surfaces will stand up to bumps and scratches, and be stain-resistant for many years. 

In the bedroom, bedside tables and built-in cabinetry were fabricated in 20mm Silestone, Poblenou. In the main bathroom and ensuite, Silestone, Nolita was chosen for the vanities. The white and grey surface worked in both the light and airy primary bathroom, and in the darker, moodier ensuite. 

“Silestone’s durability was a key factor in using the product,” says Ross of the low-silica product, which is manufactured with recycled water and renewable energy. “We found everything we needed in the Cosentino offering of products to achieve everything our clients wanted from both an aesthetic and functional point of view.” 

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton®, Silestone® and Sensa® here.  

When renovating a central Auckland house for a client and her two teenage boys, Yellow Fox designer Micaela Wynne was tasked with creating a kitchen that first and foremost was fabulous to cook in. 

“The homeowner was specific about her love for baking and cooking, and how the current kitchen made her feel,” explains Wynne. “From that conversation I understood her brief clearly, that her kitchen was an escape of sorts and she wanted to spend time in a functional, streamlined and inviting space.” 

Although the home was relatively new, Wynne renovated the kitchen and three bathrooms to refresh the spaces. In the kitchen, wall tiles were removed to expose the original brickwork, while Dekton by Cosentino in Radium was specified for a brand-new benchtop, splashback and a feature upstand.  

“The existing architecture really dictated what we did with the interiors,” says Wynne. “Dark steel elements combined with red brick on the exterior of the house, and utilised internally, inspired a New York loft feel. It’s not a style often seen in Auckland, so I was pleased the client trusted me to accentuate these features rather than run from them.”  

Radium, a dark surface that evokes rust-tinged steel, added to the modern, industrial vibe, and complements the red brick, thanks to its orange detailing. Made from 80% recycled materials and specified for this kitchen in 12mm thickness, it fit the bill for a functional cook’s surface.

“Dekton was a no-brainer,” says Wynne of the ultra compact and completely carbon neutral product. “In a high-traffic kitchen catering to not only adults, but also teenage boys, we needed a surface that was extremely durable. It had to be stain-resistant, able to withstand extreme heat, scratch-resistant and also UV-resistant, because there are skylights running the length of the kitchen.” 

In the bathrooms, limited space and raked ceilings meant that the vanities had to be light and bright and create an illusion of openness. Silestone, Nolita was selected and specified in three rooms, because of its neutral tones. 

“Silestone is a much-loved product in our studio,” says Wynne. “It’s an easy to maintain product and non-porous with a beautiful range of colourways. “Nolita is such a beautiful off-white, contributing just enough texture and interest to the bathroom spaces without being too overpowering.”  

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton®, Silestone® and Sensa® here.   

Photography by Stephanie Creagh. 

When starting work on a kitchen in an architectural new build for a busy young family, Annika Rowson of Rowson Kitchens knew she wanted to use Sensa’s White Macaubas, a striking surface that brings the wow factor to any space. 

“I hadn’t used it in a project before, but the homeowners requested texture and natural stone, and I knew White Macaubas was the perfect product, so I brought it up as an option very early on,” explains Rowson. “I had to design a functional kitchen that could withstand their needs, but also one that sat beautifully in the space, and having worked with the owners before on their previous kitchen, I knew the surfaces had to be practical and beautiful.” 

Rowson came up with the idea of a mitred, 3400mm White Macaubas kitchen island that is curved at one end and angular at the other. It was fabricated by AGB Stone Waikato in the Sensa surface, with just one centre join. The pattern of the Sensa stone adds natural texture and drama to the open-plan space and the result, Rowson says, is “immaculate and very minimal.”  

White Macaubas is paired with dark oak veneer cabinetry, which she says, “enhances the darker veins of green and blue in the granite, anchors the kitchen in the generous space and allows the island to stand out”. A hob is integrated in the island, with an induction downdraft that removes the need for a rear riser or suspended hood; the sink is a custom granite piece for seamless integration with the Sensa surface. 

“A real bonus with Dekton is that there is a variety of thicknesses to choose from for all types of applications, including 4mm which we used for our drawer fronts and 12mm for our splashback. It’s great to be able to use the thinner product, which makes a big difference and gives you a lot more options and space for your benchtop.” 

In the powder room tucked behind the kitchen, a vanity top in Kelya and a concrete basin reference the aesthetic in the kitchen and creates a moody, contemporary space. Outside, Kelya gave the designer the durability she needed in the outdoor cooking area. Because it is scratch- and stain-resistant, the Dekton surface, which is carbon neutral from cradle to grave, could stand up to the harsh exterior elements. 

“Sensa is stain resistant which is important for longevity in these rooms and it also has a 15-year warranty which is reassuring to clients selecting benching,” says Rowson. “Selecting a natural material is also a lovely option, as it is completely unique.” 

Explore the full range of colours across Sensa®, Dekton® and Silestone® here.  

Photography by Gina Fabish.

When designing her own kitchen, interior designer Wendy Morris knew she needed several things: in her indoor and outdoor spaces, she wanted an aesthetic that complemented the black and bronze façade of her Auckland home; the surfaces had to be low maintenance; and she wanted seamless drawer and cabinet fronts for a sophisticated look. 

Having used Dekton in many previous client projects, she turned to the Cosentino brand to fulfil her wishlist in her brand new, harbourside home in Auckland. Soke was chosen for an impressive kitchen island in the open-plan kitchen and living area. Kelya was specified for the cocktail bar counter and cabinets on the other side of the kitchen, and also for the cabinetry, benchtop and cladding in the adjacent outdoor BBQ area. 

“The colour is dark, so it matches our exterior, but it’s soft, with lots of veining in it. It means our black BBQ and fridges look more integrated. The veining of Soke was chosen to complement the Kelya, which matches the bronze front door.” says Wendy. “Soke also works with the oak cabinets and the table extension, which is lovely to sit at for meals.” 

The grey surface, inspired by concrete floors and part of Dekton’s Industrial collection, was also specified for the splashback, manufactured by Stone by Design, behind the stovetop hobs. 

“A real bonus with Dekton is that there is a variety of thicknesses to choose from for all types of applications, including 4mm which we used for our drawer fronts and 12mm for our splashback. It’s great to be able to use the thinner product, which makes a big difference and gives you a lot more options and space for your benchtop.” 

In the powder room tucked behind the kitchen, a vanity top in Kelya and a concrete basin reference the aesthetic in the kitchen and creates a moody, contemporary space. Outside, Kelya gave the designer the durability she needed in the outdoor cooking area. Because it is scratch- and stain-resistant, the Dekton surface, which is carbon neutral from cradle to grave, could stand up to the harsh exterior elements. 

“It’s really hard wearing,” Morris explains. “We’ve had no marking whatsoever, even though we put hot pots or pans on it. There’s been no chipping at the edges of the Kelya draw fronts. And we’ve had no problem with the Dekton heating up in the sun, even though the area is north facing. Functionality and aesthetics are both easily met with Dekton, making it very easy to recommend to my clients for their homes.”