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jrbwalley

What type of marble would look good in my kitchen?

jrbwalley
4 years ago

We are building and I need to choose countertops. I have spent a LOT of time reading about different types, and am strongly leaning towards marble. I was thinking quartz but just keep coming back to the marble. I am aware of the work involved in keeping it up and am not too concerned about etching or staining, honestly my biggest concern is chipping since I use a lot of heavy cast iron and my kids do a lot in the kitchen. But I guess regardless of whether I stick with marble or cave and get a quartz look-alike, what shades/colors would look best here? I tend to like a white with fairly fine veining (as opposed to the really thick veins I see in some quartz) but would love more specific input. I am not good at the whole "warm/cool" thing and don't want to end up with something that clashes. Oh, there will be a blue stove on that back wall. Also, backsplash suggestions? I was thinking marble subway tiles in a herringbone pattern but don't know if that would be too much marble...


Comments (135)

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I know this is a supplier they like to use, what would you all suggest from this selection?


    https://www.msisurfaces.com/marble-countertops/

  • claire_larece
    4 years ago

    jrb what is the size of your island? 8' by or 6'?

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  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    One is about 4x6 and one is about 8x3

  • zellenpat
    4 years ago

    Would you buy a car just because use it looks good? Then don' t buy a countertop just because you like how it looks when brand new. Marble looks great new or with careful cook's which you and definitely children are not. Go with quartz. There are lots of choices in the look you seem to want. And no maintenance to speak of to keep it looking great.

  • lorilou72
    4 years ago

    The OP said that she has done a lot of research and is aware of staining and etching. She's concerned about chipping, but quartz can chip as well! Jrbwalley - if you love marble go for it! You are not alone in loving natural surfaces and appreciating the patina and character that age brings! Having been to MSI in Dallas, Calacatta Lincoln might have the tones you are looking for. Go see slabs if you can. Does your vendor work with Arizona Tile at all? That's where I got my Imperial Danby.

  • Zalco/bring back Sophie!
    4 years ago

    All those marble counters and outdoor tables in Europe are a testament to how well the stone works. Marble with its patina will still be looking classic and practical when all the quartz is deemed dated in favor of the new avocado green.

  • claire_larece
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    out of the website op provided the only one is



    Portico Cream. A blend of neutrals to blend with the chestnut, chocolate and white.

  • beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
    4 years ago

    This is late and may be heresy, but I find that most marbles tend to function as neutrals (I believe the same about Persian/Oriental rugs).

    I have honed Carrara marble on our island with a cobalt blue BlueStar range and dark brown (Edserum) Ikea cabinets.

    I don't use a lot of cast iron, but we're a family of five, with one fairly careful and two not particularly careful young adults : ) . So far no chipping or staining, but some etching, which is fine. I often find myself caressing the marble, and it's lovely for rolling out dough.

    jrbwalley thanked beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
  • Nidnay
    4 years ago

    Claire...portico cream is quartz not marble.

  • Newhome2018
    4 years ago

    OP: why don’t you look into quartzite? not as delicate as marb and so many beautiful choices.... here’s mine. Ice flakes leathered finish



  • Nidnay
    4 years ago

    Jrbwalley....I would start with these, but honestly you must go look at the available slabs in person. A little square clipping viewed online can be very misleading. And there can be tremendous variation even among the same named marbles. In addition to the ones below you can take a look at the Carrara’s they have.






    jrbwalley thanked Nidnay
  • lorilou72
    4 years ago

    Check out Mystery White on the MSI website. You can see their real-time inventory...the Chicago location has several bundles with pictures. I follow MaisondeCinq on Instagram - she has Mystery White marble if you want to see it in a kitchen.

  • claire_larece
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I know nidnay the site op provided I didn’t see any marble but I like the Santorini White. Where did you go to see the Marble?

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Claire the link I posted should take you straight to the marble.


  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Newhome2018 and zellenpat, quartzite is expensive and I really have spent a lot of time researching, reading about people who have used the various materials, and thinking about what I like, and I think I have a good grasp on the pros and cons. I am pretty confident that I want actual marble, at least on the two islands. I have seen some quartz that is really lovely, but when i compare the two, I come back to marble. I can live with etching and I hope with good sealing, stains will not be a problems. Even small dents or chips are ok with me - I love character and I love a natural, forever material particular one that develops a patina over time. That's the same reason we went with solid wood floors, sanded and finished in place instead of prefinished, which is much more common and popular right now. I will be upset if someone slams a cast iron pot into the edge and a huge chunk breaks off, but I don't want to not get it because of something that *could* happen.


  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks nidnay... those are some that caught my eye as well. I know I need to see them in person, but I need to let the countertop fabricator know which ones to have brought in to look at. And I appreciate having a few extra eyes to help steer me!

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Lorilou, calacatta lincoln is one I really like, but I have a feeling it's one of the more expensive ones. I am going to ask about it, though.


  • beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I hope with good sealing, stains will not be a problems.

    After searching through the GardenWeb Kitchen forum archives, I used Miracle 511 Porous Plus on our honed marble, and it's done a fabulous job. We moved into our new house last summer, so I have to re-seal in the next few months.

