ARCHIA HOMES That is polished marble. Unless you are meticulous, marble is not the right item for most kitchens. It stains from wine, citrus and oils and quickly loses its pristine appearance. I do like the rustic look this gives marble but many don't. Super White is a granite that has the same look as Carrera marble but has the durability of granite.

anitamehta is it better to be honed vs marble for stain resistant?

ARCHIA HOMES Honed vs. polished you mean. I don't know if there is a difference. I think a stain may show more on polished since there will be more contrast. If I were to use the marble I would go honed and embrace the patina that comes with it.

Fiorella Design Hi Anita,
In this project the marble is polished. I do believe polished is more durable, but it is a soft stone and will show rings. It's been used for hundreds of years in Europe and does 'patina' meaning you will see everything that's left on it. It is a personal choice going in to use it but just know it will show. I've had several clients use it and they still love it. Carrara can be quite gray, so maybe that's the way to go to hide more 'sins'.

rtk123 My now two month old kitchen has honed carrara marble counter tops with matching subway tile back splash. All the negative are true, but I still love it. We are a small family and fairly compulsive about keeping neat, but lemon squirts everywhere. If you clean up quickly, it will keep the etching to a minimum. There are also kits available with which to do repairs. But, here's the thing about marble. If you are patient and don't obsess about keeping things pristine, over time it will patina and be beautiful. I went to Eataly in NYC last week and saw the marble counter tops and floors in the vicinity of the bakery. They had such a beautiful patina on them. So now, I'm not as upset as I was when I noticed that first lemon juice etch. But again, it's all personal.

rtk123 Here are a couple of images. Nothing grand, just a galley kitchen in a NYC apartment.