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Marble Countertops?

Loves Vintage

Ideal_Rock
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Anyone have them? Would you do it again? Lately, I've been loving the look of marble, and we are definitely due to replace our countertops (though DH would disagree, but this is another topic entirely!) Anyway, first time I googled marble countertops, I read about staining, chipping, scratching. Hmmph.

I think I watch too much Property Brothers! Doesn't it seem like they put marble in every renovation??? I've always wondered about concrete countertops . . . maybe they are worth exploring too.
 

Dee*Jay

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I'm having marble countertops installed tomorrow!

I did consider all the things about staining, etc., but the reality is life happens, and that is true no matter what kind of counter you've got. I had granite four kitchens ago that chipped like crazy, especially around the sink, which I think was due to the ex-hubs hand washing a lot of heavy pots, etc. That being said I don't so much as boil water so this kitchen won't get a lot of heavy action.

I really believe that if you find a marble you love, you should go for it!
 

arkieb1

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Paler stone is always much more difficult to look after and more prone to things like oil stains. I have white marble tops in 3 bathrooms, and a white with dark speckled stone in the kitchen. The darker granites like blue pearl and others which I have had in the past were easier to keep clean but the look of white is much lighter and I think more modern.
 

RandG

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I used a lot of marble, and a little bit of granite when I built my house. When it was done, I applied yet another layer of sealant to it all for extra protection. Some of the vanities I used for baths are from pottery barn and restoration hardware, also with marble. Incredibly, the pottery barn/restoration hardware marble is doing better. No stains, scratches, or blemishes of any kind. Meanwhile, all the expensive "imported Italian" carrara shows some wear. I think its important to know your source and whether the material has any fillers.

If you like the look of carrara marble, check out super white granite. Before selecting my carrara slabs, I was encouraged to look at super white and I didn't. I was stuck on recreating those Houzz kitchens/baths with the white marble... Later, when I did my patio, I used super white for the grill surround and after 18 months, totally exposed to all the elements, it looks better than some of the inside marble.

I encourage you to would look at everything, and not just via the fabricators or retailers. Go to the actual source of the material, see different slabs of granite, quartz, marble and find what you like best. Ask about the country of origin and the type of processing it went through. You can also mix and match materials. Say, do carrara subway tiles for a backsplash, and maybe granite for the countertop. Carrara on counters, granite on the island. A friend of mine bought 3X3 remnants of different materials then ran an experiment using each one as a cutting board for a week or so, giving it the full treatment in the kitchen. She decided to go with granite because it held up the best. Super white as well...

Happy to post images if it helps you at all :)

Good luck-- sounds like a super fun project!
 

Loves Vintage

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Dee*Jay - Wow, how timely!! Good for you!! What are you doing for the backsplash? Would love to see photos if you want to share them!

arkieb1 - It seems to make sense that darker stone would be easier to care for. We do not currently have stone, though I did remember AFTER starting this thread, that DH has marble in his bathroom (I NEVER go in there!!) that was installed by prior owners. It is so pretty!!

RandG - Yes, please post photos if you have them handy. Funny that you mentioned PB marble. I am sure that's what my DH has in his bathroom. My project may be a long-term plan, but it would be good to get an idea of prices. We have an 80's-ish kitchen right now, which my husband thinks is just fine, and I am ready to just start tearing things out as they do on HGTV. Haha! I think our cabinets are ok, would just need to change hardware. They are painted white. The counters are split into 3 different areas . . . and there's a window seat that is currently tiled and would probably be again. I should post photos if we ever reach a GO decision. I am realizing more and more that DH and I are on the opposite end of the spend vs. save spectrum. Grrr.
 

telephone89

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I was considering marble, but ended up going for white granite with a similar streak pattern. And I still get a little OCD while cooking so that no tomato sauce drops on it, or wine or anything. I had one stain already, and made a poltice with baking soda and it came out, but it kind of stresses me out! I think I'm going to reseal it ASAP to avoid some of this stress haha. And this is just white granite.
 

