My words of wisdom? Take away the markers. :)

Can you go to a different stoneyard where you can compare finishes?

At least get a sample and subject it to the magic marker test!

Crayola and others make washable markers (they really do wash off). So if the 5 y.o. won't give up the markers, perhaps you can swap them for washable ones. My 3 y.o. is into markers. We got her an easel for her birthday and she seems to really like it. I haven't found any more artwork on the walls or any other flat surfaces...

We have a 2 year old and we're doing a calacatta marble island (honed). I am all about those new "magic" crayola markers that only show up on "magic" crayola paper.

The CP milk paint is going to be gorgeous!
Good luck,

Katie

Color Magic. Markers, paint & glitter that only works on "magic" paper.

And I have no idea about your marble question, but I'd love to see a photo!

Your kids will not be like that forever... I would not base decisions on temporary factors (like 5-year-olds who are about to stop drawing on walls and destroying things). Messy husbands are another story, though.. no hope for reform there that I am aware of.

There were some excellent threads here on the durability of marble... I'm not sure if they are still available since a lot of the threads seem to have disappeared. You could try a search and see what pops up. I think the overall verdict was that you need to guard against etching, but that most foods do not stain if the stone is sealed properly.

We are getting marble on our island-- I'm concerned about it chipping since it is rather soft... etching and staining do not worry me as much since we have a very lived-in house (old pine floors, no formal living areas, 2 porches, etc).

Your kitchen sounds so fantastic-- I will definitely be following your renovation. Also, my experience with Crown Point continues to be fantastic... due to my floors being so wacky, my GC needed some extra pieces of scribe molding... CP will have it to us by early next week. They are a great company to do business with (so far-- but we're almost done, so I can't imagine any huge problems with them popping up)

danielle is right (in my opinion, having lived with lots of marble countertops for almost a year now): your children will age but other things will stay the same.

I have a super-messy husband (but an incredible cook) and two little kiddos (four and two) and I would do all (for we've slab backsplash as well) our marble again in a New York minute. Earlier this evening the children and I were making green sugar cookie dough and rolling it on the marble. I never, ever think twice about using it -- that's what it's there for!

Ours is a honed finish and I cannot see any etch marks -- I assume they must be there but they sure are invisible! We have NO stains. None, not a one. Ours are sealed (Miracle 511 Porous Plus), but nothing stains. Well, except the time a piece of rusted steel wool was stuck on the bottom of a sponge and the marble sucked that rust right up. We used a poultice (Iron Out) which literally removed the stain on contact and then I sealed sealed sealed.

I've also been told regular powdered Comet is a great poultice, and remember, any time you use a poultice you must reseal!

I think marble is incredible, and I cannot imagine my kitchen without it. That being said, marble is not for everyone -- you have to want the patina, want the signs of life and be excited about them being a part of your countertop. If you think that you'll fret all the time and freak out if anyone comes near the countertop then you might want to explore other countertop materials. Life is too short to worry about a naturally messy place like the kitchen. If you have your heart set on marble (as I did) please do also know that you can have marble, have children and have a happy home life. So long as your marble is thoroughly sealed you should be able to avoid most things.

Good luck!

I too am contemplating marble countertops. I love the look and feel of the honed marble, but I have kids that love to do art projects with Sharpies (the next step after Crayola Washables), and I live in my kitchen - it is Grand Central. To insure I was a "candidate" for marble, I called my local fabricator and asked him for a small cutting board size sample to "test" in my kitchen. He sealed it with Miracle 511 and off I went. I have done everything to this marble - poured orange juice, red wine vinegar, smashed strawberries and blueberries, splattered tomato sauce, dragged pots over it, and left dirty utensils on it for hours. The only thing I notice is some slight etching, however I think I may have caused this since I used Softscrub on it and I do not have any sealant. This being said, it is really not noticeable unless I am angled in a certain direction with the light streaming just right. I would suggest this "test" to anyone! Good luck.

I don't know anything about the finish you mentioned, but it's because of this forum and the feedback on marble that we decided to go with carrara, and we have 12 kids! :o)

I plan to get a giant piece of clear vinyl that will fit over the island when we're doing messy art projects and science experiments (we homeschool), but other than that, we'll let the marble shine in all its "patina'd" glory. :o)

I have calacatta honed on a pretty large island that seats 8 - I have 5 teenagers - not one stain. Nothing. Dinner parties with flowing (and splashing) red wine, big family breakfasts with orange juice spills - you name it. I guess there is etching, but I can't find it. I splatter stuff on my marble backsplash all the time. AFTER dinner, when I am cleaning up, I wipe it down. Despite trying, I cannot find even an etch.

The "velvet" marble sounds simply delicious! Please share pics when you can!!