Calacatta Marble Kitchen
We have had about a thousand people come in over the last month and tell us the same story: We want Carrara marble but have heard you cannot use marble in the kitchen. What’s the next closest thing?
The simple answer is, nothing will look like Carrara marble except Carrara marble itself. Its the timeless classic. Sometimes it runs gray and sometimes the veins are harder than others, but nothing replicates the feel of it perfectly. There are things we can do to help it stay as pure as possible. One is a really good marble sealer. We also recommend using honed Carrara, which we carry here. Honed marbles (and granites) look less shiny than their polished alternatives. They have a matte rather than glossy finish.
Marble has two issues, staining and etching. Staining is pretty obvious. It is a porous stone and can stain. We can seal it, but in the end it will be up to you to clean up quickly. Unless your kitchen is just for show, it will stain at some point. The only consolation is that it probably won’t be as bad as you think it will be. A red wine stain, the most commonly asked about, is not a vivid burgundy. It seeps into the stone and fades. You will probably notice it, but others will not. There are poultices that can help remove stains. They can be labor and time intensive, but they can really work.
Etching is, in my opinion, the real difficulty with marble. Marbles (more precisely some of marble’s elements) react with acids commonly used in kitchens. Etching is when the marble dulls in spots due to the chemical reaction. Usually this is compounded by overhead lighting in the kitchen. When you start with polished marble, etching can be quite noticeable and unappealing. It is impractical to think you will never spill even a drop of juice, wine, coffee, or soda on your kitchen countertops. The way we usually combat etching is to start with a honed marble. That way, the etching is much less noticeable. You don’t get that shiny reflection of light on a honed marble that you would on a polished stone.
Open up any design magazine and you will see plenty of marble kitchens. There are extravagant Calacatta marble kitchens with full height backsplashes and classic Carrara kitchens with distressed wood bars. All look amazing. Most pictures are probably taken before anyone uses them, but there is no reason that with the right care and use they shouldn’t stay beautiful forever.
The other question we hear often is: What do they do in Europe where everyone has marble kitchens? They live with them. They cook and drink and enjoy them. Your marble counter will never lose any of its functionality, no matter how much it stains and etches. Europeans generally start with it honed and consider the stains battle scars. Our recommendation is that you consider your options and weigh the decision based on the actual information. Your neighbor might be driven crazy by a stain on a kitchen counter, but your other neighbor might think it adds character. The beautiful thing is how many options you have now. There are some very interesting granites that are in the grey and white realm, and even stronger are some of the quartz options we carry. Cambria, Caesarstone, Okite, Silestone and some others all have great options meant to mimic different marbles that will not stain or etch. In fact, it is nearly impossible to damage a quartz countertop.
We can show you what each option looks like and help explain the benefits and drawbacks of each surface. Our showroom is open every weekday and we’d be happy to help you through the decision. There is no reason this could not be yours:
Calacatta Marble Kitchen with full height back splash
This is an exotic granite you do not see every day. I have seen it called different names in different places, but either way, it is striking. The most common names I have heard are Yellow Wood, Palomino and Roma Imperial, but make sure you view the actual slab before you buy it. Granite is very much a textural product, so don’t be afraid to put your hands on it.
