Marble Islands
Chic, elegant, and functional, a marble kitchen island is one of a home’s most desirable architectural features. They give you a chance to incorporate natural stone into your home where it can be fully appreciated at a comfortable height and given room to breathe.
For smaller kitchens, a sweeping slab of stunning white marble can introduce reflected light to the room, making it feel larger. For bigger spaces, a kitchen island gives a focal point for the kitchen to cook, talk, relax, and more.
With each slab also geologically unique, no two marble kitchen islands are the same either. Your kitchen island is truly exceptional, with each vein and inclusion a unique natural expression.
Whether you’re looking to cover your existing island or craft a bespoke island from scratch, RMS Marble can help. Choose from our large collection of carefully sourced marbles to create your perfect kitchen setting.
The Benefits of Marble in the Kitchen
Durability
Marble has been used in kitchen areas throughout history and is able to withstand the day-to-day use of a household food preparation.
Properly sealed and maintained, marble kitchen islands will look every bit as good as the day they were installed. And, unlike engineered solutions, marble is capable of withstanding high temperatures without cracking or marking.
This is because marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone and mineral impurities. With the passage of time and incredible geologic pressure, sediments fuse together and create a dense, crystalline structure.
Beauty and Style
A kitchen island made from marble speaks to luxury, quality, and taste. With a huge range of colour, veining, and finishing options available, marble allows you to create your perfect kitchen island without compromise.
With simple table decorations, considered lighting, and appropriate decor, your marble kitchen island becomes a decor masterpiece, as well as a usable surface.
Resale Value
At the top of almost every homeowner’s wishlist is a desirable kitchen. And when people envision this, they typically imagine a space that features a marble island in the centre of it.
For this reason, marble is able to add up to 10% to the resale value of your home. As one of the world’s most desirable materials, installing marble into your home is a wise investment with no downsides.
Versatility
Marble kitchen islands can be considered an extension of the rest of your kitchen decor, matching marble benchtops, flooring, and splashbacks, or standing alone as a unique feature.
Designing Your Marble Kitchen Island:
Choosing the Right Type of Marble
The main consideration when choosing marble is its appearance.
While varieties of marble do possess slightly different properties (e.g. naturally more porous), proper installation and treatment mean all varieties are suitable as a kitchen island.
It’s important to think about your decor and consider the following:
- Dark vs light marble
- Bold vs neutral colours
- Strong vs subtle vein contrasts
- Dense vs subtle vein patterning
- Existing decor
- Cabinetry, benchtops, and flooring
Colour and Veining
Kitchen islands are typically large, unbroken pieces of marble. Consideration of the colour and veining is important then as they will greatly impact the look of your kitchen
Cleaner, plainer marbles with more subtle veining such as Calacatta, lend themselves well to more contemporary kitchen spaces. These give a classic, minimalist aesthetic, which can be enhanced as desired.
Densely veined and brightly coloured marbles such as Calacatta viola are a great island choice for bolder or classic decor. However, modern trends do find these choices in contemporary kitchens too.
Choosing the Right Finish
Marble kitchen islands are generally finished with a polished or honed finish.
Polished marble gives an unmistakable glossy look to your kitchen island that enhances the contrast and reflectivity of the material. Honed kitchen islands have a more natural appearance with softer contrasting. Honed finishes work well in rustic settings and are less prone to scratches or etching due to misuse.
Integrating Marble into Your Kitchen Island Design
When planning your marble kitchen island, it’s important to consider how the material will be integrated.
If crafting a bespoke marble kitchen island, however, there are some other considerations, however. For example:
- Overhang or flush edge?
- Will you have seating at the island?
- Will you bookmatch marble to create a base or use another material?
- Do you need to have a cutout for a sink?
- Will you require more than one slab?
Finding the Perfect Marble For Your Kitchen Island
There are numerous types of marble on the market, all exquisite natural stones in their own right. Nevertheless, some varieties of marble are an obvious choice for kitchen island design.
- Calacatta Marble: Originating from the world-famous Carrara mountains in Italy, Calacatta is regarded as one of the world’s most desirable materials. It features a white base stone with bold charcoal streaks of mineral veining. Calacatta is often the go-to marble of choice for architects and designers looking to create an air of sophistication and luxury within a kitchen.
- Carrara Marble: Also derived from its namesake mountains, Carrara is similar to Calacatta but has a softer, cloudier veining formation. While still considered a premium option, Carrara is the more affordable of the two and is often chosen for large kitchen islands.
- Statuario Marble: With a light grey-white base stone and sprawling light veining, Staturario is a unique natural stone prized for its scarcity. Its appearance is capable of standing on its own as a feature island or matching flooring and benchtops.
Contact one of the RMS Marble team today to start planning your perfect marble kitchen island. Our friendly expert staff can help you select the right marble and finish for your project, with an extensive collection to choose from.