The Greeks cherished it, the Romans adored it, and Michelangelo sculpted with it: marble is a cloth thought-about to be enduring and delightful, century after century, so how ought to or not it’s used within the kitchen?
Deep in Italy’s Apuan Alps lies an abundance of white gold, marble has been quarried right here for hundreds of years, and its nice white mud covers the mountainside after gigantic slices are frequently lower and shipped in large containers to all corners of the world.
Michelangelo carved the statue of David from this formidable materials in 1501, whereas the Parthenon Marbles nonetheless lay undiscovered within the Acropolis of Athens having been carved 2,500 years earlier. Marble is a unprecedented and historic materials that we should always deal with with reverence and respect, as a result of as Helen Parker, artistic director at deVOL, says: ‘A splash of softly rounded Carrara marble isn’t ever going to exit of vogue.’
How ought to we use marble in residence design to curate an imposing area? Is it helpful as a kitchen countertop, how can we take care of it, and what colours and different supplies work alongside marble? Learn on as we delve into the world of marble and speak to designers to search out out simply how we should always deal with this costly but beautiful stone.
Marble kitchen concepts
You do not have to stay to traditional white marble kitchen concepts – there may be quite a lot of colours to select from. Listed below are 12 contemporary concepts which is able to encourage you to work marble into your kitchen.
1. Think about if the traits of marble are proper in your kitchen
(Picture credit score: Ledbury Studio)
Marble has innate traits that guarantee this tactile pure stone is on high of the want listing in kitchen design. ‘Comfortable and funky to the contact with pure magnificence and a personality that makes it a bit of contentious for some to make use of in a kitchen. It provides an air of high quality and humble magnificence; it actually does make a daring assertion,’ says Helen Parker, artistic director at deVOL.
Siobhan Kelly, affiliate director at David Collins Studio agrees: ‘Marble is a timeless, luxurious pure materials that may deliver a way of event and drama to a kitchen. With each slab having its personal distinctive traits, and plenty of colours to select from, incorporating marble can be a way of expressing persona and crafting a design id.’
Marble is a porous stone which implies that it might stain over time, espresso, pink wine, scorching dishes, and pans may depart all marks, so in the event you selected to make use of it, explains Siobhan
Kelly, ‘Be ready to simply accept the virtually inevitable patina of use that can develop over time with this porous materials. For some, that is a part of the attraction, for others an undesirable property that carries common upkeep.’
Given the porosity of this pure materials, designers typically place marble in much less busy areas of the kitchen for instance, utilizing it as a kitchen backsplash or as a characteristic island with a waterfall edge. Making a visually impactful characteristic within the kitchen that includes marble with out concern of damaging the floor.
However, you may dream of getting marble as a centerpiece and you are ready to take care of the floor, Charlie Smallbone, the founding father of Ledbury Studio, explains the significance of caring for this treasured stone:
‘Marble is without doubt one of the softer pure stones, however it’s nonetheless a resilient materials that may final a lifetime. It requires care, equivalent to common sealing and resealing of the floor, and rapid cleansing of any spills, significantly these involving pink wine or something acidic. The floor will even develop marks from knocks and small scratches, however I see this because the floor growing a persona and patina that displays its lengthy life in your kitchen.’
2. Distinction marble with darkish cabinetry
(Picture credit score: Yellow London)
Marble is available in quite a lot of colours and tones making certain that this gorgeous materials can be utilized for a large number of design kinds. If you’re trying to create a classy, refined, modern kitchen, distinction darkish cabinetry in wealthy blues or darkish greens with a mushy Arabescato or Carrara marble.
Siobhan Kelly, affiliate director at David Collins Studio suggests selecting: ‘The sultry depth of darkish marble alongside wealthy darkish cabinetry to replicate an city class. Choosing contrasting assertion items, equivalent to a white marble desk or glass equipment, intensify these properties.’
