Marble – The Ongoing Home Trend

Regardless of what’s in or out in the interiors world, there’s no doubt that marble has grown in popularity over the past few years and it looks set to stay for a few more yet. Today I thought we’d take a closer look at this marvellous natural material for our homes.

 

Marble – The Ongoing Home Trend

 

Favoured since the Roman times’ marble was, and has been, a statement of wealth. Now accessible to all, it’s grown in popularity in the interiors world mainly in the form of furniture pieces and accessories.  It’s crisp clean natural looks and exquisite pattern formations provide visual interest to our homes so it’s no surprise that it continues to be a popular choice.

MARBLE – THE LOWDOWN

A luxurious, and let’s face it, a rather expensive material, you and I are realistically unlikely to don our bathrooms, kitchens or hallways from floor to ceiling in it, but there are a number of ways to introduce this marvellous natural material into our homes. But first a little about marble and what you should consider before choosing it.

 

Considerations

• Marble is extremely durable material that withstands a lot of weight. The Romans actually used marble in Ephesus, Turkey to create a grand marble street which is still visible today.
• Longevity – ages well – just look at the amount of architecture and statues that have been around for 100’s of years!
• Eco-friendly option – no nasties involved as it’s a completely natural material.
• Hard-wearing
• If you’re considering using it say for countertops, ensure the structure of your units can take the weight of it as it’s incredibly heavy. The same goes for walls and floors.
• It’s a high maintenance material and will need ongoing care.
• Easily stains and watermarks. Marble is a porous stone and therefore susceptible to staining. The best advice is to ensure your marble is sealed and wipe clean surfaces straightaway.

 

There are two finishes to consider when choosing marble

• The Honed Finish – More porous and susceptible to staining, sealing is essential in maintaining the marbles look.
• Polished Finish kind of speaks for itself as it is polished to create a shiny finish. This is easier to care for in terms of stains, but more prone to scratches.

 

Texture

Visually marble can appear rather cold, so you might want to consider using accents of it in your homes rather than in large quantities.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to use it in larger amounts, consider adding touches of metallics (which will add some warmth), as well as some mirrored elements to add to the air of luxury and opulence that marble exudes. Using two different types of marble like this rather elegant bathroom above will create more visual interest to the space.

 

To create a warmer vibe, combine marble with contrasting textures such as natural woods, and/or woven materials.

 

Consider adding patterned elements like above. Here a regular geometric repeat pattern contrasts against the natural irregularity of marble.

 

Work It With Other Trends

There’s no doubt about it marble works beautifully alongside the metallic and blush pink trends that have been in play. They were quite simply made for each other and as long as one trend continues, you can bet the other two will too!

 

 

Affordable Marble finds

With Carrara marble costing around £300 per sq m, I’ve put together some current marvellous marble finds that are a bit more palatable on your purses.

Kitchen Accessories

This modern serving board uses the cool white marble to contrast beautifully with warm wood. What’s also great is that this is an ethical and eco-friendly choice as it is fair trade and the mango wood is sourced from discarded fruit trees. Price £26.95.

Lighting

Pink Table Lamp with Marble Base – Oliverbonas

I love the juxtaposition of the smoothness of two-tone marble, the high shine of metallic copper, together with the matt finish of the soft pink metal shade. Price £68

 

Shelving

Furniture

Aravali Side Table, Brass & Green Marble available – Swooneditions

The Aravali side table is designed by up-and-coming designer Tom Goodbun. His passion for creating simple, clean and evocative furniture led to this Aravali’s minimalistic form two-tone marble tabletop. Price £179

 

Faking It With Marble

As a busy mum, I struggle with the practicalities of this beautiful natural stone, but there is a way around this and that is to fake it.

 

Wallpaper

Want to create a unique feature wall then this fabulous wallpaper designed by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek creates a Tromp L’oeil effect – appearing as three-dimensional images but on a flat surface.  Available in two styles; Black Metallic Marble (PHM-70) and Black Metallic Marble Mirrored (PHM-71).  Price £350 per roll.

 

Wallsauce has an array of marble wall-murals to choose from to really add impact and create a powerful statement in your homes.

 

Marble Material

Handmade with a Carrara marble effect canvas fabric and with a choice of brushed copper, silver and gold metallic linings. Price – £60

Marble effect printed cushion from M&S Price £19.50

 

Art

Beautiful Abstract Art Print in pink and grey tones

Handmade modern, edgy print to add a bit of class to your walls and a bargain! £5.50 unframed plus p&p.

 

Ceramics

Display your favourite flowers in this season’s must-have marbled vase. Price £32 on sale at the time of writing.

 

 

For me, I’m someone who prefers warmer tactile materials in my home,  but I can’t help but admire marble and it’s cool serenity within a space and the qualities that it can bring. Are you a marble lover? It’d be great to hear from you!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

Maria x