Same thing.

LOL! That IS exactly it, isn't it, Treb? Form over function.

Not nearly as sexy, but I'll bet a heck of a lot more comfortable and easy to walk down the street!

People who love marble love it despite your perception of it's intrinsic nature as a "fault". The etches, chips, and signs of wear are signs of it being used by your family, and you either love that. Or, you don't.

^^^^^ ugh. that looks horrid.

marble is beautiful. great for pastry. and if you can handle a patina, then it's for you. it's NOT just about looks. I believe it's been used for centuries.

marble is not the red plastic stripper shoe of the countertop world.

It's not that bad. Some marbles are fairly stain resistant. They do etch. They do get dinged. If that's part of the look you want, marble is a gorgeous counter. But expect it to look used and worn and homey and lived in instead of crisp and perfect and shiny.

If you want something that doesn't acquire a patina without babying, check out some of the manmade quartz counters--some give off a pretty good calacata vibe while being a lot tougher.

I've had marble in a kitchen and I might again (after all, I do have a big chunk leftover!).

Ok haha, that's all cute and funny truly, but I hope I get some real answers because I have to choose soon. For someone who has never had to do this before, it's important. I admit, I'm not much of a cook, never have been and probably never will be. I'm a cleaner. I just love a clean house. At my age, it probably won't change lol. So, I'm not one who will get a countertop because it's great for baking and rolling out dough, lol. Yes, I am one that wants it to look nice, go with the rest of the kitchen and have durability. Nothing wrong with that, I am who I am! Hey, at least I'm honest lol :)

Some people like patina, others loathe it. Marble will likely eventually get scratched, dinged, and stained. I probably won't be terrible, but it certainly won't look like it did on the day it was installed. I recommend that you bring home some samples and put them through what you think may happen in your kitchen -- bang them with pots, scratch them with keys, let puddles of oil, wine, juice, and tomato sit on them. See what happens. If it doesn't bother you, then hooray! Enjoy your marble! If it does bother you, then consider some of the other light-colored counter choices out there. FYI -- i think most of those gorgeous kitchens we see on Pinterest and Houzz are never actually used for meal preparation. I think that they are mostly trophy kitchens set up for people who don't cook!

For my own remodel, I am putting in brown fantasy marble -- it held up well to my own testing. It has a mostly white background with grey, brown, and some green in it. Definitely "warmer" than carrara.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of Brown Fantasy

My white macaubus quartzite has a white base with grey/blue and tan/rust coloration (in lines/stripes). The cross-cut of this stone (I think called Calcutta Quartzite) has the same coloration but a more swirly pattern. It's a natural stone, like granite, you treat it the same way.

Might be a good alternative to marble if you're looking for that type of colration, but are worried about upkeep.

If you seach "white macaubus quartzite" on Houzz you'll see some examples. There's one kitchen that has a milkglass backsplash that has a blue hue to it.

Here's a close-up showing the coloration of my counter.

Have you seen the Cambria Praa Sands? I just chose it for a new build. It is definitely "busier" than marble but the color that looks gray is actually a blue gray and looks beautiful with the blue walls in my current house. You can order a sample from Cambria for $15.00.

Good luck with your decision!

Here is a link that might be useful: Praa Sands

I think the shoe and clothing analogies are clever and at least somewhat apt. Of course they aren't perfect, but I like them. :)

I don't have marble, but I have read a lot of threads about it here. I think it depends on how much you are willing to baby your countertops and how willing you are to accept patina/damage. We are planning on soapstone, but when I was considering a white/light countertop I had tentatively settled on one of the marble look engineered quartz options. A lot of the same look with fewer of the issues from my perspective.

I think another option that gives some of the same look you seem to be interested in would be to use the marble on the backsplash and get a stainless steel countertop.

And here is a shot of the counter installed. We've had it for a few months now and it is easy to maintain. You seal it just like granite. I did seal it an extra time after the install just to be sure. I use a grocery store brand of granite cleaner/polish. It's been great because, even though I love seeing other people's marble, I didn't think I could handle it in my own house.

Thanks for posting your question. It made me clean all the junk off my island to get this shot for you, so thanks! By the way, I just found some old dried up something on the counter that I think was a glob of very dark brown marinade from a few days ago. It wiped up with a tiny dap of water on a papertowel, no stain.

If you don't like the long striations of color try to see an example of the cross-cut of this which I think is called Calacutta, or Calcutta, Quartzite. Someone recently posted pictures of their slab and it was really beautiful. I can't remember who posted that, so if someone else remembers, please post it.