3. Create a light-weight and ethereal aesthetic
(Picture credit score: British Commonplace by Plain English)
‘Whether or not utilized in a refined or daring method marble is an effective way of including additional element and texture to an area. Muted-toned marble is right for creating a light-weight and ethereal aesthetic particularly the place the room lacks pure gentle, the trendy end helps to stability textures elsewhere within the room for a modern and clear end,’ says, Will Eaves, worldwide design coordinator at British Commonplace.
4. Make a design assertion
(Picture credit score: Sarahliz Lawson Design)
There is no such thing as a denying it, marble is opulent, luxurious, and costly so once you selected to work with it, you’re instantly making a design assertion.
‘Marble is a treasured useful resource, and its value solely retains going up,’ says Irene Gunter, co-founder of Gunter & Co. So, in relation to deciding how a lot marble to make use of in your kitchen, the important thing query is much can your finances stretch?’
Firstly, think twice about how a lot you need, and the place to position the marble; whether or not you wish to create a grand design assertion, use marble round a moist space, or as a backsplash.
Sarahliz Lawson at Sarahliz Lawson Design explains: ‘We use a number of varieties of marble to create a way of stability all through. Together with a white marble on the perimeter counter tops and the counter-to-ceiling backsplash, whereas a extra dramatic marble is used on the waterfall island for a glance that’s extremely completed and customised.’
5. Prioritize concord and stability
(Picture credit score: Ledbury Studio)
The pure great thing about marble lends itself brilliantly to each fashionable and conventional kitchen designs. The mushy tones and colourful veins of marble match nicely with different pure finishes, together with timber and metals, serving to to drag collectively all the weather to create a harmonious timeless fashion.
Senior design lead at Magnet, Jen Nash, says, ‘Marble is distinct, a modern, and uniquely ornamental sample that by no means ceases to draw consideration. It may be both a robust assertion piece or used extra subtly in key focal locations. Marble can be nice for creating concord and restoring stability in kitchens, with the fabric’s twin coloration sample it’s typically used to tie colours used all through a kitchen collectively.’
6. Defend and ideal counters
(Picture credit score: Kligerman Structure & Design)
Marble will final a thousand years! The traditional Romans used it of their gardens – and for stately statues – and so they have actually stood the check of time, patina will merely make the marble extra stunning. Nonetheless, for a lot of, choosing a stone that doesn’t age is preferable. If that is you, think about using marble as an announcement piece.
Ross Padluck, companion at Kligerman Structure & Design: ‘I like to make use of marble within the kitchen for vertical surfaces, equivalent to backsplashes and partitions behind ranges. Marble is a softer, extra porous stone, so I like to make use of pure quartzites for counter tops as they’re much more durable and extra sturdy. If you’re utilizing marble as a countertop floor, count on it to patina with use. Acidic meals will stain and etch marble, particularly black stones.’
You possibly can in fact have marble as a counter materials, simply watch out of acids like lemon juice. Andi Morse at Morse Design suggests: ‘Defend counters from scorching pots and pans popping out of the oven. Marble cleans up nicely and is nice for baking, simply don’t put scorching gadgets on it.’
‘To make sure longevity, diligent upkeep equivalent to sealing and protecting measures like chopping boards and trivets are obligatory. Moreover, integrating marble into different components of the kitchen equivalent to customized hoods or the bottom of an island can create a cohesive and elevated look,’ provides Bridgette Caporaso of Sketch Design Studio.
7. Embrace the pure veining
(Picture credit score: deVOL)
The veining patterns in marble could be extremely delicate and refined, Carrara and Arabescato marble add a sure glamor to a kitchen. The floor is clean and tactile and the pure veining, paying homage to outdated Italian kitchens, has a wonderful method of growing older, and each slab is exclusive.
David Hood, director at Goddard Littlefair: ‘One of many distinctive options of marble is its distinctive veining, which lends a bespoke high quality to kitchen design. Relying in your desired aesthetic, you may select from traditional white for a timeless, refined look, which is one thing we selected, or go for dramatic black to create a daring and hanging area.’
