From Greece to Rome, marble has a long history of use in luxurious buildings and settings, from pillars to statues. Nowadays the place you will most often find marble in the home is the kitchen where beautiful marble worktops provide both practical and aesthetic value to the room.
Marble is a type of rock, metamorphic for those who enjoy technicalities, composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals. This makes it solid (aka heavy!), durable, and heat resistant.
Real marble has a natural variability and irregularity that will make your worktop unique. Although white marble is the image of marble you probably have in your head, marble actually comes in various colors including red, green, and gold that fit well in any bespoke kitchen.
Marble can have softer veins that blend into the rest of the stone or strong veins that stand out from the rest of the stone. Veins are worth bearing in mind when positioning the marble to make sure that you have a sense of continuity. This is one of the reasons why larger pieces of marble tend to work better than many small pieces of marble put together.
There are two main types of finished marble available for worktops: polished marble and honed marble. Honed marble is rougher than polished marble, so it is much more forgiving when it comes to scratches. Polished marble, as the name suggests, is glossier and smoother, making scratches more evident. You can also now get an orange peel like texture to the surface of the marble from some companies.
One practical benefit of marble is that it is heat resistant. It will stay very cool even during the heatwaves we very occasionally experience in Britain. Despite its heat resistance, we would suggest always putting something below your pan.
Despite the fact that marble is heat-resistant, quartz is the more durable material as it is essentially scratch-proof. Granite is not as resistant as quartz but more so than marble. Marble is porous, allowing oils and water to seep into and it also scratches quite easily. The relative softness of marble means that etching can occur, where acids and water make marks that are barely visible, but can only be seen from a certain light. Etching is less visible on white marble than coloured marble.
However, there are ways around these practical difficulties. Excellent sealants will make the natural marble mostly impervious to stains even if you were to leave a greasy baking tray on the worktop for a few minutes. Of course, using butcher’s block cutting boards, especially when chopping acidic foods like lemons or limes (maybe for a Friday evening cocktail!), will help keep your marble countertops pristine. This is also something to be aware of if you enjoy a coffee in the mornings, unless you have invested in a coffee machine like the beautiful Sub Zero Wolf integrated coffee systems.
Alternatively, you can use marble in other ways in your kitchen. Marble could provide a lovely accent on doorknobs or tiles behind your sink. For a greater effect, a marble floor makes a stunning addition to a bespoke kitchen.
Marble is without a doubt a beautiful choice for your kitchen worktop, even in a contemporary kitchen. The only thing to bear in mind is ensuring you get the best finish to take care of your worktop and make your life in the kitchen as easy as possible!
Papilio bespoke kitchens can arrange a design consultation to choose the best marble worktop for your handmade kitchen. Book your bespoke design consultation today.
