Sharon, what is the staining from - hard water, cleaning products, etc.? I'm so bummed, how long have you had your marble? I can obviously see the stains, is it really scratched too - if so does that bother you? Also, is your marble polished or honed? You must be so upset; were they all installed at the same time? Thank you soooo much for taking the time to share these pictures :)

christy25 I have seen these type of stains in homes. But these photos were from a google search on "stained white marble". It is something to think about. I don't have white marble in my home. I have granite throughout, polished and not sealed. Had them for about 5 yrs with no troubles.

Christy, you have received sound advice above suggesting other materials that are more maintenance free and that resemble Carrara Marble. Marble is great if you want to sculpt it...as it is very soft. It is fine for a fireplace surround...but it is not a good choice for a vanity top.

As far as the overhang, I usually do anywhere from 1/2" to 1" on the side and 1- 1 1/4" on the front. It does not have to relate to the legs.

There are many white granites to select from. Take a trip to a kitchen design center or a stone fabricator and look at all of your options......or just do a search for white granite on line. They are going to feel far more organic than quartz and hold up very well.

We often use marble in bathrooms & kitchens. Based on your comments this will incur water spots. As suggested honing would be a great option. Honing the stone will not prevent the water etching, but it will make it less noticeable. In addition to honing the marble you may consider brushing ( also known as leathering) the marble This will also " disguise" the etching. The other key component to using marble is to seal the stone. We would suggest using DuPont "bullet proof sealer"

Hi there,

This is a topic close to my heart as I plan to do the same thing shortly. My advice comes from the mistakes I made when buying marble countertops for my kitchen in my previous home and the exact advice I will follow myself for our guest bathroom.

First and foremost: go look at real, vintage sinks and see what they have. Touch them. In my experience the marble is not polished, is thicker than 1"--at least 1.5-2" thick--and has a decorative edge, not a flat edge. Little overlay. Look at how the hardware is inserted. Look at a lot of examples...THEN pick your counter.

While a kitchen counter is different from a bathroom, here are the mistakes I made: too thin a slab, sharp edge and corners, 2" overlay, white on white cabinets, polished marble. My biggest mistake was not taking photos of the counters I liked and copying that.

As to the care and use of marble: It really was not that delicate but any type of acid takes off the finish and suddenly one has spots of non polished marble. So lose the polish ahead of time. The vintage sinks are flat finish anyway, and isn't that the look we want? The vintage sink counters are not perfect either. It's ok if it's not perfect as long as it truly looks vintage--and for that, you really need to mimic the cut and shape of a vintage sink counter (ie., thickness, overlay, edging, no polish).

As to going with some sort of substitute, don't bother. I do not regret the marble in my previous kitchen for a minute. It was a dream and I'm glad I did it. I learned. And frankly a marble counter for a bathroom vanity is hardly that expensive. Granite is often more expensive. It's worth a try to have the marble vanity of your dreams!

Our guest bathroom is going to get redone next year and I promise you I am going with Carrara marble, decorative edging, 1.5-2" thick, not polished, minimal overlay. Nickel hardware. Gorgeous.

Best of luck!

Even with proper periodic sealing, it will stain. Marble is just too porous for want you want to do, especially if you want a light color stone. The professionals who will sell you the stone and charge you $50-100 to seal it (for the first time), see if they will guarantee it from staining, even for 6 months....they won't.
For such a small area, bite the bullet and get a similiar color/looking quartz counter top, there so many to choose from, i'm sure you'll find one that you'll like.

That is a pretty small sized counter. It is the perfect place to try something you love. If things go south later you can replace it. I would think you could find a small remnant kind of piece of marble or stone for a good price.

We had a honed marble vanity top in a powder room, and it water-spotted terribly. Some people don't mind that look, but be aware that even water will alter the appearance of the top. Personally, if I ever use marble (which I love the look of!) again on a vanity I will use polished, and take care to keep it sealed; it may scratch, but it won't be nearly as much trouble as far as stains.

