March 24, 2010

marble?

dear friends,
I know you are going to have an opinion, so I am basing mine on yours-
We are going to update our kitchen island counter top. We have a lovely friend who owns a fabulous granite shop in Cranbrook BC. I want carrera marble, he advises that I will hate him for the rest of my life if I decide to get it. He has suggested a beautiful granite that is white based. ( it's also lovely ) I still want the marble. Is it THAT bad in the kitchen? It's just a plain slab island. Advise. ( please )



oh, the rest of the counter tops are black ( for now ). The island is dark wood and the cupboards on the perimeter are creamy white. Photo here if your inclined to look. ( keep in mind the picture was taken in December, LOTS has changed since then )




images. here

22 comments:

Natasha in Oz said...

Those kitchens are absolutely beautiful!

I too was desperate for marble when we renovated our kitchen but we decided to go for granite and I am glad we did. I don't know how many times I have spilt soya sauce, sesame oil, red wine, saffron, turmeric etc etc all over the place and it just cleans so easily. I even discovered a blueberry stain a couple of hours after cooking with it and it just wiped away so easily. I am so glad I didn't get marble or it would have been marked within the first few days of having it! Marble is gorgeous but I am so happy with my river white granite.

Good luck making your choice!

Best wishes,
Natasha.

Sarah said...

Hi Sarah!
I would definitely not recommend marble for a kitchen countertop. Both marble & soapstone look very nice, I agree - but they are also both extremely soft types of stone & are not durable to withstand a heavy traffic area like kitchens. They will chip & damage very easily.

I would recommend a quartz or quartzite composite for your countertop. There are so many new variations with quartz nowadays that are not only beautiful, but also extremely durable and easier to maintain as well.

Looking forward to seeing the "before & after" photos!

Best Energies,
Sarah

Unknown said...

I wish I had some advice to give about the marble, but I have not had any experience with it. I have faux granite for now. Good luck choosing what to go with. Your kitchen is beautiful and those inspiration pics are lovely too!

Nikki said...

I have always wanted them too, but when I cook...phew. It wouldn't be pretty. I've looked at ceaserstone, they have something called misty carerra. Not the same of course, but close, and much easier to care for.

Ask Mimi Charmante of ...she has honed carrera and doesn't seem to have any problems.
http://mimicharmante.blogspot.com/

Good luck! Tough choice ;)

Sketch42 said...

Dont listen to the naysayers!!! I installed honed calcutta gold marble in my kitchen! (and wrote a whole post about it too)

First off: IT ISNT THAT DELICATE!! I have a one year old daughter, she spills juice on it! smears food into it! I cook red sauces all the time!!

Its been over a year and it still looks awesome! I dont do anything special to it, I just wipe it when something spills. THATS IT!

To all those who say it stains, There are a few small etches. TINY! You can only see it in certain lighting. I have accepted it and I am fine with this! It still looks a billion times better than hideous granite!!

I love it! its so gorgeous!
See here:
http://sketch42blog.com/2009/10/marble-in-the-kitchen-nuts/

Anonymous said...

Ask your friend for a piece of the marble--a leftover sink cutout or something largish if possible. If not, get a tile or two of the identical stone. Put it on your counter and use it--spill things on it--oils, lemon, tomatoes, beets, vinegar, sodas, berries, spices, ball point pen, etc. Cut on it and set pans on it. If the stains and etchings and scratches and metal marks are okay with you, you have your answer. It's the scientific method!

I have found that people often defend their choices right up until the time they make a change, especially people that call other's choices hideous, ha.

Cashon&Co said...

i have granite in our home and marble in our vacation home. Our black granite (i wish i knew the name, it is so beautiful, it has large irridescent/labrodorite looking pieces in it) definitely holds up better, hides rings, stains, etc better.
Our carerra white marble in our vacation home is not honed, and shows all the rings/knife marks, but i'm okay with that, as long as you know what to expect. It wont look perfect, but i knew that going in so i don't freak out when i can see all the new imperfections.
on the other hand, our house has a black marble (i forget the name, the one with white and brown veins) in our bar. the homeowners before us NEVER wiped up any marks and the wine/alcohol rings and spills are so deeply etched in the marble, that there is no way to acid wash them out and they are permanent now. Now, that bugs me ALOT.
I say GO FOR THE MARBLE if that is what you want and just wipe it down every time you are in there!

