How to incorporate marble into your kitchen

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Marble is a luxurious material that’s been used in British homes for years for its beautiful style and elegance. Today, it’s most commonly used as flooring and countertops in bathrooms and kitchens. There are lots of different ways you can bring marble elements into your home, especially your kitchen, so we’ll take you through some of the ways in which you can bring marble glamour into your space.

We’ll talk about what marble is, some of the history behind how marble was originally used in kitchens and how it’s more commonly used today, as well as looking at the different ways you can incorporate marble into your kitchen. Let’s jump right in!

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What is marble?

Marble is a rock created by fusing minerals like limestone and dolomite. Completely white marble is made from pure limestone, while marble with veins and colours running through it is made from limestone with layers of impurities, like clay, sand, and iron. Marble is highly favoured for its polished shine and glimmer, which explains its name - marble comes from the ancient Greek word “marmaros” which means "shining stone."

Marble is normally a material people associate with statues and stately homes built during the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras. Because it was such a sought-after material at the time, many grand old British homes have a touch of marble somewhere inside, like marble columns in the foyer or a marble bust in the library. But one of the most common places to find marble today is in the kitchen.

Classic marble kitchen design

In the past, it was likely you’d only find marble in museums, government buildings and mansions because the process of having marble quarried and shipped over to the UK from places like Italy and Greece was too expensive. In rich private homes, you could find marble floors including in the kitchen, and marble details dotted around.

However, as technology has advanced, the manufacturing of marble has become much cheaper, so marble became more readily available and modern kitchens began to incorporate it in lots of different ways.

Modern marble kitchen design

Contemporary kitchens have adopted marble in a much bigger way – we have wet stone cutting techniques that perfectly craft marble countertops, sinks, and backsplashes quickly and economically. Today, you can find marble in kitchen accessories, kitchen sinks and countertops, not to mention all the different types of marble used for kitchen flooring too. Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can bring the effect of marble into your own kitchen.

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Ways to use marble in your kitchen

Whether your style is minimalist, maximalist, or somewhere in between, there’s always room for a touch of marble in your kitchen. There are so many ways you can bring marble into your space, but here are our top three: flooring, counters, and décor.

Marble kitchen flooring ideas

Marble floors are a classic look in any kitchen, whether you opt for pure white marble, veined marble, or even opt for the chequerboard black and white look. And you don’t even need to invest your life savings in solid marble flooring to get the look! Marble vinyl flooring can pull off the same effect, as can marble LVT, thanks to its clever design layers.

Marble vinyl and marble LVT are budget friendly too and come with some amazing benefits to boot. Solid marble is porous – can let water through– and it’s also not great with high temperatures, or stains! So, liquids like red wine, fruit juices and oil can leave a lasting mark on marble. You have to be careful how you clean marble too, as it doesn’t react well with acidity.

This is where an LVT or vinyl alternative really shines. Their protective top layer on these floors can help to protect from stains and many of our options are water-resistant too. They’re created to be strong and as sturdy as solid marble. You can find out more about the benefits of both in our vinyl buying guide and our LVT buying guide.

Marble kitchen counter ideas

As well as looking great on floors, marble can be sleek and shining on your countertops too. Marble countertops have always been in fashion, but they’ve seen a big resurgence in recent years, and its little surprise why. Marble countertops are elegant, and if you buy a butcher’s block or chopping board to cut on, instead of directly onto the kitchen surface, as marble is so hardwearing, the countertop could last for a lifetime.

Marble sinks are also popular, with the preferred look being a continuous sheet of marble countertop that flows into the sink and back out again, making the sink blend in seamlessly. This can give your kitchen a sleek, modern look, and is favoured by celebrities and home renovators.

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MARBLE KITCHEN DÉCOR IDEAS

If a complete renovation is not on the cards, then you can find plenty of ways to bring marble into your kitchen with marble décor. From marble busts that double up as plant pots, to marble bookends to keep your favourite cookbooks looking neat and ordered, there are lots of ways you introduce this material. Marble cupboard handles and drawer knobs are another subtle hint at the luxury and elegance that marble brings to a kitchen, as well as small touches like utensil pots, spoon rests, and coasters for your countertops.

MARBLE KITCHEN INSPIRATION

If you’re interested in finding more marvellous marble inspiration, check out our style section in the Ideas Hub, including articles on creating a cosy kitchen nook, marble bathroom decor, and Victorian kitchen design tips, or take a look at some of our real-life Tapi customers’ homes on our Flooring Ideas page. If you think that marble LVT or vinyl could be right up your street, then we’d love for you to get in touch, or you can click the links below to book a home visit for one of our expert floorologists to come to visit you, or you can come down to your local Tapi store for a store visit to check out all our samples.

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Published: 22-12-2022