Tom, my marble countertops will be installed this Friday, and it's the part of my kitchen remodel that I'm most looking forward to (I'm on pins and needles with excitement, actually!). It was my first choice in material, but that was long before I found the Kitchens forum on GW and all the collective wisdom to be found there. In the beginning - for me - there were so many warnings not to use marble, but that came from ignorant people who had no experience with it. I have since educated myself on the qualities of the stone. I hope you got your marble HONED and hope you've sealed it at least a couple of times. If you keep up with regular sealing every 6-12 months, your marble should not stain. It will etch, but that is what they call "patina" and it's not something that any product can prevent. A recommended sealer is Miracle 511 Porous Plus; not all sealers will give the same results. There are quite a few very happy marble owners in the kitchens forum. I've linked to one particularly beautiful kitchen, but there are more. When your kitchen is done, I hope you'll post pix in Kitchens, as there are some avid marble fans who'll appreciate it. Enjoy your new kitchen! Here is a link that might be useful: Momto4kids' kitchen

Our floors are Provenza Heirloom Collection in London. I love how they look but am less sure how they're going to wear. Already have a few scratches. The knotty, grain-y look is very forgiving but I'm annoyed that it scratches easily. Thanks for the compliments!

I didn't see one by Silestone. The Ceasarstone is o.k. If you only want the marble look on a small island, go with real marble.

I have had white marble counters for a little over two years now. I mostly love them. Here's the lowdown: Staining--it is a myth. If you seal your counters and reseal them every couple of years, your counters will not ordinarily stain. I have wiped up red wine hours later and coffee days later when it gets under the espresso maker. That said, something with a dye still scares me--when I made red velvet cake a few weeks ago, I put a couple of dish towels on the counter to prevent spills. There are also poultices that remove stains. So staining is not something you really need to worry about. Etching--marble etches. Period. I have etching, not a crazy amount, but etching nonetheless. I try to be careful with the obvious culprits like lemons, limes and vinegar. When squeezing lemons, I do it over a cutting board or over the sink. Things like bottles of capers, vinegar--I try not to put them on the counter and put them on a cutting board instead. Etching shows less on honed marble, but in the right light, you can see it. I may have my counters rehoned in another couple of years if I get too much more etching. Right now it doesn't really bother me. Chipping and pitting and white shock spots--this does bother me a bit. How much this happens may depend on the type of marble you have. Mine are calacatta. I originally wanted Danby but could not find a slab I liked enough and then fell in love with a calacatta slab without realizing that the calacatta is softer. I have a few chips at the edges. The real danger spots are over the dishwasher because it is easy for people to bang the edge when loading (have remedied with a cutting board that always sits there pulled forward) and the sink edges. I am super careful when putting pots and pans into the sink, especially cast iron (moving the faucet out of the way helps). I don't know how much the pits and shock spots can be fixed. It is what it is. There is a depth to marble and beauty that is impossible to replicate with other material. The closest thing is probably quartzite. I wanted to use it but I thought it was too busy with my walnut cabinets. So I took the plunge and am happy I did so, about 95% of the time.