I have had marble on my island for 2 years. White statuary marble. Not a single stain - no problems with that. It has a zillion etches. It has a zillion scratches. I can see them in the sunlight when I look kind of sideways. Looking head on it's beautiful. Even with etches and scratches, the marble is my favorite thing in my house. I adore it. I do cook a lot. I love it for rolling doughs. I'm going to try fudge on it next. Having said that, you say you don't cook and are picky about things being clean and lasting (which I am too - about everything else in the house) - my impression is that marble may not be fore you. I posted this picture somewhere else to try to show etching. If you look at the bottom center of the picture, you'll see an "smile" shaped etch. From a glass pitcher with a spout that sat on the edge of the counter. Hopefully you can see what an etch is and if you can live with that or not.

When we were considering counters, I found that I am fine with etches but have no tolerance for stains. So, we are using soapstone. Linking a blog piece about marble for you --

Here is a link that might be useful: About marble kitchen counters

Chloenkitty,

To me, you don't sound like the right personality match for marble. Most of us here on GW who have marble like the worn look it gets from all the bumps and bruises, dings and etches. You described yourself as a "cleaner" more than a cook, which makes me think you would be much happier with a material that continues to look the way it looked the day it was installed.

There are several threads with suggestions of countertop material for people who love the look of marble but don't want the etching.

Good luck and have fun!

I'm a cleaner and a cook and I love my Carrara marble. All types of marble can be different based on the lot the yard has. Carrara doesn't always look cold. I haven't had issues with staying our etching really. I wipe up spills as soon as they happen, although I have found a rare sauce splotch that I missed, but when I wiped it there's never any damage.

The OP said there was going to be a blue glass backsplash. Here is a kitchen from Houzz has a milkglass backsplash, and it looks blue. The info says it's a white princess quartzite, but I don't know what that is. It's always possible that is actually marble.

Have you purchased you backsplash materials already? If not it might be easier to find your countertop material first.

Here is a link that might be useful: Houzz remodel with milkglass backsplash

"marble is not the red plastic stripper shoe of the countertop world."

If you want a comfortable shoe for miles of walking, the CFM pumps aren't for you. If you want to feel like your calves and a$$ look great, they're just the ticket.

If you want a top that doesn't etch or stain and never need sealing, the estone manufacturers have the stuff with veining that looks a heck of a lot like marble. If you want to feel "natural" it's not for you.

People do many things for looks and feelings, subjugating practicality. Footwear and marble are no different in this respect.

This post was edited by Trebruchet on Thu, May 22, 14 at 18:45

If you are the type to "have a little work done" instead of embracing your smile lines, you are not a marble person. If you thought thAt Katharine Hepburn looked great right up to the day she died, wrinkles and all, then you might be a marble person.

Katharine Hepburn in high heels.

Why don't you just use granite and not stress over it?

I am loving your replies, thank you. Strayer, that is the exact backsplash I have and it is indeed quartzite countertop. Absolutely no one near my home sells quartzite, so I'm going to have to drive over 2 hours to see quartzite. Stonetech, I'd be happy to get granite, if I could find something that has a generous amount of white in it and is not too bust. It's hard not to find a busy granite. Other posted about etching and staining and liking that look and the patina with age. I hate to say it, but I have the cleaning bug pretty bad, always have. It's in my blood. My mom has it, my brother, my aunts, cousins. We are neat freaks. I love a shiny clean countertop! I get nervous over a cluttered countertop or refrigerator loaded with magnets and paper lol. What can I say, a bit clean freak OCD I guess. So I do love the look of a shiny clean, crisp countertop :) I can't help it!

Chloenkitty,

So it sounds like you want to hunt for a quartzite or a light granite (maybe river white which is not too speckly, has nice movement).

Since you have to drive a long way, which is what I had to do, you need to call all the stoneyards in the area where you're going, and ask them if they have Madre Perola/Mother of Pearl/Madre di Perla, Dolce Vita/Austral Dream, Taj Mahal, White Macaubus, or River White Granite. Then ask the sales person there to take pictures of the slabs and text or email them to you.

Then plan out where you are going to go, make a driving plan, visit them all (bring your backsplash material and camera with you), hit them all in a few hours, putting slabs on hold as you go if you think you might want them. You can always cancel the 7-day hold later or let it expire.

I had to drive a long way, visit about 4 stoneyards each time, and it took me 2 trips to find my slabs. With taking time off work and babysitting, it was really important to call ahead and get the salespeople to send pics, so that I didn't waste the trips.

Don't rule out a polished slab. If you like clean, shiny and crisp, you might enjoy polished rather then leathered.

"I hate to say it, but I have the cleaning bug pretty bad, always have. It's in my blood. My mom has it, my brother, my aunts, cousins. We are neat freaks."

cloenkitty:

No marble for you. You'd better think solid surface. Stainless steel may be as sanitary, but only comes in one color. They don't line the walls of surgical rooms in hospitals with granite. Engineered stone is technically a solid surface.