Houston-Marble-Flooring.png

Buyers Guide to Marble Stone in Houston

Looking for Houston marble options to help you remodel a kitchen or bathroom? We don’t blame you; marble is a beautiful addition to many rooms and motifs.

The best way to ensure that you get exceptional stone quality and your renovation goes smoothly is to get the details right. Accordingly, here is a stone buying guide. We’ll talk about the different uses to which you can put marble, take a quick look at various colors you might choose, and talk tips and tricks for choosing slabs and matching pieces.

When you’re done, you’ll be all set to select the best marble for you.

Marble for Countertops

Marble is a common stone for many places in the home. Among the most common uses for marble are

  • bathroom countertops
  • showers and bathtubs
  • fireplaces and hearths
  • bars in dining rooms or basements
  • office surfaces
  • other relatively low-use areas
  • kitchen islands, countertops and sink surrounds

In kitchens, where many people want to use them, they may be a little trickier to take care of, but the myth that they shouldn’t be used in kitchens simply isn’t true.

A common myth holds that you can’t use marble in kitchen because it will stain. Because it is very porous (like many types of stone) marble will easily absorb liquid that can discolor it. Often when this happens you can’t get the stains back out. However, if you seal it regularly, that won’t happen. Because it looks beautiful and resists heat well, it is often a good choice for kitchens, providing you care for it.

Marble for Flooring

Houston Marble is also excellent for flooring. It looks gorgeous, is easy to sweep, vacuum and mop, and takes on a beautiful shine.

You have to be careful with marble flooring, however. It requires sealant to prevent staining, which makes the surface very slick. Unlike slate or brick or other types of flooring, it can get extremely slippery, especially when it’s wet. Marble might not be the best choice for a high-traffic area that is frequently wet or muddy, especially if you’re running a business. However, as long as you keep it to areas that won’t experience a lot of moisture, or cover walkways in carpet, marble makes for a very elegant statement.

White-Marble-Slab.png

Marble Slab Color Guide

The truth about “Houston marble” is that it actually comes from all over the world! These different species of marble have many different characteristics, ranging from different hues to various veining patterns. What colors you choose to use depends largely on the theme you have in mind.

Most commonly, light colored marbles are used in commercial and residential renovation projects; but there are also a long list of colors that can help you make your project stand out. These colors come from impurities while the marble is being formed.

Among the huge variety of soft marble hues are

Then there are the medium shades, which often have vibrant hues. Consider

  • Rusty reds
  • Bright jade greens
  • Brilliant blues
  • Stunning oranges.

On the dark end of the spectrum, you’ll find deep browns and blacks, often with flecks of color in them, as well as dark greens and blues.

Matching Marble Colors to Your Theme

When choosing a color, it helps to keep the rest of your scheme in mind. If you want to make sure that your marble will complement your home décor, your paint, your possessions and your lifestyle, think through the following questions before ordering your slabs:

  • What color will the walls be?
  • How about the floor?
  • Will you be using the same towels, dishrags, dishes, window treatments, framed artwork, furniture and so on?
  • What kind of a “vibe” do you want the room to have? Light colors are often bright and cheerful; dark is understated and serious.
  • Will you have an accent wall, in which case your marble won’t be the main focus?

If your scheme has several colors and statement pieces all vying for attention, the result can be overwhelming. Stick to one color family and one central point of interest for best results.

Selecting Houston Marble Slab Options

Marble isn’t a fabricated item; it is quarried from deposits in the earth. That makes each slab a unique specimen. If you want to make sure you love your marble, you should choose each piece yourself. Look for long slabs; wherever possible, you want to avoid creating seams in countertops. For floors, the size of your marble pieces will depend on the tiling pattern you’ve selected.

It’s also a good idea to try to match pieces on bathroom and kitchen counters. The effect of two different pieces side by side can be jarring. The secret solution? To choose two pieces cut from next to one another and flip them so they reflect the same pattern. It deceives the eye into thinking a continuous pattern is at work.

If you have any other questions about selecting or owning marble, please let us know!