Whichever you can stand to see looking like this day after day. Because this is what marble IS.

Marble patina · More Info

marble patina · More Info

marble patina · More Info

marble patina · More Info

marble patina · More Info

marble patina · More Info

on the side of calacatta... 3x for just the island is easier to bear than 3x for the whole kitchen. on the side of the carrara, i agree that damage will blend in better.

when i cant decide... i flip a coin. its a great truth teller, as half the time it seems it comes up 'wrong' and i go no way, i dont want that!

I don't think anyone can, or should, decide for you. We can tell you what we would do, but what help is that?

So I'm not sure what the question is, here...

Everyone should only ever do what they love when it comes to decorating...Does that help?

Without knowing what 3x the cost comes out to I can’t answer... I suppose it depends upon what that much $ means to you. For some, the cost isn’t a factor, for others, the extra $ might be better spent ( or saved ) elsewhere. Speaking for myself, if it’s significant I would rather spend it on a fabulous vacation, life experiences, or a beautiful piece of art. But that’s just me, not you.

Calacutta marble is prized for its thick chunky veins, as in the photo below. If that 2nd pic in your OP is the Calacutta that you are deciding on at 3x the price, then I'd just get the Carrara marble, as that Calacutta is not showing the distinctive veining that is what people are willing to pay so much for. Furthermore, while both types will etch, Carrara is what has been traditionally used in European kitchens and cafes as a workhorse top, and is expected to show patina. Calacutta is more a show stopper type and you will be more tip-toeing around it - a kitchen is supposed to be a happy place where people gather, not where you are thinking how your $10,000 stone will handle your friends and relatives coming over for Thanksgiving.

ETA: If your husband is in love with the Calacutta, and you get the Carrara, and you suspect then that every time he walks into the kitchen, he will wish he were seeing the Calacutta, then get the Calacutta. We can't know how attached he is to it, so you need to talk that over with him.

I say go with Calacatta. It is already honed so it will hide a lot of etching. You can put an anti-etch and anti-stain coat on it to protect it.

I can't speak to which you should choose since I thought I wanted Calacatta but wound up with French Vanilla.

There really is only one question - can you afford the additional cost for the marble you love.

I went through this with the tiles for my guest bathroom. I loved Encore Tiles but those would cost about $2000 more than Pratt & Larson tiles which were nice but didn't make my heart sing. I went back and forth in terms of whether I should go with the costlier tiles since the Pratt & Larson tiles were attractive and certainly as functional. In the end, I went with the Encore tiles because I could afford it - in the scheme of things the cost differential wasn't that significant and there was absolutely no rational reason why I shouldn't go with what I wanted - after all I wasn't getting $145 per square foot Motawi tiles ;-) I had to fight with my better (or worse angel depending on how it is viewed) because I was always the kind of person who tried to live as prudently economically as possible so it was (is) quite an emotional leap to make design decisions that aren't measured solely by cost (within reason of course as I also had to forego the Laboradite counter for the guest bath since I would have had to buy a whole slab at $5000 for a small counter. :=(

But if I were at a different stage at life where I should rationally be using or saving the money for something else, I would have made a decision to compromise with something that was lovely and attractive and functional but less costly and been fine with that decision and been thrilled with the end result.

Helen. OT I had not heard of Motowi Tiles. Now I have. They are painfully beautiful.

Rita - I stumbled across a picture of one of their showers when I was initially googling for inspiration. I had no idea that it was a Motawi project until several months later and then I couldn't resist finding out what my inspiration shower would have cost with Motawi tiles. When I saw $145 per square foot I didn't even bother to do the calculations since I am assuming the shower alone would have been at least $30,000 - so we all make compromises :-)

OT - Someone early on had recommended Caesarstone and when I went to their website, nothing appealed to me except one of their new product lines which I think (by my really seat of the pants calculations) would have cost about $30,000 just for counters in my small galley kitchen.

Calacatta has the golds and greys, whereas carrrara only has the greys. I think Calacatta has such a nice warmth and richness. I love it and have it in my master bath. Go look at the slabs. It's like art, you should find a slab you instantly love, irregardless of the type of marble (if its not too $$$). But be warned, marble is unforgiving, definitely high maintenance. You could also do some beautiful veined soapstone on the island and more durable quartz on the perimeter.

Is one of those slabs supposed to be Calacatta? if so, you're getting cheated. the whole point of the calacatta is the warmth of the gold and beautiful veining. If you're going to pay three times the price, then at least pick something that doesn't look like the carrara.

as long as you want marble and don't mind prices, go for the bianco lasa macchia. this stuff is beautiful

@Beth, that marble is gorgeous! Maybe my new fave slightly above Calacatta! Have you seen these in Anaheim? LOVE!! (Just see they are right near me at Rio Stones....I need to go check them out some day). https://riostones.com/project/antolini-bianco-lasa-macchia-vecchia/

@Ali - I agree with Beth, that does not look like Calacatta. I have zillions of Calcatta kitchen saves (since I love it too) and they are all gold veining and much warmer. Perhaps you should find a new slab yard? Where do you live?

