So you’ve fallen for marble tiles? You’re not alone. Whether it’s the classic Carrara white marble tiles (see our Long Island collection) or the golden tones of marble tiles such as those in our Palazzo collection – marble always has, and always will, impress. But before you plunge into its elegant depths, our Head of Creative, Grazzie Wilson, discusses the five things to consider to help you make the most of your marble. 
 

1. Are You and Marble a Good Match?
Starting with a bit of a chemistry test, it’s important to be sure that you understand the ins and outs of marble before committing to an ensuite decked out head to toe in the stuff.
 
Like most natural materials, marble comes with a few FYI’s. Endlessly beautiful as it is, marble has a delicate nature and so you’ll need to be ready to take good care of it. In a kitchen, you’ll need to watch out for acidic ingredients like lemon or vinegar coming into contact with your marble as it can quickly cause marks. Similarly, if you’re cooking with turmeric or red wine and you have a marble tiled splashback, you’ll need to wipe away any marks as quickly as you can to avoid staining. And because of its porous nature, marble won’t take too kindly to water being sat on its surface for too long. So, in a bathroom, your marble will benefit from being wiped down if there are wet footprints post-shower across your marble floor. And make sure to remember that a marble material needs to be sealed.
 
If you love the look of marble but are less keen on the maintenance, then explore imitation marble tiles instead – typically crafted from porcelain – to give you all the feels but without the fuss. 
 

2. Mix Up Your Marble Shapes…
Picture a stately Georgian hallway and it decked out in marble flagstones. Imagine a dark blue Shaker kitchen with honed marble metro-style tiles on its walls. But now think beyond squares and rectangles, because marble comes in many shapes and sizes.
 
Go matchstick with your marble to create a textured feature wall in a bathroom with our Bamboo Mosaic tiles, make it Art Deco with a fan-shaped or scalloped tile, or exaggerate marble’s elegance with a teardrop tile. Marble by nature has varying tones but by choosing a decoratively shaped marble tile, you’ll create additional visual texture in your room. Even more so with the especially detailed shapes of our newest marble tiles East Java that come in a feather-inspired Plume shape and a geometric grid. Put them in the same space – one on the walls and the other on the floor – to see how opposites really do attract.
 
3. …And Your Marble Shades
As well as different shapes, marble tiles come in a wealth of shades too. Already alluded to in this article, marble’s palette covers everything from white Calcatta and black Marquina marble tiles (see our white and black Butler tiles for a porcelain version) to serpentine green marble like Guatemala (again see our porcelain version in our Rainforest tiles).
 
As well as covering marble’s many neutral options, remember that you can also bring in more playful punches of colour with marble tiles like Valentine that are a soft blush pink in tone. The aforementioned East Java collection bring in a pink with more pop and further offerings of green. Or to combine neutrals and a touch of blush, try our Istanbul marble mosaic tile.

 

4. Make it Look and Feel Good With Underfloor Heating
Back to practicalities, if you’ve decided marble is the tile for you, and you’re going to be using it underfoot, be sure to think about underfloor heating before you start screeding and laying. Marble is one of the best natural stones for thermal conductivity, which means it’s the perfect candidate for an underfloor heating system. Just when you thought a marble floor couldn’t look any more luxurious, just think how luxe it’ll feel when you step out of the tub and onto a tiled floor that’s cosy and comforting.
 
5. Create Marble Accents if You’re on a Tight Budget
Marble doesn’t have to be used en masse to have impact. If you want to use marble without breaking the bank, don’t overlook using it in small doses. In a living room, you could tile a marble hearth or a surround for your woodburner. Sticking to the fireside theme, if you have a traditional Victorian fire surround with tiled channels, you could simply replace those with mini marble herringbone to completely transform it into something more modern.
 
In a kitchen, a marble splashback is always a quick win, or if you have open shelving in a pantry, tiling behind that will earn you serious style points without costing the earth.
 
Or what about in the downstairs loo, where a stamp-sized patch behind a cloakroom sink will give you the tiniest bitesize marble moment, but some marble is always better than none.
 
 
To shop our full marble and marble-effect collection, click here.