Some of the most beautiful kitchen countertops are created with marble slabs. Classic color combinations and beautiful veining make the stone highly sought after. Traditionally, marble has been widely used in bathrooms and furniture countertops due to its delicacy and artistic qualities. Since Greek and Roman times, marble has been known as one of the best options for sculpture and decoration due to its relatively soft nature that is reasonably resistant to breakage. Perhaps one of the most unique features of stone is the smooth way it reflects light. On a polished marble surface, light is scattered into a soft, broad spectrum that creates a sheen or waxy appearance. This effect gives the stone a regal quality that enhances value and reinforces why this stone has stood the test of time in the art and construction industries.
A popular choice for today’s kitchen design is to use marble for the countertops, backsplash, or both. Marble feels smooth and creamy to the touch, making it desirable in casual kitchens where the main focus of the room is to create a social gathering place that is both comfortable and beautiful. The large-scale movement and veining in the stone is a nice complement to the small-scale grain in the wood cabinets. The organic movement of the grain provides a welcome contrast to floors that are geometric from tile or linear from wood planks. Unlike standard granite colors with little chip patterns, marble brings a touch of whimsy and soft elegance to the kitchen through the asymmetrical veining and wide range of whites like Carrara, Calacatta and Danby to name a few. Marble in any color, but especially white, is considered high fashion for the home and is particularly suitable in both traditional and modern styles.
Although marble is visually appealing in the kitchen, it requires a lot of maintenance due to the very characteristics that make it so desirable. The softness of the stone makes it more susceptible to stains and scratches, so it is necessary to pay special attention to the protection and cleaning of the surface to keep it in optimal conditions. Marble is not recommended for medium to heavy use kitchens. With such a wide range of colors, the hardness of the stone varies depending on the geology of the rock. In relative terms, lighter colors are “softer” and darker colors are “harder”. This means that today’s popular white marbles are on the softer end of the spectrum and require more care and prevention to maintain their beauty. One of the most resistant and most appropriate white marbles for the kitchen is Danby Marble, quarried in Vermont, United States. Danby includes several color variations including Montclair, Imperial, and Mountain White. Although this family of white marble is more forgiving than the others, it can still be stained and scratched without due respect.
Another viable option for kitchen countertops is engineered marble. These surfaces have come a long way in providing the beauty of natural stone with the durability and uncomplicated look that is desirable. The engineering process includes the combination of natural marble particles with fillers and polymers to improve the quality of the stone. These hybrid tops are low maintenance and more stain resistant than natural marble.