When we began the remodel of our 1989 kitchen, the very first thing we decided to do was choose a stone for our countertops and backsplash. The kitchen in our previous home had a pretty white quartz countertop, which we enjoyed. It wasn’t the most eye-catching, but it looked clean and simple and got the job done. When it came time to choose something for our new kitchen, I knew I wanted something with more of a “wow” factor.
My dream has always been to have gleaming marble countertops. Marble is one of the most beautiful naturally occurring stones, and it’s been used for centuries in the most stunning places. I knew going into this project that if I chose marble, it wouldn’t look perfect or pristine as years pass. It would etch, scratch, and possibly have a few stains over time. I weighed those inevitable realities and still went with marble. I love the look of a well-loved kitchen…it means memories have been made there.
I’d been to several special events at Aria Stone Gallery over the years and loved their philosophy of stone being art. They display slabs like a a sophisticated art museum; you can see each stone in all its glory with each vein, color, and texture popping beautifully. I knew I wanted to choose from their collection, especially since I knew they sourced their stones from quarries all over the world and felt confident whatever we chose would be an art piece on display in our kitchen and not just a countertop or backsplash.
Since we were remodeling mid-pandemic, I did visit the showroom when it was open but made my final selections online. We chose a stunning white and grey Bianco Gioia Extra marble because it’s timeless and classic, but still has visual interest! It’s quarried in Carrara, Italy, and the intricate veining made me giddy. While working with the team at Aria, we decided to carry the slabs all the way up the wall and use the same stone as our backsplash for a dramatic effect. Aria also discussed our options with finishes (honed or polished; we chose polished,) and edge styles (we chose a square polish edge). Aria designed a template to show us how the slabs could be arranged in our kitchen, which determined we needed three slabs to cover 173 sq. ft.
We also decided to give our family room wet bar a marble makeover with the marble so it matched. Aria was also kind enough to talk through sink options with me! I hadn’t considered a custom marble sink; I figured I would order a porcelain sink and call it a day. BUT-once I saw the beauty that is a custom marble sink, my jaw dropped! They are stunning. The are common in the EU, and I just couldn’t get over how seamless they look with the countertops. Aria helped me make design choices for our custom sink and now I can’t imagine *not* having a marble sink!
Here are a few takeaways from my time selecting stone with Aria if you’re thinking of getting marble in your kitchen or bathroom:
- See, touch, and feel the stone in person if you can. If you can’t, go online to places like Aria’s website or Pinterest to see amazing examples of the stones you’re dreaming of in real settings.
- Pick the best finish for you. Honed finish shows less etching/scratching, polished finish resists staining and brings out the natural colors more. Neither one will affect the stone’s durability.
- Edge thickness is a preference. We came very close to mitering the edges of our countertops to make them appear thicker, but ultimately chose a thinner, clean modern edge. We learned edge thickness can be a trend thing; sometimes thick is in, sometimes thin is in. We have lots of heavy wood and traditional elements in the kitchen, so we went with a lighter, streamlined and simple look to our countertops to add a modern touch.
- Have your marble sealed! I fully admit we did not do this the same day as our install and I do regret it. We didn’t seal ours until at least two weeks later, and some etching had already taken place by then. You can have your fabricator do it or you can seal it yourself with products you find online (which is what we did).
- Invest in cutting boards and coasters to cut down on the wear and tear on your marble.
- Save the leftovers! I wish we had done this…we had family in town and a full blown circus going on the day our marble was installed, so I did’t think about this until it was too late. If there is marble left over once it’s cut, ask to keep the pieces and have beautiful cutting boards or coasters made from them. (One of my friends even had a marble tabletop made out of hers for a side table!)
- Get a recommendation when it comes to your fabricator. Aria gave me a great recommendation; Cowboy Countertops did beautiful work. They came back out to check up on a few things and even gave me some great advice on caring for my marble sink. You definitely want someone skilled cutting your stone!
We love how the kitchen turned out with our beautiful marble…we wouldn’t change a thing! Cheers to many years of eating, drinking, and celebrating on gorgeous, natural stone.
Photography: S. Jackson & Carli Wentworth Photgraphy
Kitchen Design by Interiors By McCall
8
Leave a Reply