Marble is beloved as a timeless and classic material, adding a note of luxury to any room.
But even on the Remodelista and Gardenista editorial teams we ve run into a few things we wish we had known before we shelled out for marble in our renovations Julie inadvertently...
...discovered what happens when lemon juice meets newly installed marble countertops and Michelle excitedly installed a marble backsplash behind her stove only to discover that s the worst place for a porous stone
A vintage marble sink and counter in an Italian country house; photograph from La Dolce Vita: A Restored 17th-Century Convent Outside Milan.
1. It comes from the mountains.
Polished Carrara and arabescatto marble in Plain English: Bespoke British Kitchen Design Comes to the US.
2. “Marble” means “shining stone.”
3. No two slabs are exactly alike.
A selection of white marble slabs (clockwise from top left: Bianco Oro, Calacatta Vision, Imperial Danby, and Bianco Dolomiti) from Stone Source, as seen in Remodeling 101: Marble Countertops.
A Carrara marble counter in a Brussels loft by Nicolas Schuybroek is distinguishable by its soft, feathery veining.
4. The most used kind of marble? Carrara.
Other types from Italy include Calacatta and Statuario you can read about the Italian marbles in Remodeling 101 The Difference Between Carrara Calacatta and Statuary Marble types from around the world include...
...the luxurious Calacatta Gold with gold veining Emperador and Crema Marfil from Spain Levadia Black from Greece Giallo Antico from Tunisia Connemara from Ireland Danby and Yule from Vermont and Colorado respectively
5. Its been used for some of the most important art works in history.
A statue of Apollo is tucked into a niche at Apollo Bar & Kantine in Copenhagen.
6. Impurities give marble its individuality.
Deep burgundy veining in A Dramatic Marble Powder Room by CCS Architecture, the winner for Best Professional Bath in our Considered Design Awards a few years back.
Photograph by Eric Laignel.
Ironically, rich colors and veining are the result of impurities present during the recrystallization process, like sand, silt, and clay: imperfections that create the beautiful marbles we prize.
7. There might be marble in your toothpaste.
Botot Natural European Toothpaste ($13.99 from Amazon) was developed in 1755 for King Louis XV of France (and, they say, is the “world’s first toothpaste”). (You can read much more about the matter via Tom’s of Maine, which has been using calcium carbonate in their toothpastes since 1975.).
Photograph of the Marble & Metal Paper Towel Holder, available from Food52, as seen in 10 Easy Pieces: Countertop Paper Towel Holders.
8. To clean marble, only use cleaners you’d use on your hands.
Marble is not known for being low maintenance: it’s not heat resistant, it etches easily, and it can chip if you accidentally whack, say, a heavy stockpot against it.
9. Etched marble? There’s a miracle product for that (from Amazon Prime).
Photograph by Josh Groves.
Tenax Marble Polishing Powder on Josh and Julie’s countertop, before cleaning (note the etching at top left).
When Julie discovered a rough patch on her newly installed marble counters (presumably the result of spilled lemon juice), her husband Josh hurriedly ordered Tenax Marble Polishing Powder from Amazon and rubbed it into the surface.
In this Artfully Appointed Parisian Flat, a slim slab of marble transforms a radiator into a sideboard, a good hack for small-space living (and one the Remodelista editors frequently adopt in our own homes).
10. A little goes a long way.
Photograph by Paul Raeside, courtesy of Behomm.
We’ve seen marble scraps put to stylish and savvy use as bookends, ad-hoc shelves, even fireplace surrounds.
Photograph courtesy of Scott & Scott Architects.
When it came to caring for the (massive) marble slab quarried on Vancouver Island and installed in a midcentury Vancouver mountain house, the architects advised the homeowners: “Let it age.” See more of the project in Kitchen of the Week: A Monumental Marble Countertop.
And: The charm is in the patina.
Embrace stains, etching, and wear and tear, and think of them not as imperfections but as reminders of the life lived in your house.