As an interior designer, much of my job involves helping my clients determine whether certain materials are the right fit for their space and lifestyle. In some cases, it is a cut-and-dried decision. For example, I don’t receive any pushback when I advise a client with kids or pets to opt for high-performance upholstery for the living room sofa. Spill-proof? Sold.  However, I am always surprised and find it truly funny when clients (and builders, for that matter) come into the conversation with their preconceived notions about marble. The first question they ask is, “Is marble durable enough?” 

 

I don’t know. Let’s ask the Romans! 

 

Marble Isn’t High Maintenance; It’s Practical (And Has Been for Over 3,000 Years)

Marble has been on my mind this summer, as my sister has been spending the season wandering through Rome and Naples, sending me photos every step of the way. I’ve gotten snaps of ancient ruins where marble graces everything from crumbling columns to mosaic floors and sacred sculptures. It’s a reminder that while the Romans weren’t the first to use marble in architecture and design, Bronze Age quarry sites tell us that much; they certainly established its reputation as an elegant and durable building material. Marble has, quite literally, stood the test of time for centuries.

 

When I first visited Rome in the mid-90s, I had my own quiet revelation in a neighborhood butcher shop. I was barely 20, trying to gather ingredients for a dinner, when I noticed the marble countertops, likely original to the shop, which had been there since the late 1800s. 

 

These counters weren’t polished to showroom shine or treated like precious relics. They were working surfaces, worn by decades of use. And they were stunning! The patina told the story. It was glossy in some areas, matte and river-stone soft in others. Where the surface still held its polish, light bounced cleanly off it. Where it had been worn down, it absorbed the light and glowed from within. That’s marble’s magic. It doesn’t just sit there. It interacts with light, with touch, with time. No wonder the Romans felt it appropriate to carve gods into blocks of the stuff! 

 

The point? Marble is not about perfection. It’s about permanence. It ages with grace, and it rewards those willing to embrace its natural wear. Yes, it requires some maintenance. But so does anything worth keeping. The real takeaway here is that marble isn’t precious, as the butcher shop shows. It’s practical. 

 

In Defense of Marble: The Case Against Perfection

Let’s get one thing straight: marble has done nothing wrong.

 

And yet, somehow, this ancient, storied material finds itself slandered in modern design debates. People dismiss it as too precious, too soft, too expensive, too impractical for “real life.” 

 

It’s not fair! This is the same material that’s held up entire empires, quite literally, for thousands of years. I think it can manage the wear and tear of your dinner prep for the next three decades. 

 

Somewhere along the way, marble picked up a reputation as high-maintenance and highfalutin. Perhaps this originated from salespeople promoting man-made slabs, or maybe it was a result of feedback from builders who cracked too many marble tiles during a floor installation. Either way, clients worry it’s too fancy for their lifestyle, too fragile for a countertop, or too flawed to trust long-term. One scratch, one wine stain, and suddenly they’re convinced they’ve made a terrible, overpriced mistake.

 

The real issue here is that we’re too preoccupied with perfection to appreciate a beautiful patina. We’ve become allergic to anything that shows wear. There’s a modern myth that our homes and the materials within them should remain untouched, ageless, and pristine. But that’s not how real beauty works. That’s not how life works! We age, evolve, and carry a story within us. We need to stop fighting against the natural progression of things, including the materials in our homes. 

 

To hell with perfection! Marble ages. It etches. It marks and matures. In doing so, it becomes even more beautiful. You don’t buy marble to preserve it. You buy marble to live with it. To make coffee on it, to spill wine on it, to roll out pie crusts and leave your mark. That mark isn’t damage, but just another chapter in your home’s story. 

 

If it was good enough for the Pantheon, it’s good enough for your kitchen island. Let’s stop pretending otherwise.

 

What to Know About Marble’s Durability and Maintenance 

As an interior designer, it’s my responsibility to understand the materials I place in someone’s home, ensuring they not only look beautiful but also live well in the space. Every selection involves a balancing act between beauty, durability, lifestyle, and budget. That’s part of the magic of this job; constraints and compromise! 

 

Marble, like any natural material, comes with its own set of quirks. It’s not perfect, and that’s the point. Before you bring it into your home, you should know what you’re getting yourself into. (But allow yourself to fall in love with it anyway.) 

 

• Marble is porous, and it can stain if spills are left unattended, especially from oils and colored liquids.
• Mable is soft. It sits low on the Mohs scale of hardness, meaning it can chip or scratch more easily than harder stones. Remember, it was used for chiseled sculptures after all! 
• Marble can scratch. These marks aren’t flaws, but evidence of a life well-lived.
• Acidic substances can etch marble. Citrus, vinegar, and even tomato sauce can dull the finish if not wiped quickly.
• Honed finishes wear better than polished ones. A matte surface disguises etching and sets a foundation for a beautiful patina.
• Marble requires sealing. A good sealer adds an extra layer of protection without changing the look.
• No, water doesn’t “stain” marble. This is the most disparaging rumor yet! It may temporarily darken if it absorbs moisture, but it dries out just fine.

 

Marble isn’t the only option. If you’re after resilience, soapstone, quartzite, or engineered stone may better suit your needs. But don’t cross marble off the list until you’ve felt its cool, grounding touch, or found yourself enchanted by a well-worn slab in a Roman butcher shop. Sometimes, the best materials are the ones that change with us.

 

Marble is Magical 

At the end of the day, every material comes with trade-offs. The key is to weigh your options, understand the realities, and choose what resonates most with your values, your lifestyle, and your sense of beauty. But don’t be so quick to write off time-honored materials like marble just because they aren’t flawless. Nothing lasting ever is.

I say throw a little caution to the wind in favor of something real. We don’t live for thousands of years, and we certainly don’t take our money with us. 

So buy the marble. Let it age. Do as the Romans do!