Traditional Kitchen · More Info

Indian Hills Kitchen · More Info

Glamourous in Black & White · More Info

Laura, no. I came across that picture awhile back and thought it was so pretty. I'm sure they have something like it at that exotic stone yard down there. They have a huge selection of slabs. It's down closer towards Katella.

I think Emser has a good stone yard down there. I am closer to all the yards in the Valley so I never made the trek. Their West Hollywood showroom has the manmade stuff and the slabs are down there

Unless your soapstone is absolutely plain and void of veins and movement? I don't even like the idea of a mix of the two surfaces. I'd pick ONE. either do the carrara on all, or do the soapstone on all. Soapstone of course being the ZERO worry top. Virtually indestructible , reparable, and naturally and organically microbial resistant. A "rock" in other words, simply because it is actually, a rock.

If you have to have marble of any sort on the island? Stick to a plain solid quartz on the perimeter. Two stones never play well together.........unless one is solid and void of movement.

I think you while you love the Carrera and your DH loves the Calacatta the post is really about the worries of having marble. Are you second guessing your marble? I only ask because I am counter searching and know the feeling in my heart as I peruse slabs trying to decide what will work, care, cost and love.

"Also as you all know Marble is easily damaged and I'm expecting that with the Carrera. (Character) I don't know if I would feel the same about damaged expensive Calcatta. FYI they are both honed. I have to decide with the next couple of days. Help!!!..."

Why not buy the carrera and put the extra money aside so that you can re polish or hone any stains that come up over the course of a few years. You get to have marble that I believe you have always wanted and you have a little set aside to pay for any damage that might come up in a couple of years. Marble has been around for a 1000 years. If you don't mind the patina, the occasional stains and the wear (imagine a pair of favorite jeans with mustard stains, holes in the knees and torn at the hems) you will ultimately be happy with your kitchen.

~boxer

I agree with the above - the Calacatta slab you posted does not look like Calacatta. I also would not pair any of the Calacatta slabs I've seen (recently) with soapstone. But I would pair soapstone with Carrera.

I have F&B French Gray island in our last kitchen, which was unfitted, (we just moved) and love the color. I used antique pine for the island and honed Golden Leaf granite elsewhere. Here, I used soapstone with veining in the kitchen and Calacatta Vagli in DD1's bathroom, so I've shopped for these slabs recently. I purchased the soapstone directly from the fabricator (so paid by sf, did not have to buy a slab), but the Vagli was purchased from slab yard and it was expensive.. but it is stunning. Since I had to buy the whole slab, I am also having a small round tabletop made and using in the LR - surround/mantle.

The issues of marble are over stated in my experience - at least for kitchen counters.

My friend has had Calacatta marble in her kitchen for more than 10 years - she also used part of the slab for the top of her eat in kitchen table. Obviously her children when they growing up weren't particularly fastidious and her husband who does a lot of cooking is not tidy.

There are no stains and the issue of etching is really overstated. I can only see those portions which have etching when the light is right and when I am viewing from certain angles and squinting as well :-) - it really doesn't detract from the beauty of the counter. Bistros and sofa fountain places have had marble counters for years and years and don't look shabby.

Of course all this depends on what kind of person you are - if you are going to look for etched areas and be distraught over it, then marble is probably not for you. But I think most people with marble don't have particular issues with it in terms of how it looks even after a decade of non-pampered use.

So what you are saying is you can live with damaging the Carrara and not the Calacatta. I would see how important the better stone was to my husband, and choose based on that. If he isn’t only marginally more interested in the Calacatta, then go with Carrara, but if it means a lot to him, let him have his stone and learn to live with the patina, which a shelen say sis not that big of a deal. And absolutely find a better slab of Calacatta.

soapstone on perimeter..do a wood top island..warmth can balance things better than what you are deliberating about.

"My husband went to look at the Carrera slab and fell in love with a Calcatta marble."

So assuming you mean "calacatta", and "carrara" I typically do prefer the calmer look of carrara. However, the slab you show does look very nice. As to the above posts referencing "missing" gold color, there is a calacatta, and there is a calacatta gold. Actually there are different versions of calacatta marbles, and carrara too.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/carrara-vs-calacatta-marble-what-is-the-difference-stsetivw-vs~158673

https://marble.com/articles/the-differences-between-calacatta-and-carrara-marble

Typically, cararra will have a more "grayish" overall look - and calacutta will have whiter whites, with more dramatic veining. Maybe think about your desired overall scheme and which marble will best fit that.