One of the most common questions I get asked by clients is “Should I Use Marble For My Kitchen Benchtop”? Having lived with Carrara Marble in my own kitchen for the past four years, here is my honest review.
Why Did I Choose Marble?
There was never any doubt when when we were planning our build that I would choose Carrara marble for my kitchen. With a nod to the Hamptons aesthetic, marble seemed like the perfect choice. My colour palette was grey and white so I felt the veining and tones would be perfect. I wanted to use a luxe, natural material and to be honest, at the time I didn’t feel there were any decent ‘marble look’ alternatives.
When choosing my slab from the supplier, my heart skipped a beat when I saw it and I knew it was ‘the one’! It had the perfect grey and blue tones to work with the Dulux Milton Moon colour of my island bench. It was the perfect size and the honed finish was less likely to scratch.
I wanted to make a feature of the slab so specified the island bench at 80mm thickness (keeping the perimeter bench at 40mm).
How Is It Holding Up?
Four years on and I will be honest, my beloved marble benchtop tells some tales. Fortunately these are mostly great memories of cocktail nights (I do love a Lemon Drop!) and dinner parties with friends but in the high use areas, the etching and stains are undeniable. Being a porous and natural material, the surface is susceptible to staining from any acidic substance (especially lemons!) or even oils.
I find that if spills aren’t cleaned up immediately, they are likely to leave a mark. The worse affected areas are next to the sink where dishes can pile up. Surprisingly the area surrounding the induction cooktop is still looking good. To be clear, from the start I have never wanted to be precious about the benchtop. It is our family home where I want to feel relaxed to ‘live’ in.
As an alternative preparation space we specified Caesarstone Frosty Carrina in the Butler’s Pantry. I have happily sent the kids in here to do their baking, make slime and pour their juice and haven’t had to worry about them staining the benchtop. But to be honest, it doesn’t have the same feel. It’s functional and works well with the colour palette but isn’t marble!
Would I Choose Marble Again?
I am really honest when my clients ask my opinion of marble because it isn’t for everyone. If you are the type of person that will lose sleep over stains and imperfections on your benchtop then marble is not your friend.
Over the past four years I have seen many more ‘marble look’ products emerge that I have used in kitchen and bathroom schemes for clients that are a fantastic alternative. But for me personally the answer is yes! I love the story behind marble and the fact that each slab is so unique. Its coldness to touch and the variation in colours in the veining. This sounds weird I know but it really does bring me joy. I am a big believer in surrounding yourself in things that make you happy. To fully be comfortable with choosing marble I think you need to see the imperfections as beautiful and love it for what it is.
Cheers!
Belinda XO
I would love to hear your marble stories, good or bad, so please share.
Do you need help selecting a benchtop material for your renovation or build job? If yes, please get in touch [email protected].