I read an article in the Wall Street Journal the other weekend that proclaimed the end of the reign of carrara marble kitchen counters. It was a well written article but after I finished reading it, it didn’t convince me.
White Carrara Kitchen Countertops, 1988-2012, RIP
The argument was that other materials, such as stainless steel (“dulls and scratches, in a pretty way”), zinc, cement and soapstone (hello, who wants to oil their countertop every day?) were newer, better options than the infamous carrara.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Countertop
Soapstone Kitchen Counter, Sink and Backsplash
I remember reading an article in House Beautiful about a fabulous kitchen. The owner had installed soapstone countertops and within a year had them ripped out and replaced because of the maintenance. It may be unfair, but I’ve never had the courage to recommend them to a client after that, despite how amazing they look. Your counters are a huge investment!
This is the kitchen. I can’t recall for certain, but I believe the homeowners installed black granite after they took out the soapstone. If anyone has soapstone and loves it, let me know! I’d love to get over my fear.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that carrara comes with some major drawbacks and mothers will small children (or messy partners) are smart to be cautious about installing this material.
However, nothing beats real marble for a classic kitchen. All you have to do is troll through the kitchen photos in the major magazines and sites like Pinterest to see which kitchen looks rate the highest.
Here are just a few photos of kitchens, all from Pinterest, which have been trending recently:
Do you see a theme? I sure do. What do you think, is it the end for the classic marble kitchen countertop? I’d love to know what your opinion is!
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June 1, 2012 at 8:04 am
Sheila hallmark
Definitely not the end! I love Carrara marble! Whenever we redo our kitchen I want it for an island. I also don’t mind the stains. We have a hutch my husband’s Mother bought in Europe in the 50’s. It has a Carrara marble top. A coffee cup stain on one end, and a break down the middle where my husband stood as a teenager to change a lightbulb! When my father in law downsized he gifted us the hutch. We had the marble top fixed. My husband’s mother died when he was 13, so having a piece of furniture she bought with her coffee cup stain is a treasure to me.
June 1, 2012 at 8:34 am
Ann Richburg
Classics are classic for a reason. Carrara still gets my vote!