The veining of this backsplash and kitchen island high on this Brownstone in Jersey Metropolis is wealthy and detailed, like a slice of nice stilton cheese, the pure gray tones within the clean creamy marble pull out the darkish notes of the lighting and brass particulars from the handles and faucets, making a mushy pleasing aesthetic.
8. Use marble in a moist space
(Picture credit score: Neptune)
Paired right here with North American white oak, this marble sink from Neptune embraces the marble aesthetic totally.
Simon Temprell, inside design supervisor at Neptune says: ‘Marble is a really hardwearing stone that’s completely sturdy for kitchen work surfaces and backsplash. It does require a bit of extra upkeep, nevertheless it has such a traditional, luxurious look that it elevates any fashion of cabinetry.
‘Nonetheless, it might stain, particularly in the event you don’t mop issues up shortly, however it’s splendidly cool, making it the right floor for rolling out pastry, and so on. Marble can be comparatively simple to chop so it’s doable to create fascinating edge particulars with out chipping.’
9. Create a cohesive coloration palette
(Picture credit score: Goddard Littlefair)
Start with the marble, choose the colour and veining that you just like greatest, and the remainder of the kitchen design can match across the marble, permitting it to change into the focus and offering readability for the remainder of the kitchen. This, explains David Hood, director at Goddard Littlefair, ensures the marble doesn’t overwhelm the area totally.
‘When designing a kitchen with marble, it’s important to create a cohesive palette that mixes the fabric with different components. Introducing completely different tones and textures via wooden, metallic, and glass accents can distinction with the stone, including depth and visible attraction.’
10. Co-ordinate colours
(Picture credit score: Gunter & Co.)
‘I desire utilizing coloured marble as a substitute of the standard white marble, which has change into a little bit of an overused aesthetic. Marbles with pure colours like grey, beige, or inexperienced have extra depth and curiosity. Some wonderful kitchens have been created utilizing daring coloration decisions like inexperienced onyx.
Nonetheless, it takes some critical braveness to drag it off.’ Smiles inside designer, Irene Gunter, co-founder at Gunter & Co. The marble chosen on this kitchen has a mushy inexperienced hue, which is elevated via the painted cabinetry. The brass particulars and wealthy inexperienced paint selection enhances the pure tones and veins discovered within the marble.
11. Combine marble with wooden for a pure really feel
(Picture credit score: Studio Zung)
In the event you dream of getting a pure, soothing kitchen atmosphere, that promotes nature and wellbeing, think about aligning your marble slabs with wooden for a mushy and cozy aesthetic. Supply a variety of marbles which have velvety browns and caramels within the veining and it’ll inherently join with the wooden. As Tommy Zung, Principal of Studio Zung says: ‘The kind of marble specification and end is essential because it units the temper of the complete kitchen.’
12. Plan for partitions of marble
(Picture credit score: Yvonne McFadden)
Marble is not only for counter tops and backsplashes, marble can be utilized on partitions, and flooring, via kitchen tiles, permitting a designer to introduce the fantastic thing about this pure stone with out having to make use of it in busy working areas equivalent to counter tops.
Right here, a marble-tiled wall provides a textured aspect to the kitchen, making certain a sublime and opulent addition to the general look.
FAQs
Must you select marble in your kitchen?
If in case you have the finances and the imaginative and prescient to make use of this stunning pure materials in your kitchen, then embrace marble. It ages gently via use, and the next patina must be celebrated as a beneficiant love affair together with your marble, your kitchen, your cooking, and your loved ones. Marble is a treasured useful resource, and it shouldn’t be thought-about in the event you plan to re-design your kitchen, it is a life-long relationship and one which you must enter with respect and pleasure.
Learn how to take care of marble within the kitchen
Though notoriously thought-about a demanding materials, you don’t want to be a slave to this historic stone. In the event you selected to make use of it in busy prep and work areas of the kitchen, be ready to fastidiously seal the floor as soon as it has been fitted and to frequently reseal through the years. A mushy stone, marble must be resealed yearly, or presumably extra relying on how a lot it’s used.
