I have a small counter of honed unsealed Carrara marble and a second piece I placed in a moveable cart next to my range. I spill coffee on my marble in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and oil in the evening. The first etch was from lemon and I just don't notice anything anymore. Oddly, I think that I have had occasional stains that disappear in days. I can't speak to an all-marble kitchen but I am thrilled with the performance of my small pieces. I've had my kitchen a couple years and I no longer examine everything up close in bright light. I wipe up with a damp washcloth & keep going. Marble might not be the first pick for a persnickety homeowner but we're messy enthusiastic cooks over here & I would definitely choose marble all over again. If you know you're fastidious and want that brand-new kitchen look to stay put, forget about marble. But if you want the look and understand patina happens, go for marble. Another thought -- don't over-light your kitchen! Design task light for real kitchen work and soft light for hanging out to admire the ambiance of your marble-warmed kitchen.

I also had my kitchen trim color computer-matched by the painters at the paint store using a piece of extra cabinet trim. Here is a photo showing a doorway trimmed, as well as our cedar board ceiling (painted with a translucent white-wash) and heavy beams that were painted the trim color. The color is extremely close to the "Swiss Coffee" color of my Kountry Kraft cabinets (which is NOT even close to BM's "Swiss Coffee" btw.) Personally, I think matching the trim is the way to go with the traditional, clean lines of a painted white kitchen. Good luck to you! PS. The blue tape in the photo is marking areas the GC still has to deal with. We redid our entire house and had a TERRIBLE painting crew!!! They got paint on the floors, faucets, sinks, toilets, new doorknobs, etc., etc. AND they DIDN'T paint the tops of ANY doors, any tops of door trim, basically any place they had to get on a ladder to do, or any place they didn't think we'd notice. BEWARE your GC's "finishers"!!! Make sure they are experienced professionals and won't bring in a crew of day-laborers who can't speak English!

Thanks for the close up. I think you will be OK with the Crema. For example, even if this counter gives the effect of a solid from a distance, there are many examples here of wood cabinets, white or cream backsplash and dark soapstone (Which can look like a solid) and these kitchens look great. As you say, the Crema will pick up on the cream speckles. Put the board sideways and take a picture so we can get the idea if you like. You will be fine. I understand what you are going through!

Thx! We are very pleased. I don't want to put anything back on the counters just yet; we're in the "honeymoon" phase. :) Now it's time to select backsplash, paint color, & cabinet pulls. That's wonderful re the cost difference for honing! That's seems very reasonable. I originally fell in love with a polished Sea Pearl quartzite slab but thought the polished finish, though stunning, wouldn't be the best match with our soapstone. I was quoted $800 - $1,000 to have the quartzite honed. Too much, so I switched to hunting for honed Danby marble; then a fabricator shipped in the pre-honed Sea Pearl for me, and I was sold the moment I saw it. Plus, no upcharge vs. the polished Sea Pearl. Meant to be for both our cases!