Choosing Marble
Stuart and Amelia have added bespoke marble finishes to the kitchen and bathroom. “The marble we used for this project is Carrara,” says Stuart. “For Carrara worktops the usual grades to choose from are either grade C or CD. Grade C has the whiter background and CD is slightly greyer. We specified grade CD in this project as we wanted a more veined/ greyer finish to match the blue kitchen cupboard doors. The couple have book-matched their marble, which lends wow factor. “Where you want a worktop to go from a horizontal to vertical surface in a seemingly seamless transition you can specify the veins to be vein matched or book-matched — this means that the marble is cut carefully from the same slab and is put together on site so that the veins run through. “Edge profile, thickness and finish are also considerations. It’s important to decide what style you are after when choosing the thickness and edge profiles of the marble. There are many options available for edge profiles — all of which result in a different look to the finished product.” “Always check with the marble/stone supplier what their proposed care and maintenance regime is. It is important to have the marble sealed correctly (especially light marbles such as Carrara) during or prior to installation as they stain more readily than harder and darker less porous worktops such as granite. “Using the correct cleaning products is also important in ongoing maintenance — we use Lithofin MN Easy Clean. And acidic substances should be wiped off as soon as possible. Lemon is your nemesis. Know your enemy!”