Just read another post from 2013 about Clearstone Coating for Marble - guaranteed not to etch or stain for 15 years. It is not a sealer but a top coat you can't see. Anyone have experience with it?

I have marble all over my 3-story historical 120 year-old townhouse. I have large Carrara tiles, with dark diamond accents in the bathrooms, and also have pale travertine as my kitchen counters.
It all came/was polished... and honestly looked contractor grade... even though I paid more than I should have, I was disappointed. Over the years the shine faded, especially in the traffic areas. My darling husband had also created a few stains around the toilet (!).
I had to do something... so:
I applied oxy/bleach and the stains disappeared. I also used a oscillating sander with 220 grit paper to sand down the shiny spots. I then sealed the entire area with sealer (just once). Worked like a charm.

Someone also set a lemon slice on my counter top which sat overnight. I now have a perfect lemon-shaped impression etched into the travertine. I was initially upset, but it actually looks very pretty, like a fossil.

I would NEVER use a man-made product. They don't look the same with a vintage/antique product. Every time you walk past that bathroom you'll regret what you did.

If this were mine to decide, I'd go to an architectural salvage yard and buy a piece of vintage marble. If this is a sink, you'll have to have it cleated (attached with a bracing cross board between studs) to the wall to remain stationary. Remember this when you measure to cut any marble/stone. The cabinet should be installed before you do any measuring, as you need to allow for the back wall gap or even a back splash (a good idea with a sink). If you are DIY-ing this, the back splash needs to be attached to both the cabinet and wall with no movement.

And don't limit yourself to just Carrara. There are so many gorgeous varieties of light-toned marble with coloured veins that can accent that lovely cabinet. With such a small area, you can go a little more extravagant and dealer always have a scrap/damage section where you can really talk down price.

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Go with the Carrara marble. If you were near Vancouver Island, we have a local quarried marble here produced by Matrix Marble and Stone. I've used it for decades with no problem in high traffic uses with a proper sealer. I prefer honed for an antiqued look and it won't constantly show water spots and other. Like also to machine the 'ogee' edge detail for this vintage look. And be sure to buy quality fixtures, not the cheap Home Depot stuff shown above with plated steel housing. That is rust that is staining the marble. Quality fixtures will be solid brass minimally or Stainless steel. I abuse mine and it looks like the day I installed it over ten years ago and haven't sealed it since it was installed.

David, I did purchase a Newport Brass Faucet (still in the box). I didn't even think of cheap faucets causing the rust issue. I'm hoping Newport Brass won't cause issues. Thank You for your suggestions :)

I put white marble in my kitchen and every contractor I spoke with thought I was crazy. But I love it! It is beautiful and brings me pleasure every day. It is a look that will never go out of style so your vanity will look beautiful always. We have hard water so my only challenge is keeping the area around the faucet free from build up, but when it gets bad I gently use a razor blade and scrape it off with no problem to the marble. Also, keep a cloth or paper towels under the sink for quick clean ups if too much water or something else ends up on your vanity top. Oh, and I would go for polished. Easier to clean and maintain in the long run.

Ask the countertop Co. to cut you two samples of the marble you're considering, cutting board size, and use them in your kitchen for a month or so to see how they hold up. (As trivets & food prep surfaces.). I was considering Carr. marble too until I did this. Realized it's a risky choice - marks, weird flat spots/water marks that cannot be scrubbed away, staining, etc. However, a good sealing would probably prevent these issues. Maintenance is key. It is a beautiful choice when cared for properly.

Christy - you have a lot of great comments posted here by both Pros and home owners. There are good arguments for both using the Carrera marble you love and opting for an alternative product like Silestone. I recently was involved in a project called the Texas Monthly Star Home at Willie Nelson's ranch and the entire kitchen and all the bathroom counters were done in Silestone. The kitchen was a white kitchen with the Blue Lagoon Silestone and we received so many great comments on how much it looked like marble. ou can see this home on my Pro Page if you want to see photos of the countertops. That said, since you are only working with a powder bath vanity top, it's a small space and you can probably get a remnant from a stone yard that will work. Just let them know the size piece you need and when it comes available, you can get it fabricated and installed. If it turns out the marble does not wear like you want it to or you have issues with it, you can then change it out for one of the quartz products. If your project was a larger space, I would not make this suggestion but since it's a powder bath, doing a replacement (if necessary) won't cause a lot of disruption. Hope this helps. Happy Houzzing!

