Marble isn't hard to care for. It's impossible to care for as a kitchen countertop. If you want funk, get your marble and be happy, if not pick a different surface.

Yes, I would be afraid to have marble. If you are fine with patina (meaning etching and potentially stains), then I'm sure it would be great. I know I wouldn't be fine with that. So I'm planning to look at quartzite. If it's out of budget, I think engineered quartz is my next stop.

Granite for sure though it's not maintenance free. I did worse when I had my current home built in 97, installed black marble floors in the kitchen. Black marble floor looks absolutely amazing especially in light, however my wife never forgave me. It's really hard work keeping it stain free in a kitchen environment; what was I thinking.

Definitely granite countertops and white marble like traventine floors in our new home, currently in design stage.

I'm a mom of two young boys with a messy husband who loves red wine! We just installed honed danby about a month ago. We absolutely love it. It's magnificent- a show stopper. It's the first thing people ask about. That said, I'm in the babying stage right now. "Not on the marble!" is uttered 10x a day around here. It's sort of a running joke right now. My parents were visiting last week and I overheard my dad calling me the marble princess- ha!

Here's the thing. Marble is a mindset. It's like your marriage vows... in good times and bad, sickness and health. You get the picture! If you're doubting it for a second, find an alternative.

Our new kitchen table is the kids safe area where they can do art projects and make a mess. When they are "helping" me cook, we prep at the table.

I think babying it would get old after a while. Who wants to spend all their time worrying about it when there are other, easier choices? If it was just me, then OK I think I would be able to keep it pretty nice. Possibly my husband too, but that is questionable. But with kids? I don't think so. Absolutely, marble is gorgeous. But, I know that first red wine stain would make me nuts.

I have had white marble counters for a little over two years now. I mostly love them. Here's the lowdown:

Staining--it is a myth. If you seal your counters and reseal them every couple of years, your counters will not ordinarily stain. I have wiped up red wine hours later and coffee days later when it gets under the espresso maker. That said, something with a dye still scares me--when I made red velvet cake a few weeks ago, I put a couple of dish towels on the counter to prevent spills. There are also poultices that remove stains. So staining is not something you really need to worry about.

Etching--marble etches. Period. I have etching, not a crazy amount, but etching nonetheless. I try to be careful with the obvious culprits like lemons, limes and vinegar. When squeezing lemons, I do it over a cutting board or over the sink. Things like bottles of capers, vinegar--I try not to put them on the counter and put them on a cutting board instead. Etching shows less on honed marble, but in the right light, you can see it. I may have my counters rehoned in another couple of years if I get too much more etching. Right now it doesn't really bother me.

Chipping and pitting and white shock spots--this does bother me a bit. How much this happens may depend on the type of marble you have. Mine are calacatta. I originally wanted Danby but could not find a slab I liked enough and then fell in love with a calacatta slab without realizing that the calacatta is softer. I have a few chips at the edges. The real danger spots are over the dishwasher because it is easy for people to bang the edge when loading (have remedied with a cutting board that always sits there pulled forward) and the sink edges. I am super careful when putting pots and pans into the sink, especially cast iron (moving the faucet out of the way helps). I don't know how much the pits and shock spots can be fixed.

It is what it is. There is a depth to marble and beauty that is impossible to replicate with other material. The closest thing is probably quartzite. I wanted to use it but I thought it was too busy with my walnut cabinets. So I took the plunge and am happy I did so, about 95% of the time.

I have had white marble counters for a little over two years now. I mostly love them. Here's the lowdown:

Staining--it is a myth. If you seal your counters and reseal them every couple of years, your counters will not ordinarily stain. I have wiped up red wine hours later and coffee days later when it gets under the espresso maker. That said, something with a dye still scares me--when I made red velvet cake a few weeks ago, I put a couple of dish towels on the counter to prevent spills. There are also poultices that remove stains. So staining is not something you really need to worry about.

Etching--marble etches. Period. I have etching, not a crazy amount, but etching nonetheless. I try to be careful with the obvious culprits like lemons, limes and vinegar. When squeezing lemons, I do it over a cutting board or over the sink. Things like bottles of capers, vinegar--I try not to put them on the counter and put them on a cutting board instead. Etching shows less on honed marble, but in the right light, you can see it. I may have my counters rehoned in another couple of years if I get too much more etching. Right now it doesn't really bother me.

Chipping and pitting and white shock spots--this does bother me a bit. How much this happens may depend on the type of marble you have. Mine are calacatta. I originally wanted Danby but could not find a slab I liked enough and then fell in love with a calacatta slab without realizing that the calacatta is softer. I have a few chips at the edges. The real danger spots are over the dishwasher because it is easy for people to bang the edge when loading (have remedied with a cutting board that always sits there pulled forward) and the sink edges. I am super careful when putting pots and pans into the sink, especially cast iron (moving the faucet out of the way helps). I don't know how much the pits and shock spots can be fixed.

It is what it is. There is a depth to marble and beauty that is impossible to replicate with other material. The closest thing is probably quartzite. I wanted to use it but I thought it was too busy with my walnut cabinets. So I took the plunge and am happy I did so, about 95% of the time.

I have honed carrara in my bathroom, and it is a much more controlled environment than a kitchen. I am careful about what I set on the counter. Yesterday i discovered new etches that baffle me, no idea where they came from or what substance caused them. So, there's just no stopping etches.

Still, I love it. You only see etches in certain light. It's actually easier not to see them. My kitchen quartz takes a licking, but it doesn't have the look and feel of marble.

My heart wants marble countertops, yet my head knows it isn't a good idea. But, I still am drawn to the marble every time I see it.

And, I know better, I've had some personal experience with marble in a bathroom. Even water sitting on it for too long would caused it to etch. One time, a bottle of very mild, cleaning product was sat on the counter for just a second, afterwards there was a perfect etch of the bottom of the bottle right in the middle of the counter. It didn't even seem like there was any of the product on the bottle when I removed it. I never had any issues with stains, but it was a bathroom,so no red wine in there.

I know that marble countertops have been used in kitchens for centuries in Europe. They look beautiful and I have never noticed the etching or stains when I've been in kitchens with them. So perhaps they eventually fade or perhaps only the owner ever really knows they are there?

I know I don't want perfect, I love when things age and patina, but I also know there could certainly be some etching marks that I wouldn't be very happy living with either. All it takes is one person who doesn't understand marble and you are living with a ring in the middle of your countertop.

There are some very beautiful granites and quartzite on the market and for me at least they give a similar feel to the marble. I think I will be going with one of them instead. I may use a marble backsplash though.

We have been in our new house with honed Carrara in the kitchen and polished in the master bath for 3.5 years now. Totally agree that staining is a myth...I had a spot of tomato sauce that stayed on my counter overnight (!!!) due to a slack "helper." When I wiped it up...no stain! I was so happy & surprised! Yes, it etches...mine are light, and they seem to blend in after a bit. Do you have any friends with marble counters? Look at theirs, especially around the sink (that's where I have most of my etches.) You might have to turn a light on or turn you head to a different angle to see, but I imagine you will see a couple. I
can't get mine to show up in photos or I would take a pic. Oh, and I use a marble cleaner...they are impeccably clean, not sure what "funk" a pp is talking about. Bottomline, you have to decide if a little more care is worth the look. I am a form over function gal, so it was a no-brainer for me. NOTHING I saw was as lovely as marble.