marble made modern: marble comes home

design: joseph dirand / photo: adrien dirand

marble is one of our mainstay materials–witnessed in our growing collection of marble tile, which includes carrara, thassos, dolomite, calacatta gold, and calacatta viola.

our previous exploration, marble: in architecture and design traced the use of marble through the gilded age, drawing a line from its snowy-white origins in ancient greece to its maximalist, colorful apex in the gilded age. this post focuses on marble in the modern age, and what we can expect from the material going forward.

marble made modern

when you consider how marble became popular in modern homes, it all comes down to one key transformation: marble’s move into the world of residential interiors as the role of the kitchen changed.

traditionally, among the upper (and even middle) classes, the kitchen was the province of “staff” and thus a strictly utilitarian space. but by the early mid-twentieth century, it became less common to have staff, and women began to do the family cooking. suddenly, it mattered for the space to be more attractive and less utilitarian, a need that only increased once kitchen space became more frequently used as a supplementary dining space.

fast forward to the late 20th and 21st centuries, when walls came down between kitchen and family/entertaining spaces: kitchen decor mattered even more. in fact, kitchen decor is now effectively living room decor, where comfort and statement-making materials taking the stage. 

in this context, premium and luxury materials–like marble–made sense. take, for example, the classic carrara countertop: while remaining affordable, it carries the imprimateur of timeless luxury as a marble, is elegant and neutral but with character and dimension–and a perfect pairing with styles ranging from traditional to ultra-modern, colorful palettes and tile such as zellige, terracotta, cement, and brick. and it is, of course, hard-wearing and durable taking on a gentle patina over time, making it an investment for the ages that coveted countertop will outlast your kitchen, your home and even….you.

for the more adventurous, using heavily veined, expressive marble (often in opulent slab form) as backsplashes and for other accent areas, is a way to bring in luxury that’s a nod to tradition, nature, and organic beauty. 

the future of marble

at clé, we share the fascination and love for the mystery, beauty, and luxury of marble by expanding the ways in which it’s used. we revere these natural gifts as materials for life (and beyond).

there’s nothing that’s quite as statement-making as a big marble slab. whether for a countertop, fireplace mantel, or even the most luxurious of floors, a marble slab brings grandeur and elegance in ways few materials can replicate.

while marble will always be a luxury, we want it to be a more accessible one. that’s why classic white and premium marbles like calacatta are available in tile form. (while marbles such as carrara, thassos, and dolomite are often found in tile form, clé is one of the first to offer premium calacatta gold and calacatta viola tiles.) 

why?

• marble tile is generally more affordable than slab: slabs can be 25% more expensive than tile.
• marble tile can be used in more places. for example, a big marble slab for a counter can weigh hundreds of pounds (for every inch of thickness count on over 12 pounds of weight per square foot) and this could tax smaller elevators or even necesitate a crane–an expensive and logistically nightmarish proposition. 
• premium marble in tile form also allows designers to use marble where they might not be otherwise able to do so, and to move beyond the confines of a slab and explore greater creative possibilities. 
• the addition of a grid allows for more creative design possibilities allowing you to create new patterns with the veining in the marble. in other words, you’re not locked into the way a slab looks but can design a more bespoke, individual look. 

marble tile provides endless design possibilities in terms of pattern–from grid to basketweave to mosaic–in any size you can dream of from small subway tiles to large format squares that almost mimic the grandeur of a slab–but without the commitment.

stone tile mosaics – these classic shapes in hexes, penny rounds, squares, and basket weave sheets, for example, can be the most elegant and functional of textural surfaces not only offering great slip resistance but also a look that imparts an intensity of design texture.

bringing this storied and creatively rich material to new places is our way of celebrating all it is: the mystery, the history, and all it means.

does this herald the next era of marble? we think so.