LL: A lot of GWers speak of "baking area" but it's not clear to me where in your kitchen it would be.

I would certainly put it in your baking area. What colour/type are the ceramic tiles on the perimeter counter going to be? If they will flow with the marble then you could consider a combo of marble/wood top on the island.

Is the island going to be the same style and colour cabinets as the perimeter? or different. I know that some people are happy with a multitude of different finishes in their kitchen. I, on the other hand, like things to mesh and flow from one thing to the next and to have it all connected somehow.

Can I ask (and not passing judgment) what made you decide to use ceramic tiles on the perimeter counters. Are you not concerned about keeping the grout lines dry and clean? just wondering.

Lavender, do you currently have a sink like the one depicted in your plan? I f you don't , and are planning to do that triple sink, you may want to read back through Poohpup's threads, and give that a bit of additional thought. Really, it is that bad!!

I am with Linelle. I don't remember where your baking area is, sorry!

Nancy

Thanks for the responses! The baking area is next to the oven/microwave, in the pantry (on the other side of the fridge). I really like the idea of extra space for baking bread, cakes, cookies, pies, making candy, etc. The sink in the pantry is a sink I have now (vintage farmhouse sink...from the farmhouse) LOL but the other sink is Summerfield's design (such great software)...and I think big to show the size of the sink I do want, if I can find it.

I love Laura Calder's kitchen...so I'm leaning towards having wood on the island and marble/maybe more wood, in the baking area. The ceramic tiles will be blue, with white edge and white backsplash. The window ledge will be blue, too. Great thread on Plllog's kitchen and I have another thread I'll link, about ceramic tile.

Oh, and here's a picture of Laura Calder's kitchen, with sink and tile. I'm planning to use a little lighter 'french' blue :) {{gwi:1421809}}From Fairy tale cottage
{{!gwi}}From Fairy tale cottage

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to ceramic tile thread

I have always LOVED that kitchen, too! Her speech inflection aometimes makes me crazy, but I watch if I catch it, to see the kitchen, and the garden!

In my kitchen, I would prefer marble in my baking area and wood on the island, since there is seating there. Butcherblock or other wood is so much warmer under elbows and arms than marble, and for me marble is a functional surface for rolling out dough, etc. If you're going just for looks, marble is beautiful and you may want it on the island for a big impact.

hi lavender-
I think it makes sense to have the wood island, tile perimeter, and marble in the baking area. What is it that you're unsure of? Is it that you want to "see" more marble in the main kitchen area?
I, too, have toyed with making the island a mixture of the two but being wood is nice to "sit at" I figure it should be where the seating is... AND being it's "easier" than marble to care for (and in the most used prep space in the kitchen) wood makes sense on the prep side of the island too... SO, I think just doing all wood will work best for me.
If it were just looks I'd do marble and wood at the island- or even all marble for that matter.

HTH in some way : )

Springoz- I'm glad you like it, too :)

Mizinformation- Good point about the wood being warmer, especially for people, seated at the island.

Fishies- That's what I've been leaning towards, too. I guess my only hesitation is having the microwave/freezer area, by the marble. I could also see my husband having his BBQ setup, on that counter, in the summer. I'm not sure how BBQ and marble will get along! LOL I do not want to have surfaces that are 'hands off' so I think I'll just have to be 'okay' with patina...or not do the marble :)

Marble is nice but I didn't really start making croissants until I got an infrared thermometer(Mastercool). 58-65 because baking is a bit of science. Everything is done on wood counters without problems now.

I agree that the wood would be nice and warm for your keeping room. Putting the marble in the baking area means you'd have many fewer orange juice and coffee cup rings etched on it than you would on the island.

Blfenton- Sorry, I don't think I answered your question, before. I do like different surfaces in the kitchen...and cabinet colors...more of an unfitted look. I'm not too concerned about grout lines, after the info I received, on the other thread. Combining the marble and wood might still be a good option.

Dan- Thank you. Good to know about the wood and the Mastercool.

Rosie- Very good point about the orange juice and coffee cup rings! :)

Hmm, I'll throw in a dissenting vote. A few thoughts based on our experiences. We have a huge (about 110 sf) marble countertop in our home kitchen, and a butcher block island in our lake house, so I have intimate experience with both:

@21LittleFishies: wood is lower maintenance than marble? Not in my experience! Wood, IMHO, is a PITA. Now that depends on how you finish it, but as I see it, your options are:

Some type of oil or wax finish--i.e. mineral oil, butcher block oil, beeswax, etc. This requires constant reoiling, and constant worry about staining. We started with this finish on our BB counters and eventually had them sanded down after the umpteenth strawberry stain despite my diligent re-oiling.