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    jrb, I hadn't heard of the Lincoln, so I had to look it up. If it's anything close to the calacatta gold, it's going to be expensive.

    did you know they make it in the porcelain ?


    my stone place has this calacatta gold in porcelain and it's beautiful in person

    and at 1700 for this slab, it's also 8K less than the real marble version!

  • Nidnay
    4 years ago

    Gorgeous slabs Beth!

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I've not heard of porcelain for countertops... sounds so fragile!


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    jrbwalley...it's not. it's very durable. it has to be set in mortar like you would a giant tile though. you can't just set it on plywood w/globs of adhesive. that's when people get into trouble.

    nidnay...I still like your Bianco. I'm going w/2 diff colors. Solid will be on the perimeter, quartz. (either this light one or a charcoal one)


    just need to decide on the island. I love that porcelain slab (3rd pic). it's really beautiful in person. if you didn't know it was porcelain, you'd swear it was real marble. that's how good it looks. I just wish I knew of someone who's had this in their kitchen.

    but I really like this Arabescato too

  • RedRyder
    4 years ago

    Stick to looking at the marble. You seem pretty confident that’s what you want so try to work with the stone yard and the fabricator on the pricing. If you don’t ask for a price break, you’ll never know if they will give you one.

  • Shasta
    4 years ago

    If you look at a porcelain marble-look slab next to a real marble, you will see how grey the porcelain "background" is compared with the lovely white of true marble. It was eye opening for me.

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Update: having a lot of trouble finding marble. I found a quartz piece I really like, but I just don't feel the love with quartz like I do with marble. On an interesting side note, someone suggested Phenix marble, which I had never heard of, but found out it is right near me! The actually quarry... and I was able to get a remnant that we will use in the boys' bathroom, I am super excited about that! It's a bit ironic though, that I am loving everything I find for these teen boys who will be gone in a few years, and can't find what I want for the centerpiece of the house. :-/


  • claire_larece
    4 years ago

    you're welcome jrbwalley, hopefully you will be able to find your marble. this marble must have a particular unique look

  • ll71
    4 years ago

    marble is high maintenance. there are plenty of quartz that look like what you want, one made by zodiac called London fog.

  • claire_larece
    4 years ago

    jrb, I know you have been reading around about the differentiation of quartz and marble, but did you ask anyone at the retail what is their take on it? You found a quartz you like which may as well do the same job as the marble. IS IT THAT YOUR SO IN LOVE WITH MARBLE?

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yes, the countertop fabricator did not discourage me at all about marble.. he said he has had several clients who have used it and he's not heard any complaints, they have all been very happy with it.


  • PRO
    Flo Mangan
    4 years ago

    Quartzite is about same price point as marble and so much easier to maintain. I hope you get to see some Taj Mahal. It would be so great. I have it and love it. Dark gray lower cabinets and dark wood floors with solid gray perimeter countertops in quartz. Love the feel of the quartzite. It is beautiful too.

  • Kristin S
    4 years ago

    Flo - around me Taj Mahal is, sadly, double to triple the price of Carrara marble :-(. Our pricing may be quite different from OP’s, as I’m in a west coast city, but as one of the stone yards explained, stone pricing is based on supply and demand, and demand for quartzite is sky high.

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I'm in the midwest (MO) and pretty sure quartzite is a lot more than marble here and out of our price range.


  • Kristin S
    4 years ago

    jrbwalley - as a total tangent, I actually know just where you are - one of my grandmothers lives in Mountain Grove, just about an hour from Springfield :-).

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago

    jrbwalley,,,,went to a diff stone yard today. saw some great slabs of marble and porcelain that looks like marble. (this porcelain is a newer type that is a bit thicker and is comparable to Neolith, but half the price. porcelain gets cut and fabricated just like stone, but it needs set in mastic or thinset, just like a giant tile, as opposed to blobs of adhesive like they do stone)

    comes in a lot of shades and colors, but I just took these two pics of the porcelain. you can clean it w/ anything, and it doesn't stain.



    and here is the Calacatta (I think I'm getting this first one. it's got a new factory sealer on it that will prevent staining and etching. Called Azerocare)

    this one is Calacatta Lincoln

    NY Glacier (marble)

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    That's really pretty, Beth, it just seems fragile?

  • PRO
    Home Art Tile Kitchen & Bath
    4 years ago

    In my opinion, quartz that looks like marble is a much safer option than real marble. Real marble is great for kitchens that don't have to withstand a lot of traffic and are not used a lot. Quartz is much more durable and easier to maintain and care for. Caesarstone, for example, has remarkable options of marble-like quartz, with stronger and lighter veining. My recommendation is that it's best to choose a slab (not from a sample) and take a few samples home to see how it looks like with the rest of the space and how does it appear in the light you have in your kitchen.

  • Zalco/bring back Sophie!
    4 years ago

    We all know how delicate marble is. That's why it's used on outdoor cafe tables in Europe. Nothing spills or drops on those. Quartz countertops on the other hand are manufactured by several companies who clearly provide a sales incentive to their distributors if you ask me. Otherwise the sell would be a wee bit softer.