Loves Vintage

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telephone89|1416501062|3787250 said:
I was considering marble, but ended up going for white granite with a similar streak pattern. And I still get a little OCD while cooking so that no tomato sauce drops on it, or wine or anything. I had one stain already, and made a poltice with baking soda and it came out, but it kind of stresses me out! I think I'm going to reseal it ASAP to avoid some of this stress haha. And this is just white granite.

Ahh, I am thinking light may not be for us. I meant to mention this in response to Dee*Jay (who mentioned she does not cook a lot), but we are heavy cookers, DH more than me, and he is a messy cook -- think homemade pizza yielding sauce on the sides of several cabinets! How can that be? Haha!
 

Harpertoo

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We have Carrera marble in our kitchen. I love the look and was inspired when I saw storage yards full of slabs near mines in Italy.
I also enjoy the look of worn, used pieces and appreciate patina so we went with honed and we don't baby it. No sealer. I cook a lot, although I would not say I'm messy. I was thoroughly warned not to get it - but I love it and I'm so glad we did.

We don't have any stains at this point; It's been 3 1/2 years. I guess if wear was going to bother me, I'd choose something that would disguise stains or maybe a less porous material.
 

telephone89

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Loves Vintage|1416502121|3787261 said:
telephone89|1416501062|3787250 said:
I was considering marble, but ended up going for white granite with a similar streak pattern. And I still get a little OCD while cooking so that no tomato sauce drops on it, or wine or anything. I had one stain already, and made a poltice with baking soda and it came out, but it kind of stresses me out! I think I'm going to reseal it ASAP to avoid some of this stress haha. And this is just white granite.

Ahh, I am thinking light may not be for us. I meant to mention this in response to Dee*Jay (who mentioned she does not cook a lot), but we are heavy cookers, DH more than me, and he is a messy cook -- think homemade pizza yielding sauce on the sides of several cabinets! How can that be? Haha!
It's beautiful, but (imo) high maint. If you love it, you love it, just gotta decide if it's worth it!
 

dk168

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I opted for granite in my kitchen as I read somewhere that marble is more porous and softer than granite.

I do like the luxury feel and look of marble in bathrooms though, as long as I do not have to clean it.

DK :))
 

pinkjewel

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I've also heard all the warnings about using marble. We have granite in our kitchen. But last year I asked for one of those large white marble pastry slabs for Christmas. Well, silly me never realized how heavy it would be- so it has ended up staying up on my counter. I use it all the time and it's had red sauce spilled on it, red wine, etc and has never stained and looks just as good as when I set it up a year ago. After this experience I would not hesitate to put marble countertops in my kitchen.
 

yennyfire

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I just got Taj Mahal quartzite for our bathroom. Looks like marble, but is stronger than granite. The only downside is that it's super $$$ ($170-200 per Sq. ft), but I only need enough for our vanity, bench seat in shower and shower "lip".

We had marble growing up (in the bathroom I shared with my sis) and we destroyed it with hairspray residue, makeup stains, etc. I just wasn't willing to risk it. I'm pretty careful, but DH isn't...
 

Dee*Jay

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The countertops went in today and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! Here is a picture of one of the slabs (I had to get three of them for the whole kitchen). I'll post pics of the finished product tomorrow or Monday of the finished product because that's when the appliances are going in.

To answer your question about a backsplash, I am doing this tile: http://www.bellavitatile.com/gallery/pisces/ I've never been a white tile person, but there are four different textures (pebbled, smooth, matte, and shiny) and I also like the shape and size (it's about 2" wide and 9" long). I different want anything square or rectangular because all of the other parts of the kitchen are very very square, so this shape really appealed to me.

ETA: I can't seem to post pics any more from my home computer so the pic of the marble slab didn't show up. At the least, I'll be able to put some photos up on Monday when I'm back at my office.
 

Gypsy

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Love the backsplash tile!
 

zoebartlett

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Dee*Jay, I love your tile choice! I don't think I've seen tile in that shape before. I can't wait to see pics!

