Tile is a convenient form of flooring, and it works well on walls too. It’s a popular choice in hot, humid regions, because it doesn’t absorb or emit excess heat, so you won’t scorch your hands or feet when you walk on it.
Marble is hard wearing and resists weight, cracks, or scratches. On countertops, it can be a bit of a challenge, because acidic foods like tomatoes, red wine, and citrus fruits can cause the marble to stain or etch. With the right finish, sealing, and polishing, this problem is taken care of. You can use marble in tile, slab, or plank form.
Natural stone is becoming increasingly common. It’s stylish, environmentally friendly, long-lasting, and easy to maintain. It’s also quite a flexible building material. You can carve it into sculptures, shape it into tiles, or lay abstract slabs. You can also use marble chips to design a collage or mosaic.
The lure of marble goes beyond its appearance. It suggests sophistication and understated elegance. Being a natural material, it’s environmentally friendly, and it can be styled to either look retro and classic or contemporary and edgy. It’s all about the accessories that go with it, and the formats in which you use it.
Imitating wood with marble
This year, you can give your home a woodsy feel without chopping down any trees. Oak Marble is available in black, white, and grey. They have distinct veining, and from a distance, they look like actual wood panels. You can cut oak marble into planks or cubes to resemble parquet or hardwood flooring patterns.
Oak marble offers the warmth and lustre of wood without the intense maintenance necessary. Since marble is cool when you touch it, it’s good for humid areas where ordinary wood may warp or get mouldy. It’s easier to source than wood, though it may also be more expensive. A quick damp mop is all you need to keep marble floors clean.
If you’d like to give your oak marble a realistic feel, you can use matte tiles and slabs. Polished marble gives a glossy finish, though you can get the same effect from highly polished wood. When you use oak marble, the floor becomes its own accent, so don’t cover the beautiful patterns with carpets or large furniture. Let the design shine through.
Marble inspired by nature
When many people think of marble, they think about ancient Greek sculpture or stately banking halls. But marble can be brighter and more cheerful. It all depends on how you use it. Ocean blue marble isn’t exactly azure. Its shade is more blue-grey, with splashes of taupe and ivory. It produces a soothing sensation and can be paired with blue for a seaside theme.
Another option is to go with Sahara gold marble. Depending on how you use it, the effect can be a subtle neutral ambience or a rich dramatic effect. Sahara gold has flecks of white, peach, grey, and brown. You can use them to develop a beachy feel or evoke the exotic heat of the desert with none of the actual sand.
Make it metallic
Marble makes a grand statement, even when you use neutral colours. You can create a more significant impact by pairing your marble walls and floors with the right accessories. In bathrooms, you can offset your marble with metallic taps and faucets. Popular options include glossy black and chrome. They give an edge to the room and work well with humid spaces.
For other rooms, you can enhance the marble with metallic accents in the light fixtures, lamp shades, table trinkets, clocks, walls accessories, vases, or even the light switches. Look around the room and see what objects you can highlight using a splash of metallic paint.
Shape it to perfection
When we think about shaped tile, we assume only ceramics are involved. In reality, marble tiles and slabs can be cut into a variety of forms. Think about some of the popular shapes this year and apply them to marble. The retro look is in, so you can go with fish-scale curves, metro herringbone, or vertical rectangles.
The only caveat with marble is to use the right kind of cleaner. Marble is calcite, which means it reacts negatively with the acid in many ordinary cleaners. Be sure to find a mild detergent that is calcium-friendly, and seal the floor to prevent porosity, staining, or etching.
