Ever since its resurgence at the 2014 Salone del Mobile in Milan and the London Design Festival, marble is showing up everywhere and in everything from kitchen and bathroom backsplashes, countertops, and floors to furniture, lamp bases, and accessories. It isn’t only white marbles either, think black, blue, golden and champagne. We’ve seen a number of design trends come and go, but marble seems to be one that remains a constant and isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. So, if you’re wondering what makes this natural stone such a coveted classic across a wide variety of styles, read on to find out!
Marble is hard, crystalline limestone or dolomite, formed under extreme pressure or heat within the earth. It can take a high polish, and is widely used in sculpture and building. Often referred to as the Rolls Royce of stones, marble has a long and splendid history that has contributed to its popularity and status as a premium material. Marble’s use in architecture, art, and design can be traced back many thousands of years to early civilization. Ancient buildings and monuments like The Parthenon in Athen, Rome’s Pantheon, the Taj Mahal in India, and Michaelangelo’s masterpiece, “David” were all made of marble and today act as a testament to the natural stone’s durability and incomparable beauty.
The uniqueness of the natural stone from its highly polished smooth face to its color and structure variations largely add to its appeal. The colors are due to impurities, such as iron or carbon, caught in the stone’s structure during its formation, often giving it that striped effect. It is marble’s veins and pores though that make each piece so beautiful and unique.
In addition to marble’s unique beauty and lasting-strength, it offers versatility.
Pristine, Italian white marbles like Calacutta and Carerra with their mesmerizing grey veining can instantly brighten and freshen a modern, minimal space.
Black Marquina, moody and dark with lightning bolts of stark ivory that offer a bold and dramatic statement in luxurious interiors.
For somewhere in between, there’s also the dark and light brown Emperador marble with its rich, white and beige veining, which can add warmth to a space, especially when combined with other natural materials like wood or copper.
With so many options and possibilities for mix-and-match styling, it’s no surprise we’ve all gone mad for marble! Check out our slideshow above as well as our favorite picks below to get inspired and see how to incorporate the elegant and timeless marble design trend into your interiors!
What do you think? Will the marble design trend trail off or is it pretty much set in stone? Sound off in the comments!