LV, my parents have dark granite counter tops in their kitchen on all but one area. There's one spot where they have marble. My dad was cutting up a lemon one day and accidentally left it on that counter, top down. The lemon ruined the marble, or at least one area. I didn't see it so I'm not exactly sure how it looked, but they had to replace it. I don't think I would choose marble in our dream kitchen because of the high maintenance factor.
 

kgizo

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I love the look of marble and seriously considered it, but passed because it can yellow over time. I thought I could live with a few small stains, but not the whole slab yellowing. I was told there was nothing that could be done to prevent it, but ask your sales rep as there may be new sealant options.
 

Dee*Jay

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Trying to post a pic from my work phone. One of the slabs.

_24455.jpg
 

Lady_Disdain

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That is gorgeous! I love looking at stone slabs, from tiny slabs for cabs to these huge babies.

Personally, I really like marble in the kitchen. Like Harpertoo, I like the patina of heavily used marble more than finely polished stone (which looks out of place in a kitchen for me). Because I live in a country that mines marble and granite, they have always been a choice in kitchens. Maybe it is the granularity of the marble, but I never much staining. The main care is to be careful with acids. It doesn't have to be wiped up right that second but it should be left standing there long either.

One of the perks of marble: it is a good hone for knives. Housewives and cooks would just give the knife a few swipes at the counter edge if their knife began to lose its edge when they were chopping up things. Of course, we tend to stand in the same place for the same tasks, so you can see the worn place where the cook used to sharpen knives. One of the apartments I visited when I was moving had great marble counters, original from the 60s. Of course, with a nice worn spot in one edge, all ready for my knives.
 

yennyfire

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Gorgeous slab DeeJay! We have similar taste! Here's mine (they are not using the orangey stuff in the bottom left corner)....love the backsplash too!

_24456.jpg
 

pinkjewel

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Beautiful marble slabs!!! You all are making me want a new kitchen!
 

KristyDarling

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We remodeled our house 3 years ago and had white Calacatta d'Oro marble installed in our kitchen and bathrooms. They have subtle fuzzy gold veins, which reminds me of clouds (like attached example). They're honed and not polished, so they have a lovely matte texture, which I prefer over shiny. They etch if anything acidic is spilled on it, but it's sooooo subtle and not visible unless you squint and bend down to look for it. I don't mind it at all -- I much prefer the look of a well-loved, used countertop because that means my kitchen is a "working" kitchen.

Style-wise, I think the marble gives my home a soft, natural, classic look that is modern but will also stand the test of time. Do they stain? Yes - we've had pen marks and ink leached from purple paper which had gotten soaked - but if you catch it early, you can get rid of those stains. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate to go with marble.

That said, there are some amazing quartz options out there. Caesarstone recently released some pretty convincing marble colors, so you could have a very similar marble-y look but with the extra durability. Several of my friends have remodeled using Caesarstone and they like how indestructible it is, and how pristine it looks. Personally, I prefer the feel of natural marble under my hand -- cold, solid, "real" -- and inevitably a little scuffed up, but I love that.

You mentioned concrete counters -- I love that idea. I would've explored that myself except my house is older and has a strong vintage, classic look to it. If we had a house that was more conducive to a modern look, we would've seriously considered concrete. I've heard good things!

calacatta_gold.jpg
 

blingbunny10

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I have white marble countertops in the kitchen, bathrooms, and bar. And I say, if you love the look, go for it!

My husband and I are both kind of picky, and we're not bothered at all by how marble ages/wears. There are definitely some water marks in the marble and especially marks from lemon juice, alcohol, and other acidic material. If we were more diligent about wiping things right away, there would be no stains. But honestly, I'm lazy, and the stains are light and only visible in certain lighting. I prefer the European approach to marble, which is to just live in it and treat it comfortably rather than as a fragile and pristine centerpiece that can't be enjoyed! I gave up worrying about light stains, and now it all just kind of blends and has become part of the beauty of the stone. We've had ZERO chipping and scratching. And I"m pretty clumsy - always banging pots and glasses into the counters while doing the dishes!

If you were really bothered by the wear, you could always get it refinished and then sealed.
 

blingbunny10

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Lady_Disdain|1416583589|3787939 said:
That is gorgeous! I love looking at stone slabs, from tiny slabs for cabs to these huge babies.

