I don't think you have to go with stark white cabinets to use Carrara marble. I have seen some really lovely creamy cabinets topped with Carrara. So if that's the only con, I think you've made your choice!

I assume the perimeters are going to be the soapstone. Are you dead set against staining the island close to one of the stain tones on your floor? Then you might be more comfortable using the carrera and keep the dove white to go with the soapstone You could always find a creamy white subway if you prefer the dove white cabs.

I think the floors were your first love. Pick whatever it is you love most about the planned ktichen and let that lead your other choices. I know how there are so many beautiful things to choose from. I sometimes wish I could have 3 kitchens in my home so I can have a little of everything I love.

You've probably seen ndvweb's kitchen. It's got creamier cabinets (definitely not stark white) with white carrara on the stained island. Maybe it will help you envision what it would look like with your preferred choices?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1113313931335.html

I will try to get more pictures of this kitchen: popular request!
This is Danby Marble: Calcuta July 2008:
white subway tiles & farm sink:

"carrera" marble found in Italy.
"danby" marble found in America (Vermont area)

Hello Victoriajane!

OK, I have Calacatta Classic, while not Gold - it is very similar. It has a white background (yes warm, but truly very white) and has more greys and some black in my stone, but it also has some the caramel tones of the Gold. My cabinets are black - all of them, the backsplash is Thassos white marble 3 x 6 bricks and they are almost all white - not creamy. We also have both stainless steel and oil rubbed bronze in there as well. It works together seamlessly because of the wide variance of color in the Calacatta.

Whereas, IMHO, Carrara is more cool. I think the white in Calacatta is more of a true white and that in Carrara is more a very light grey - remember, my opinion only! It's a gorgeous stone too, so no worries there. It simply comes down to which stone you like better!

On the other hand, when we purchased our slabs, the material cost of the Calacatta was 5 times that of Carrara because it is sold as a commodity - basically at auction per block or pallet. However, it is not 5 times as much installed as the installation costs are the same. But, I'm guessing you would pay about half again (installation + material) more for the Calacatta than the Carrara.

Get what you really love, that's my two cents. If you love it, then you can find a way to make it so it will work together. Things don't have to "match" perfectly to make a beautiful composition.

Good Luck!

Hi victoriajane - Another kitchen w/ soapstone/creamy perimeter cabinets and an island with carrara and stained cherry. I have never thought they competed. I really like the look of them together. I also got my subways to match the creamy cabinets.

Hope this helps. I don't think you should have to settle to get what "matches". Get what you love. It will look great. Good luck!

Carrara is actually a very inexpensive marble, and often you can find slabs that come from the quarry honed. I was going to put it on my island until, like you, I saw that it would not go with my already painted cabs (BM Ivory White). I began looking into Calacatta Classic and Gold which were rare to come from the quarry already honed. Both are very expensive, gold is the most expensive (I was quoted $155-175 per sq ft. installed + another $600 for honing it).

If money is not an issue, than go with the Calacatta. It will tie in your checkerboard floors and white dove painted cabs and chrome, nickel and stainless will all look great with it. The only thing you might have to change is the whiteness of your subway tiles.

If money is an issue and you go with the Carrara. You will have to make sure the white you pick for your cabs is more stark (Check out rmkitchen and redroze for beautiful pure white painted cabs) and I'm not sure how it would look with the checkerboard floors, but it will look great w/white subway tiles. There are magazines filled with pics of carrara in kitchens so I know you will have no trouble finding pics to get ideas from.

Ask yourself if you can live w/a cooler white/gray marble or if you need more warmth?

I've got Dove White cabs and used Calacatta Gold - I have a brushed stainless faucet and a white farm sink which have no problem with the softer, warmer Calacatta - I also have a white tile backsplash which also does not cause a contrast w/ the marble. I'd love to post pics for you to see but my Shutterfly account changed and I can't figure out how to find the picture properties to embed here. If you'd like to see it, it is in the FKB and you can follow the link to my album...

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB w/ my photos

I think it is soooo easy to get caught up in small samples and how they play off one another, but once the entire kitchen is in place (inc. odds & ends, not just the pretty stuff!) things have a way of flowing together.

