Design Surfaces Kitchen and Bath has beefed up its natural stone inventory, and we’re in love

By Ken McEntee

Many of our most essential products today are relative newcomers to our lives. The iPhone, for example, hit the market only 11 years ago. Google was launched in 1998. And only 36 years ago, techies of the day were awed by the incredible Commodore 64, with its robust 64 kilobytes of RAM.

But today’s most spectacular kitchen countertops have been slowly in the making for millions of years—even before sliced bread and the printing press.

“Natural stone brings a kitchen to life,” says David Coticchia, third generation co-owner of Design Surfaces Kitchen and Bath, in Westlake. “Magnificent countertops become the focal point of the kitchen, and the kitchen is most often the focal point of the home. Natural stone possesses natural beauty that can’t be duplicated in a factory. Plus, it is rugged and long lasting.”

The demand for granite and other natural stone has grown so strongly that Design Surfaces is now in the process of a substantial warehouse expansion for the second time in three years. That means the 50-year-old family owned company will be expanding its already abundant inventory of carefully selected stone from Italy, Brazil and other exotic mining regions.

“One of the beautiful things about stone is that no two colors ever look the same,” David observes. “We’re giving our customers a better selection than ever before. We bring in unique products that are not typically found at other granite dealers. You can go anywhere and find the basic granite colors.”

Along with granite, Design Surfaces offers marble, travertine and quartzite. If you want a spectacular manufactured product made from natural materials, the company also carries quartz.

In fact, David says, Design Surfaces is now partnering with Cambria, the largest producer of American-made natural stone material. Stain- and scratch-resistant, nonporous Cambria surfaces are made from pure, natural quartz and feature incredible strength and durability, David says.

“Granite is more popular than ever, but quartz is another beautiful option,” he says. “And we’re also starting to show porcelain slabs. Much of the fantastic tile we display in our showroom is porcelain, and the material is a newer but up-and-coming choice for countertops, showers and wall cladding.”

Although nobody can improve upon the splendor of natural stone itself, knowing how to use it in just the right way in a particular application can make a significant difference in the final result. That’s where Design Surfaces shines, David insists.

Your new kitchen project can begin with the talented designers available right in the showroom to help customers make the perfect choices.

“I think having this kind of experience available to customers is very unique for a stone and tile store,” David says. “Our in-house design team can assist you if needed, but they aren’t going to push you into a quick decision. In fact, we encourage people to take samples home to see how they look in their own lighting and environments. We want to have a happy customer when the project is finished.”

To keep up with growing demand, along with more warehouse space, Design Surfaces has added more installers and fabrication shop workers.

“We’ve also invested in new and better fabrication equipment,” David reveals. “It cuts and polishes faster, so we’re turning material around faster than we ever did before. That means our customers are able to enjoy their brand new kitchens a lot sooner.”

Although the machines are essential for cutting the stone, Design Surfaces’ craftsmen uniquely continue to manually finish and polish every piece the company sells with fine attention to detail.

“We’ve been doing fabrication since our father started the business using an old hand crank saw in a tiny shop in Fairview Park,” David says. “My grandfather was in the stone business in Italy before coming to America.

Along with spectacular stone countertops, Design Surfaces also features dazzling and durable flooring.

“Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a new product for us and it’s growing in popularity,” David announces. “The product that we carry is waterproof, UV- and scratch-resistant, and is not only very low maintenance but also very affordable. It is designed to look like ceramic tile or hardwood and it is backed with cork to allow for sound abatement and a cushiony feel on your feet.”

Snap and click installation, he says is simple. It can be laid on any type of sub floor and the tile can be cut with an Exact-o knife.

“One thing people really like is that it is waterproof,” David says. “So, if it goes into a basement and the basement floods, you don’t have to tear any of this product up. You simply dry it and move on.”

Located at 24000 Sperry Drive, in Westlake, Design Surfaces is conspicuously visible from I-90—yet many people are not aware that the warehouse and showroom are open to the public. They are, and appointments are not necessary. The showroom is open Monday, Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The phone number is 440-899-9900. You can find more information at DesignSurfacesDist.com, and keep up with the latest finds on their social media sites.