Save yourself the aggravation of etching! Do not use marble. I have it in my main bathroom in my home and I am so upset with the etching that has occurred from over spray from bathroom sink cleaners. I have always used something I considered to be very mild . . . no heavy chemicals, no bleach . . . the overspray has left spots that are very dull. I have tried using special marble cleaners hoping the spots would disappear but NO I WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE DULL SPOTS. The only way to get rid of them is to have my marble installer come to my home, sand the entire counter and reseal the counter. (This should not have happened because it was sealed properly.) Take a good look at quartz — I wish I had! You can choose quartz that looks exactly like marble. This was a very expensive lesson to learn. We are about to remodel our master bath and it's nice to know what NOT to use. Good luck.
Alexis.

Such a small area- go for it!! If it needs to be placed in a few years do it. It's not like you have 40 linear feet to replace.

No marble, go with a quartz looking like marble, Dupont, Caesarstone, Cambria...

Sure glad it's you and not me having to make this choice. But you have received some great advice from pros and homeowners. This is what I would do: go find remnant pieces of marble, granite and quartz and use them in the kitchen for everything you can think of. See what it looks like after cleaning. In a month or so you will know for sure which one is to your liking. And do invest in a quality faucet. Also, see what kind of water you have. If it's hard water you will have build up from the water. Good luck.

I have been a designer for 25 years and have done many kitchens and bathrooms with carrara marble. Rome was built in marble. It lasts and is extremely durable. I can't imagine any product that you would ever have in a powder room that would hurt it. And honed vs polished? Makes no difference. As long as you thoroughly seal each, they are equally durable. The difference is the polished will show scratches and the honed will not. Again, what could you possibly use in a powder room that would scratch a small countertop severely enough to be noticeable? I say go for it. However, I disagree with the Ogee edge. You have plain doors and details on your cabinet so I would use a very simple edge on the countertop. Don't go wall to wall and only use a backsplash on the back wall. You want the cabinet and top to look like a piece of furniture that you just sat against the wall. Good luck!

A complete answer to address this question. Well spoken.

Marble does scratch easier than granite. If the bathroom is used frequent, you will acquire scratches. Rome was built in marble because marble is easier to work with and carve into vs other natural stones that are harder.

The key word is "Vintage". Carrera is meant to age and patina over time. If its the classic look you're going for, I highly encourage a honed stone. Sure it's a little more maintenance, but if you upkeep it, it should be fine. Good luck!

As a stone fabricator, I suggest going with the Carrera Marble honed. Have the fabricator seal it for sure. It is also more cost effective than quartz, unless you can find a small remnant of quartz at your fabricator.With that style of cabinet, I think an eased edgework would look great and again more cost effective as most fabricators include it in the sq footage price. Yes you will have to wipe it down everyday. No big deal really in my opinion. There are nice accessories in Carrera as well you can usually find at Home Goods..ie..trash cans, tissue holders etc..

We have carrera in our guest bathroom. HATE it. SO high maintenance. I worry about everything staining (ie when guests stay over - they have their makeup, face wash products, nail polish, etc all over the counter) , and our hard water doesn't help. It's less than a year old, and it has stains around the faucet already :( I would do-over with quartz in a heartbeat - I have it in my kitchen and LOVE it.

Get Calcutta gold honed!!! It's durable and beautiful and will be a warmer option for your vanity. I have it on my bath vanity and rib deck, not one stain or etch and I take a tub everyday!

Calcutta gold

yes you can use marble in a frequently used bathroom! DO get a good quality sealer. DO make sure that little things won't bother you (water spots/etching/regular care. DO realize that your countertops may need a refresh every few years by a stone pro... A good article: http://www.thekitchn.com/living-with-marble-countertops-one-year-later-203189.

