How to Pick the Perfect Marble Slab for Your Countertops

By Lindsey Mather. Photos: Brandon Barré/Courtesy of Ferris Rafauli-Grandeur Luxury Homes Inc.

Choosing the best marble slab for your countertops (or walls or floors) can be quite an overwhelming mission. Even if you can already picture what you want, it's hard not to get overwhelmed when you're face-to-face with the sea of stone pieces at your neighborhood slab yard. (And you thought picking a paint color was tough.) But Toronto-based interior designer Ferris Rafauli believes the extra legwork is totally worth it. "When infused into interior designs, marble not only achieves an artistic statement but also organically brings a sense of nature into the space like no other material can," he says. And a visit to the slab yard can actually be, dare we say it, fun. A regular, Rafauli shares his insider tips for finding the perfect marble for your project, below.

Know what you want

"Walking into a slab supplier facility is much like strolling through an art gallery, where you admire the beauty of the all the various types, colors, and patterns of large slab marble on display row after row. However, you can’t be distracted by the array of choice," says Rafauli. "While it is important to keep an open mind as you peruse the slabs, you need to have a general idea of what color marble you are looking for and where and how you are looking to use it in your design." Other things to consider: whether or not you like a lot of veining or a little, and whether you'll need the pieces to be book-matched so that the pieces are mirror images of each other.

Call ahead

"Call the slab marble facility in advance to inquire about whether they have marble slabs that meet the color, type, square footage, and dimensions you require," suggests Rafauli. "Let them know when you're coming and ask them to organize a tour [where someone] points out the various slabs of marble they have. This will also allow the supplier to pull out their various slab marbles in advance, so that when you arrive they are taking you directly to the selections that meet your needs."

Be wary of cracks

They are a sign that the marble has been dropped or improperly handled. Fissures, though, are entirely different. "A fissure differs from a crack in that it’s a naturally occurring feature in the stone and does not change the plane of the marble surface," says Rafauli. "You should be able to slide your nail across a fissure without it catching. Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, fissures may be acceptable—say, if you're looking for stone that will give you a more rustic look. Fissures don’t change the integrity of the stone; they are part of the stone’s character."

Ask about origin

"These days, white marble such as Calacatta and Statuario is currently in high demand. As such, some marble suppliers will call their white marble with veins Calacatta marble. But it won’t be authentic, rather just white stone with veins that originates from China or some other part of the world," explains Rafauli. "True Calacatta originates from mountain quarries in Carrara, Italy. The same is true for Statuario: True Statuario marble originates from Italy."

This story originally appeared on Architectural Digest.

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