Marble slabs in Sydney

Marble varies enormously in character, and the right choice depends as much on how you live as on how it looks.

• Calacatta: white base, bold gold or grey veining. The classic statement island.
• Arabescato: dramatic, high-contrast movement. Best where the stone is meant to be the feature.
• Carrara-style: soft, feathered grey. Quieter, easier to live with alongside busy joinery.
• Noir and dark marbles: strong contrast, striking in bathrooms and bars, less forgiving of water marks.

Polished marble reflects light and deepens the colour, but shows etching more clearly. Honed marble is matte, softer underfoot and far more forgiving of the acid marks that come with a working kitchen. If the stone is going into a family kitchen, honed is usually the more comfortable decision.

Marble is porous and reacts to acid. Lemon, wine and vinegar can etch a polished surface, and that patina is either a deal-breaker or part of the appeal — it is worth deciding which before you buy, not after.

• Seal on installation, then reseal every one to two years.
• Clean with pH-neutral products only. No bleach or vinegar.
• Use boards and trivets rather than cutting or resting hot pans directly.
• If etching would bother you, look at dolomite or the silica free engineered range instead.