Beautiful, Eco-Friendly Kitchen Countertops

Choosing an eco-friendly countertop in a kitchen renovation isn’t just good for the planet, it’ll make your life easier, too. The engineered stone countertop in this kitchen is called ECO by Cosentino is made by the same Spanish company that produces another well-known quartz surface called Silestone. Here are seven reasons to love it:

1. It’s beautiful

2. It’s composed of 75 percent post-consumer and post-industrial recycled raw materials, including glass, mirror, porcelain and industrial furnace residuals, and 25 percent natural elements, including quartz, other stone scrap and corn-oil-based resin, which makes it incredibly eco-friendly

3. It’s extremely durable

4. It’s non-porous and amazingly stain resistant

5. It’s a high-performance product that is practically impossible to scratch or scorch

6. It doesn’t require any sealers

7. It’s a cradle-to-cradle product that is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, Greenguard, and NSF International

The ECO material comes in two collections, 10 colors and two finishes—glossy and a matte finish called Leather. The one featured above is called Polar Cap, an off-white hue containing gray and silvery specks that make it look a lot like limestone.

Last month, Cosentino also announced an alliance with Christopher Peacock Home, a premier designer and manufacturer of top-quality cabinetry and other home products for private estates and luxury residences around the world. The alliance was kicked off at Culinarium 2010, an interactive kitchen design and epicurean event, which was sponsored by the San Francisco Design Center and showcased ideas on how modern kitchens can be made more personal, comfortable, and technologically advanced.

To find out more about ECO, which costs $68-$118 per square foot and is now available through Christopher Peacock showrooms everywhere, visit its Web site. For more on Christopher Peacock, click here, and for more on the San Francisco Design Center, click here.