We’re proud to share that M. Teixeira Soapstone has been honored with a 2026 Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Award in the Commercial Stone Design category for our work at COTE Korean Steakhouse at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Presented by Coverings – the largest international event for the ceramic tile and natural stone industry in North America – the CID Awards recognize exceptional design and craftsmanship across residential, institutional, and commercial projects worldwide. Of the hundreds of submissions reviewed this year, only 25 projects from across the United States, Brazil, Spain, and Canada were named winners.
For us, the recognition is both a celebration and a continuation. It affirms what soapstone can do at the highest level of hospitality design, and it builds on a years-long collaboration with COTE and Gracious Hospitality Management that has grown alongside the brand.
About the 2026 CID Award
The Coverings Installation & Design Awards are judged by a panel of editors and industry leaders from publications and organizations including Stone World, TileLetter, the National Tile Contractors Association, the Tile Council of North America, Tile of Spain, Ceramics of Italy, and Metropolis. Submissions are evaluated on originality, innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainability – a meaningful endorsement from the industry’s most respected voices in stone and tile.
The 2026 winners were honored at the CID Awards Reception & Ceremony on March 31, 2026 in Las Vegas, held in conjunction with Coverings 2026.
Inside the Award-Winning Project
The recognition is tied to our large-scale Stormy Black Soapstone installation at COTE Vegas, the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse’s first West Coast flagship. Located in the iconic Waterfall Atrium of The Venetian Resort – part of the resort’s broader $1.5 billion transformation – the restaurant was designed in collaboration with Rockwell Group.
The installation spans roughly 7,000 square feet on the ground floor and an additional 2,900 square feet on the mezzanine, with custom-fabricated Stormy Black soapstone integrated into nearly every guest-facing surface: dining tables, the central bar facade, drink rails, service stations, and sculptural bathroom vanities. The result is a space where the stone doesn’t simply decorate the room – it shapes how guests experience it.
For a deeper look at the project itself, including photography and design notes, see our previous feature on the Stormy Black Soapstone installation at COTE Las Vegas.
Why the Recognition Matters for Commercial Soapstone
Hospitality is one of the most demanding environments a natural surface can be asked to perform in. High volume, heat, spills, daily wear – every surface in a restaurant is tested. A CID Award in the Commercial Stone Design category is, in part, a confirmation that soapstone holds up to all of it while still doing the harder work: creating an atmosphere.
Soapstone’s combination of qualities makes it particularly well suited to commercial design:
• Naturally nonporous. Resists staining, bacteria, and moisture absorption without sealing.
• Heat-resistant. Stable under temperature swings and direct contact with hot cookware or service items.
• Durable at scale. Holds an honed, hand-finished surface in high-traffic environments year after year.
• Refined and tactile. Develops a quiet patina over time – something no engineered surface replicates.
For architects, designers, and hospitality groups evaluating natural stone for restaurants, hotels, and high-end retail, the recognition is a useful data point: soapstone has been judged, on its merits, against the best commercial stone installations in the world.
A Long-Standing Partnership With COTE
Our work with COTE and Gracious Hospitality Management began at COTE Flatiron in New York City and has continued as the brand has grown. We’re proud to have collaborated on the brand’s flagship installations in New York, Miami, Singapore, and now Las Vegas, with a sixth project underway at 550 Madison Avenue in New York.
Across four locations and three countries, a single material thread runs through each space – one that’s now been independently recognized as among the best in the world.
Designing With Award-Winning Soapstone
From Michelin-starred restaurants to private residences, soapstone continues to prove its place at the highest level of design. Our Commercial Soapstone Portfolio includes installations across museums, apartments, restaurants, and office buildings from New York to Singapore – and we’d love to help bring soapstone to your next project.
If you’re an architect, designer, contractor, or hospitality group interested in soapstone for an upcoming commercial project, request a custom quote or contact M. Teixeira Soapstone to discuss our premium materials and cut-to-size fabrication capabilities.