Anonymous said...

I agree, nothing looks as beautiful as marble countertops. I say go for it! I have marble flooring in my powder room and that is pretty tough. I wish I had done marble counters in my kitchen but I got talked out of it by the contractors and ended up putting in granite. I am happy with what I picked but I think marble is really the most beautiful.

kerry said...

I've had honed calcutta marble for almost 8 years and LOVE it!!!! I also have FIVE children and a badly behaved large dog who jumps on the counters!

If you look closely there are some imperfections but I think it looks great and would do it again it a minute.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,
Kerry

Unknown said...

Have to agree with Nicole above wholeheartedly! Have it on our kitchen counter tops and center islands, and LOVE it! I have 3 kids ages 10 and under, and a red wine loving husband! If you can deal with small things like Nicole mentioned...go for it! You will love it. And I looked at your lovely kitchen, your instincts are right...it will look incredible! (be careful with lemons too) Please post the afters, hope you go for it.

suzanne said...

I have zero experience with marble but I LOVE it so! I think it's the most gorgeous option for the countertop. As long as you keep it wiped down and understand that scratches will occur, I say go for what you love.

paula said...

Marble is a favorite of mine. Although it does hold stains like crazy. This does not bother me and simply adds character, but it could drive some people nuts. My coffee table is marble.

Shannon @ Project Shannon said...

Oh - that's a tough decision! I have heard that marble stains and marks up so easily - but often those slight imperfections helps your house feel more "lived in". If you're going to spend the money - go for what you love!

Lilacandgrey said...

MARBLE!!! It has such a luxurious look! I am just curious, don't people use white marble for floors? If it isn't durable why would people put it on the floor? Do you have white cabinets? If so, I think marble will look magnificent!

Sarah La Rose said...

Sarah, go for the marble if that's what you dream of. I would do the same. Just be sure to love the etchings. :)

La Dolfina said...

Wow, you've gotten some excellent advice!
I feel for you. Basically I think you should go with your gut and choose what you really want instead of settling. Just be vigilant on clean up and if something slips by you, c'est la vie and try to look at it as character like a wrinkle from smiling. It can be beautiful, it's all in the way you look at it!!!
I'm so glad you found me. I love you blog and look forward to following you too!!!
xo

La Dolfina said...

I forgot to mention that your kitchen is beautiful!

Sketch42 said...

K... Im back to say to that I have a few marble cutting boards that they made for me when I did the kitchen out of the same marble. I leave one by the stove so that when I cook, I lay all my oils, dirty spoons, spices, red sauces etc on it instead of on the counter. I ABUSE the cutting board!

Anyway, even the cutting board doesnt have any stains!!!

Like someone mentioned above, lemons are the enemy, but everything else barely makes a dent.

I dont cut directly on the marble(i use those thin plastic cutting boards that bend), but i do sometimes put hot pots on it. So far so good!

A Perfect Gray said...

I currently have cherry wood countertops and love the marks/imperfections/stains that come with age. When I change to honed carrera or calcutta gold marble, which is what I want to do, I will go with it in my master bath and kitchen. I am so pleased to see all those comments above from folks who have marble and love it. I saw one post from someone a while back who tested samples of treated and untreated marble with wine, food, etc. left on the samples overnight. There were virtually no problems. Anyone else remember that? I think the best advice would be, when you know what you want, do not settle.

Dear Lillie said...

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! I say go with the marble! I am dying to do a marble island myself! I am sure it will be a pain to keep perfect, but it just looks so incredibly gorgeous!

Sarah Frills4Thrills said...

I love the look of marble too and i think the contrast between the dark woods and black counters with the while would look gorgeous! I have never used it before though, so I don't know if the look is worth the extra work. There are many other alternatives that give the look of marble but offer an easier maintenance routine! good luck choosing!

Patty said...

It's not bad at all, marble in the kitchen is a fantastic idea I used to have it. Just be sure to attend to stains right away ;)