Carrara marble countertops are carved from a single block of natural stone and have lovely blue-gray veins running through the white, making every piece uniquely patterned. Indeed, the beauty of classic marble is unmatched in terms of elegance, and if you feel marble is an absolute must, Carrara is more affordable than other variations. It’s also heat resistant and will bring its own personality to your kitchen over time. Unfortunately, that personality comes from its delicate nature. Mina Starsiak Hawk pointed out to House Beautiful, “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m in love with Carrara marble — it’s just beautiful, but it’s getting more expensive and it’s a lot more difficult to maintain.”
As a porous, “soft” stone, Carrara marble is easily scratched, gouged, dented, chipped, stained, and dulled. When installed, the marble countertop should be professionally sealed to prevent — or at least lessen the impact of — serious damage, but this sealing needs to be repeated every six months, especially if your counters get a lot of food prep use. The supplemental sealing can be a DIY project, but it’s still a lot of maintenance to keep your counters looking their best. Even then, be prepared to accept scratches and imperfections as a fact of life, hopefully viewing them as character traits and mementos of your time in the kitchen.