Once upon a time there was an occasional poster, ahneb, who did a deep cream kitchen with marble countertops. Here's the link to her kinda finished kitchen. While she did use calacatta, don't let the name fool you: hers (like mine) appears to not have much "gold" in it. It looks more white / grey, and it is atop her v. cream-colored cabinets.

I've calacatta and tons of polished nickel hardware / sterling accessories, and maybe I'm naive, but I think everything looks good together! Reading your initial post it seems as if the cream cabinets are the most important to you, so I think you should let that inform your choice.

Okay, off to dinner. Good luck!

For me, the cool tones of the carrara don't go with warm white tones. If it were me, I'd try to find a warm, white marble for the island. I don't think chrome fixtures would clash at all. If you are close to Dente Trading, why not take a drive there this Saturday morning and see what they have? You may find the perfect slab.

From reading your postings, Victoria, I can tell you are very detail oriented. Color might matter more to you than to most people. Here's a link to a poster who was bothered so much by her Carrera w/creamy cabs that she was going to tea stain them. Most of the posters who responded thought it looked great and didn't see what she did. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1021282215708.html

White Dove, imho, is a soft neutral white, but not a creamy white. My cabs are creamy and when I brought a door and put it next to the Carrera, it made my cab color look dingy. That did not happen next to the Calacatta Gold. You may be fine with White Dove and Carrera. Paint a big foam board in White Dove and go by the stone yard and hold it up to the marbles. Then you'll know. It's too hard to tell w/those little chips.

Are you still planning on a painted island? Because if you are staining it, the marble should be fine a few feet away from almost any white color you choose.

There's a lot of variation in Carrara. Some have a pale gray background with blotchy spots in darker gray. Others are whiter with pale gray veins. When I read your post what jumps out at me is your attachment to the creamy cabinet color, and the floor, both of which go better with a warmer marble (presumably Calacatta.) It seems that's your preference, and the cons of Calacatta are easy to explain away. Stainless steel and chrome are considered neutrals now, so I don't think they'd clash with warmer marble. I've seen it in lots of pictures. But you'd have to take a sample of something ss to the stone yard to make sure. And the subway tiles come in different whites, so you can pick those to match the rest.

There are a few ways to approach a decision like this; from an expense POV (Carrara is less expensive), from a pick the least flexible material first and match the more flexible ones to it (in this case paint color is most flexible, tiles also fairly flexible, etc.), or from the POV of getting what you love and the heck with everything else, you'll be happy with it everyday.... Hah, I say this as if I've ever made an organized decision in my life!

Good luck, I hope you find some nice marble.

VictoriaJane,

I think we were separted at birth. I've been going through the exact same situation, white white vs. creamy white cabinets, calcutta...cararra...polished nickel..satin nickel, if I don't jump off a bridge my DH assures me he will bludgen me with my PN hardware! I went with cabinets with just a hint of cream and I am going with all polished nickel. Yes, the PN is shiny and silvery, but it does have that slight undertone of warmth. I think it will look great and still have a vintage feel. From staring endlessly at my own cabinet and marble samples, I feel the stark white cabinets should go with the white white marble and the creamy cabs. work with the calacutta. I know people say you can mix and I'm sure it looks lovely, but for me, I would be bothered by it. I am going with calacutta. Good luck. Trisha

What struck me when I saw the carrera was how over-all gray in tone it was...it wasn't veining so much as an overall cloudy or misty light gray look (almost a blue), if that makes sense...so it wasn't that the marble itself matched the stark white cabinet, but rather the gray of the marble complimented the stark white cabinet nicely. Now the calacatta is more of a true white and could go nicely with either cabinet color, but I would use it with the dove as that is what I prefer. I am leaning more and more toward the calacatta. It is really beautiful with caramel as well as charcoal veining. I've decided the shiny silver metal in the room will look fine with it. I'm waiting for pricing from my kitchen rep; yes, I'm sure it will be more than the carrera, but as I am using it only for the island top, hopefully the cost will not be prohibitive. Crossing my fingers!

I will cross my fingers with you that the cost of the stone is in your budget. I think you will be the most happy with the Calacatta. It is such a beautiful marble and will complete the vision you have for your kitchen. I'm so excited for you!

I have a sample of a marble called Cervaiole, it's from Stone Source in NJ, it is like cararra, but not cloudy. Very white, but with gray/black veining. It's cost less than calacutta, you might want to check it out.