what about 12" tiles with thin grout lines? might give you the same effect you're looking for.

I actually found 2 slabs on craigslist in NJ. You don't happen to live there, do you? The biggest is 66X34(which I guess wouldn't work either) and the smaller one is 64X24. If only 1 inch deeper I would've used them for counters.

Well, my mood changes on an hourly basis, but as someone who broke her budget for the "perfect" marble (and I spent over six months in search of with an infant and a toddler in tow, so I really get it) I'd like to strongly suggest you DON'T DO IT.

I still think my marble is the most beautiful marble I have ever seen, either in real life or in photos, but truthfully I regret that I spent double what I'd allotted (and I'd already allotted a lot). (Like you, I also unwittingly chose the most expensive white marble in our area: Calacatta Extra. Both marlene2007 and mindimoo have similar tales [and tastes].) If I had to do it over again I wouldn't have done it. I would have gone with a different (and considerably less expensive) marble. I would have.

I no longer spend much time here on the Kitchens Forum so I'm not familiar with your inspiration, your kitchen or your search. However, I can completely empathize. You are not alone.

Do you have to have your backsplash done right away? Can it wait while you continue your search for a remnant?

Not knowing your inspiration photos it's only in my mind's eye, but I like the idea of the slab border with the mosaic marble in the middle. The other (the large remnant in the middle surrounded by the mosaic tiles) sounds as if you ran out of marble so just slapped the mosaic tiles in there to finish it up. Maybe it can / does look wonderful, but just reading the description and the way I pictured it ... I don't know, sounds cheap. Photos?

Good luck! I feel for your frustration. I really do.

I struggled with this as well. I went with calacatta 3X6 subway tiles from Ann Sacks and couldn't be happier. They have several sizes and options in calacatta and it priced out at around $25 sq/ft. Shipping was pricey - worked out to be another $9 sq/ft.

I love it and don't think I would have been happier with slab marble. I really enjoy the texture the subway provides - but I'm a texture person.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: lagrant preview thread

this is the first time i'm seeing your kitchen and it is amazing!!!!!!!! i don't think you should fret if you can't find a slab because anything you put behind that cooktop will look great! either option (i have seen both on cp website) would look amazing.

Oh boy....there were a lot of us here at one time exactly where you are...RMKITCHEN and I went back and forth a bunch!

Unlike RMKITCHEN, we still feel good that we busted the budget on the Calacatta Classic that we chose. To us it was worth it, our kitchen wouldn't have the same feel or "WOW" factor without it. We don't think another stone would have given us the look and feel we now enjoy so much. But, we used a beveled edge Thassos marble brick tile for our backsplash to not detract from the counters.

With that said and you are on a tight budget, have you seen these Calacatta tiles? The basketweave and minibricks are gorgeous!

Here is a link that might be useful: Scroll the page until you get to the CALACATTA!

mindimoo -- I'm so glad you posted! And reading your note made me think why it is I regret my choice.

Yes, my backsplash is freaking gorgeous! (and freaking functional -- it is a slice of heaven to have one unbroken surface to clean -- no grout lines) But in total, for our countertops and backsplash, it was ~$20,000, and in conjunction with every other (enormous) expense for our not-large, not-grand kitchen, I resent it, and I feel it was just too much (money).

So kittymerr, I was projecting my own issues onto you. I live in an area of declining home values (ha ha -- that's basically the entire US!) and because we spent sooo much money on the remodel (a disproportionate amount on the kitchen) I'm uncomfortable / unwilling to spend any more (for a while). So, our new fireplace in the family room remains without a mantle and without the built-in cabinets / bookcases it was to have had, and if we'd gone with a less expensive marble (carrara, for one, or calacatta NOT extra), we could have used the resulting $10,000 - $12,000 (because the other marbles were quoted ~$8,000 -- $10,000) for that project .... Poor management on my part!

I know it is v. gauche to talk about money / money woes, but I really took it to heart when kittymerr wrote that s/he has other design wishes for which s/he needs the "spare change."

Not, wanting to hi-jack, but some more explanation too!

Hi Brooke! So nice to see you around the boards...I'm not here that much any more either. Hey, I'd love to bounce some dining room decorating ideas on you sometime though!

I do get it, especially with the economy and what you said about declining home values almost everywhere. I think you have a beautiful space to be proud of, so I hope you don't have too distracting of regrets because I so love what you've done! How are the little ones?

We saved money on our backsplash that's for certain - we installed it ourselves and saved there, too. Yes, the countertop slabs were a lot of money, if it were now - not last year, would I have had the guts to do it with this economy? Quite possibly not! We might not even have done the kitchen at all and kept waiting. But, we are planning on staying in this house for at least the next 22 years, possibly longer and I know I will love the marble that long -it's classic. Also, I try to remember "accept the things we cannot change...." I can't change the fact we spent the money, so I can't regret/stress/worry about it now either.

Best of luck to you kittymerr - your kitchen - and rest of your home, is gorgeous so far, so you'll make the right decision for you and move on! Check out those tiles too, they would be beautiful in your space and I'm fairly certain you will be able to track down AKDO in your area!

Rmkitchen, I don't think your kitchen is "not-so-grand" at all. Here's another way to look at it-- if you hadn't spent that money then, and had left it in the market, it would only be worth about half that now. So in a way you got your marble at a bargain price.

kittymer, I just wanted to agree with others who have said that no matter what material you choose , your rangetop area will be beautiful; it is gorgeous already. I also chose calacatta marble (for the island) but we ended up spending a lot less for the soapstone perimeter tops than we anticipated, so it was basically a wash. But we were able to do it because the island is not very large. Could you do just behind the range in the calacatta and the other areas in something else? just a thought...if not, the Ann Sacks marble tile are stunning; maybe check those out?

Wow Thank You, thank you, thank you. It is just so nice to have this kind of support and advice, from people who share similar decorating ideals. I'm grateful to know Rmkitchen, that you regret your expensive choice. I have an entire rest of a house to work on,and some of what I want to do is redoing mistakes I made when I built. Like 360 SF of horrible fake slate tile in my mudroom/pantry/ coat closet/ powder room, when I could have had the real slate I wanted for $1000 more! Early decisions made with fear of going over budget... If I thought I could get a way with taking a jack hammer to it myself I would, that is how much I hate it. And, lord knows I am in that room as much, if not more than, any other room in my house! So I am a bit on the fearful side, to say the least, of making mistakes, let alone really expensive ones. Here is one exmple of slab with mosaic surrounding it. I would do it on the bottom as well I think. See pic. I will post more just don't know how to post more then one link at a time... I live in Bucks COunty PA so I am very close to NJ and will check out the craigs list slab person.Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Example of slab with mosaic surround

Here is the other way, slab surrounding subway tile.

Here is a link that might be useful: slab surround with subway tile in the middle

Malhgold: I searched on Craig's list nj and couldn't find the slabs you were talking of. Maybe I wasn't putting in the right detail? I'd be interested in checking it out.