One of the perks of marble: it is a good hone for knives. Housewives and cooks would just give the knife a few swipes at the counter edge if their knife began to lose its edge when they were chopping up things. Of course, we tend to stand in the same place for the same tasks, so you can see the worn place where the cook used to sharpen knives. One of the apartments I visited when I was moving had great marble counters, original from the 60s. Of course, with a nice worn spot in one edge, all ready for my knives.

Wild! I had no idea that one could do this....
 

Gypsy

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I have seen some GORGEOUS white marble and white granite slabs.

For me it's a matter of cost. The white granite slabs I like are like CRAZY expensive. And a nice white marble Carrera slab out here is much more affordable.

I know Neatfreak has marble counters in her last house and loved them.

I do have to say though, for colors OTHER than white-- I think there are better options out there for kitchen counters.
 

TooPatient

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We left the counters in the kitchen that were there when we bought the house (have big plans to extend and re-do the entire kitchen within the next 10 years or so) but we did end up having to replace the backsplash. The previous owners had used "close out" stuff that we weren't able to get so we had to pick something that looked nice with the existing countertops. I ended up falling in love with this gorgeous marble. Sort of a dove gray kind of color with pink & darker gray veins. Beautiful.

Thought we'd do the installation ourselves since it was "just" tiles and we are generally able to do all sorts of handy stuff. Bought the special tile saw (rated great for marble). Bought the special blade for use on marble. Read about it. Watched videos. Put masking tape along the tile before cutting. All that.
The stuff cracked & chipped like you wouldn't believe. Ended up paying to have it installed.

It is gorgeous! I do love it BUT one of the tiles cracked on the wall (even in the back corner where you'd figure it was safe). I've also noticed little imperfections where some chips or something have been happening.


That said, I LOVE the look of the marble. I think I would do it again as a backsplash but I would be afraid of using it as a countertop.


Posting pics of our kitchen. The countertops are some generic tile (stone of some kind I think). Backsplash is large (18inx18in) tiles set super close together (most people think we did large slabs). It usually looks lighter like the full kitchen picture but the darker with espresso machine really shows the color in the veins. (it actually matches perfectly the paint we used in the kitchen!)

img_1506__2_.jpg

img_1507__2_.jpg
 

ming

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I :love: my kitchen marble counter tops! We are selling my house and moving overseas and it's the single thing I am hating to leave behind! It's Carrara gioia.

I did a lot of hemming and hawing before pulling the trigger and going with it during my remodel. The place I bought it from did a great job explaining the difference between etching and staining and how important sealer is. I used a Dupont product that is warrantied against staining. I cook a lot and at first I was neurotic about putting anything on the counters at all. But over time I loosened up quite a bit. I only sealed it once (when it was installed) even though the installers suggested I reapply annually. I use the cleaner that paired with the sealant.

It's almost impossible to avoid etching unless you don't use any acidic ingredients in your kitchen. I happen to love vodka tonics with lots of lime (and little tonic ;-) ). So I do have some etching but not enough to bother me. The counters can always be rehoned if it does start to bother me.

kitchen_3.jpg

kitchen_1.jpg

_24761.jpg
 

Dee*Jay

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Here are a couple of pics. The sun shining in makes the edges of the doors look white in the picture for some reason, and there are a few details that need to be worked out in the kitchen (the tile guy has to come back and extend the glass clear to the end of the wall on the right bcause I don't like the gap, that sort of thing), but for the most part it's done!

kitchen_4.jpg
 

Dee*Jay

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From another angle.

kitchen_6.jpg
 

Loves Vintage

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Dee*Jay - Wow!! Your kitchen is so glamorous!! It's is really beautiful, and the tile is stunning!! I HAVE to ask you few questions though, since you've stated several times that you DO NOT COOK -- how many burners do you have?!! haha. And, WHAT are you going to put in that massive fridge?!! I am JEALOUS!!!

ming - Gorgeous kitchen, too! I hope you find counter-tops that are as lovely overseas!!
 

Dee*Jay

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LV - I have six burners, all of which are useless to me, LOL. My beloved nespresso machine is nestled right there in the corner to keep the stove company though!

As for the fridge, it currently contains 60 bottles of prosecco that I am chilling for my annual holiday party on Friday. And I think there might be some olives in there too... !
 
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