Doing a small powder room with 2x6 pearl marble subway pattern on walls up to 40" topped by a marble mini brick border and marble chair rail. I'd prefer Not to use a marble floor because its at the beach . I have found this carrera look porcelain that works though its a tad whiter , I would use grey grout . Should I get the real marble floor or look for a different porcelain , I really don't mind the upkeep on the walls but would rather not worry about countertop and floor as its a heavily used bath . as for countertop , on the white 30" vanity , shall I use torquay or a plain white quartz . ? thanks for input . For the record my friend rented a beach house wilth all carrera countertops and was given a 2 page list of all things to avoid , she ended up covering the entire countertop w placemats for the month rather than worry about what would stain or etch them .

Thank you, kitchenkrazed09, even tho it's not a typical kitchen, it works for us. There's a lot to digest on this thread, thanks to all for the great contributions and observations. circuspeanut, you posted a pic of possibly the only colorful granite I actually like, I saw a large slab at a stone yard once and while we didn't consider it for a counter, too much care and too spendy, I would love to have a piece mounted as wall art, maybe in a stairwell. I love all the funky tiles posted, especially the red, orange and yellow one (first posting), it reminds me of nasturtiums, and I think you could build a great kitchen around that tile; reds, browns, yellows, oranges, creamy white, with a soupcon of a green on the spring/acid spectrum. live wire oak, your point about people who need professional help vs. those who just need a push in the right direction is well taken and should be heeded. I see so many posts here of the former, yet is seen as heresy (by some) to suggest or use a professional ID or KD, I guess because many posters here have a strong bias against professional help. A design challenge would be very instructional and just might inspire some folks to veer off the well trodden kitchen design path. And if overly sensitive types get their knickers in a knot, so be it. sandyponder

I have had Vermont Danby, the Olympian White variety, for over 4 years. If you go with any marble, you need to understand its properties before you purchase it, so you won't be surprised. It is indeed more dense than other marbles, and does not stain, meaning that it does not discolor from coffee, tea, wine, berries, etc. I have no discolorations on the marble, BUT I do have lots of etching. It is a calcium-based stone, and as such will etch from anything acidic--wine, vinegar, pickles, citrus, tomatoes, even hard water. There's no way to prevent it, as etching is a wearing away of the stone due to a chemical reaction of the stone with the acid. There's also no way to get rid of the etches unless you have the stone re-honed or re-polished. Also, you can only see the etches when the light hits the stone in a certain way. And honed marble shows the etches less than polished. It is also relatively soft, as stones go, and chips easily. The first chip I got was from dropping a glass from the upper cabinet, which not only broke the glass, but the glass left small white chips on the surface of the marble. Of course I panicked and called the installer who came and filled them in and smoothed the surface. After that I have lots more chips, especially around the sink and on the edges from banging pots, bottles, etc., while working in the kitchen. I haven't called them back to fix them, as I just learned to live with it. So if you think you can live with a counter top surface that isn't going to look as good as the day it was installed, and has reminders of all the entertaining and cooking you do in the kitchen, then you probably will do all right with marble. If not, then you might want to go with something more durable. BUT realize that all of these surfaces are in a work room, and will show wear and tear sooner or later. Good luck!

Faboo! That is such a lovely combination.