Polyurethane: terrible idea. It is a film finish and it gets cut and nicked up rapidly, starts to peel, then you have to sand it down and repoly.

Waterlox: best solution. What we ended up doing. But first attempt was messed up due to residual mineral oil in wood preventing WL from polymerizing, had to get it sanded down again and then reapplied.

Marble: one application of sealer a year after we installed it. Am now three years in, a year overdue to reseal, and no stains. Don't think that's more work than wood!

As to the OP's questions: I think your question is moot if you place the marble in the pantry. It's a separate room and will have very little visual impact on your kitchen. Sure, marble is nice to roll pastry out on, but it seems a shame (to a marble lover) to put a nice surface like that in "the back room." But personally I don't see how marble works well with blue ceramic tile on the perimeter. To me, that blue, especially with the visual complexity introduced by the grout lines, is a very "in your face" surface. To me almost the opposite of the calm, serene, subtle appearance of nice marble. I just can't see in my (often limited) mind's eye how the two surfaces would work together. I'd go wood on the island for that reason. Though if it were my choice, I'd do marble on the perimeter, and wood on the island (or, my favoriate) marble everywhere :-)

Clinresga- Thank you for the response! Your take on marble vs. wood is very interesting. I think you're right...the wood has less contrast, with the ceramic tile. That being said, I'm not planning to use the white grout, but probably a blue or gray that will be less of a contrast. The backsplash tiles (white) would have white grout. Less contrast and more focus on the blue and the bunnies! :)

clinresga- Great to hear your thoughts. I am thinking I'd rather have the kids spill a glass of OJ on wood than marble. I may be wrong?

Thanks!

I know I'm in the minority, as when the topic of wood counters comes up, there are many posters who apparently have no problems at all with staining, despite doing what seems to be only modest maintenance. All I can say is on our BB counter, despite religious re-oiling on a close to weekly basis, we rapidly got staining from grease, juice, wine, fruit, etc. Now, I do think that Waterlox avoids most of those issues, but I'll always live a bit in fear of my wooden counters, especially where the prep sink is mounted, as I just can't help but believe that water will eventually infiltrate under the edges of the sink and lead to rotting.

In contrast, with marble, it's more of a mental attitude than a physical problem. As you know from all marble discussion, it's generally sturdy, and with a very minimal amount of maintenance (sealing every few years), stain free. What it does do, in abundance, is etch. Like most marble owners, initially I was panicked at the thought and obsessively tried to avoid it. Within a few weeks I realized it was inevitable and now it's everywhere, and doesn't bother me a bit. Indeed I've almost come to think of it as personalization, they way an old baseball glove gets battered and worn but fits your hand perfectly. That in my mind is the beauty of marble, as opposed to cold, unchanging, "unreactive" granite (and yes, we have granite counters too, in the basement MIL kitchen).

So I spill OJ without any concerns--but it would drive many crazy, and if so, then marble ain't for you.

I found it! I've been looking for this picture for months (had it on Photobucket, then couldn't find it again, for Picasa). Anyway...here's my favorite marble work table :)
{{gwi:1422939}}From Fairy tale cottage

I was up at my mom's last night (with my picture) and told her what Clinresga said. She agreed...in so far that she had a butcher block counter (when I was very young) and it was hard to clean and maintain. The marble will etch...but she said the reason I probably like the work table with marble, more than the built in island...is that it looks more rustic. So, the etching wouldn't look out of place. On a big island, I'd probably want the finish to be more 'pristine'. Well, that makes sense...and isn't mom usually right? LOL

Seriously, I think she nailed it and with the extra cabinets in the baking area...I don't have to have the storage of an island. I think a work table will look better with the vintage style of the kitchen, too.

And, under the ceramic countertop, I can have a pull out cutting board (my grandmother had one...and loved it) I can use that on the work table, wash it in the sink and put it back. So, some protection for the marble and easier to take care of than butcher block.

So, now I have to wonder....what should I put in the baking area? Would stainless steel work? It would be nice to have something durable and heat resistant...but also easy to clean/maintain. Any ideas?