  • southeasthouse
    4 years ago

    Beth H - do you have brand info on those porcelain slabs? Do they come in a honed finish? And by thicker, what are you comparing to? Neolith comes in 20mm now, which is 2cm, standard for many slabs. Is this thicker than that, or comparable to the new 2cm Neolith.

  • PRO
    MarbleWarehousecom
    4 years ago

    Antolini carries good line of Porcelain slabs, They are suitable for the most varied applications such as kitchen tops, bathroom vanity tops, table tops and furnishing in general; facade cladding, flooring, etc. they come in polished and honed surface and they are book matched.

    https://www.marblewarehouse.com/Porcelain-Slab_c_126.html






  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    jrb,,,fragile? the porcelain? it's no worse than marble! (prob better since it doesn't stain or etch) I mean, if you drop an iron skillet on it (or marble or granite), they're all going to chip. Heck, I dropped a small jar of face cream on my marble tile floor, and it gouged a big chunk out of it! porcelain is very durable for regular use. (it HAS to be installed properly. the issues you read about is because they don't set it properly ) It's used on floors all over the place. do you think they're fragile? these are actually thicker than tile used on floors. just be careful on the edges like you would be for any natural stone.

    Southeasthouse, porcelain ones I showed you are a newer manufacturer. (The Antolini, mentioned above, is for that pre-sealed natural stone Calacatta I posted).

    I was told their porcelain slabs are a bit thicker than the Neolith. ( wish I would have taken a side view picture)

    this is the neolith, and it was matte (this is from the other place, State College Distributors. The one I mentioned earlier is from PacificaStone.com in Anaheim)

    The price for the porcelain isn't that expensive. This one was (below) $1700, but I don't know who makes it. I can find out next time I go in, or, call State College Distributors in Anaheim and ask for George S. He can tell you all about it. Tell him I told you to speak to him.

  • PRO
    Flo Mangan
    4 years ago

    I have seen these porcelains but haven’t used them yet. But they are very impressive looking. Porcelains are cooler to the touch too which helps me because I am sensitive to the feel of manmade products. Good install is my worry. Because it is relatively new product in the market place, installers need training in how to handle and install this material. Going to be interesting to see if it catches on in the new home market. I haven’t seen it yet and I am in big residential building market. Looking forward to Beth trying it (if she does) because she is expert in these materials.

  • bailey82
    4 years ago

    I was hoping to see some information on porcelain countertops here tonight. We have see them used by the Property Brothers and by Nate and Jeremiah By Design. They assured the homeowners that porcelain was a good choice but I had never heard of it before this fall. The one on last weeks Property Brothers was just beautiful. I love marble and have not seen a quartz that I like as much which is so frustrating! I'm tempted to just stick with the marble and really be careful with it unless the porcelain turns out to be a good option. Has anyone here installed it in their kitchen?

  • Kristin S
    4 years ago

    I talked with my fabricator about porcelain. He said the big downside is that while they’re not any more prone to chipping than stone or quartz, but if they do chip, there’s not much that can be done to repair them (v. stone, which often can be repaired, at least cosmetically).

  • claire_larece
    4 years ago

    Flo you don’t anything about porcelain? you’re supposed to be a pro don’t sell yourself short

  • PRO
    Flo Mangan
    4 years ago

    Claire, i said I have seen them but haven’t specified them yet. There isn’t enough experience with this product yet for me to recommend. That’s all I meant. Sorry if that didn’t come through! Love you.

  • Christine Kaufman
    last year

    @jrbwalley Found this thread and curious as to where you landed? Thanks as I'm currently in same dilemma : )

  • jrbwalley
    Original Author
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @Christine Kaufman I can't even remember the name of it now, but I went with marble from Vermont. Staining has not been an issue at all. Etching hasn't really bothered me much, but more than I expected - although honestly I think I'm more annoyed with the husband and kids who leave acidic things sitting on it causing etching than the minor etches. We do have several chips already - again, frustrated with the husband who has banged cast iron around and chipped several edges. I used Fantasy Brown in my butler's pantry, which is considered a cross between Marble and Granite I believe, and kind of wish I had used that everywhere - it still looks brand new. That said, if money wasn't an issue, I would have gone for something like Taj Mahal Quartzite - it was beautiful, natural, and much more indestructable. However, I am very glad I didn't cave and go with a fakey quartz... I would not have been happy with that at all.

    Here's a quick pic from where I am sitting right now:


  • RedRyder
    last year

    Your kitchen is lovely.

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    last year
    last modified: last year

    if it's from vermont, it's Danby marble.

    Fantasy Brown is a Dolomitic marble. a bit heartier than something like carrara, but not at all a granite.

  • Christine Kaufman
    last year

    @jrbwalley Thank you for the perspective! Your kitchen is gorgeous! Very good to know especially as this will be a very used lake house where others will also come and go when we aren't there : ) I'm trying to use materials that don't have to be handled with kid gloves, although I oogle over the marble whenever I'm in a showroom!