It's a question of your own preference and how much energy you want to put in on up keep. Marble is timeless and a noble material. Marble is not pure white forever...we have a baking table that is over 100 years old and I love it.

Thank you Stone Source - great article. Especially the last comment - "a huge problem with Carrara and other similar stones, is that they contain iron within the stone, which becomes prone to rust after repeated exposure to water. So I 'd be concerned around the sink." I was thinking the rust was due to cheap faucets (based on a comment above), but it sounds like a combination of iron in the stone and cheap faucets. The faucet I purchased is Newport Brass, so I wasn't worrying about rusting from that, but the iron thing has me concerned. Maybe that only happens if it's not sealed properly. I'm also concerned about the etching from our very hard water.

At this point I might be stuck with the marble anyway, I had a top made but I looked at it and it has 3 very small chips in it. The fabricator (owner) is trying to say they are pits. I don't believe them - I'm bringing a magnifying glass to see if they are pits (like a dimple) or chips (jagged edges). It such a small surface to have those 3 imperfections. And they keep arguing with me, even though I just spent about $5k on new granite kitchen countertops with them. :(

i just installed a carerra marble top vanity. I was not aware of the staining and etching problems until after I addidentally etched the surface in several places with a vinegar water solution while cleaning the mirrored medicine cabinet above. I am now searching for a polishing cream to buff out the etching. I would recommend a quartz look-a-like.

love reading all these replies! I have a half bath that I would love to add some carrara marble to. lots of things to think about!

I restore natural stone every day. I would never get on my own home any marble in a high traffic area it needs way too much maintenance even though I can do it myself. Any sealer you buy will not help. There is 1 exception but requires professional application. It is called clearstone. I do not use it but i know other professionals who use it quite successfully but it will cost basically the same as the stone itself. I noticed many designers and fabricators posting ignorant comments at best or dishonest at worst. I would recommend a quartz or some granites but always test before purchase on a small piece if the stone. Leave some water on it for 5 minutes and dry does it leave a wet mark ? If so pass on it. Find a stone that does not and you will not need to seal as well. Feel free to check out the blog on my web site or contact me if you are in NJ for more helpful tips
http://www.groutworksnj.com

I appreciate and agree with your comment regarding Marble, it is a surface that has led many to have concern...and this discussion could go on for days and days. However, I feel that your statement regarding designers & fabricators being ignorant or dishonest in their comments is inaccurate. It is a personal choice to have Marble in your home...I have three varieties, two are circa 1400. Carrara Marble is timeless, it is proven over thousands of years to be a beautiful surface in any application...including outdoors. It may stain, but stains can be removed, it may dull, scratch and wear...but that is it's beauty. When Meg Ryan had Carrara Marble installed in her brand new Kitchen years ago...the same day, she took tomato's and smeared them over the entire surface of each counter.... you ask why? Because, she wanted to break them in, age them and reduce the shine.

Grout Works - thank you. I actually asked in another post if anyone has had personal experience with Clearstone, but no one has replied. I was thinking of emailing them to see who does it in my area...was hoping since it's only a 30" vanity that it wouldn't be too much.

I am glad to help regarding the input on clearstone it is a great product. Regarding my comments about designers and fabricators I find your response fascinating. I think that part of the problem is that perhaps designers are so into the world of design that the homeowners are left holding the bag...I have refinished many marble floor, vanities, showers... and every time the homeowner was not thrilled with the natural staining, dulling, scratching...Every time the homeowner wanted the finish to look just like how it looked in the store. I truly believe that if you explained all this to customers they would not purchase the marble. Believe me no one is happy handing me money even if they are thrilled with the results o produced for them and especially when I tell them I do not guarantee anything and if something spills tomorrow I may very well have to redo everything. I have seen carrara marble that looks horrible and in order to sell the house I told them it would be cheaper to replace their shower rather than have me refinish it. Although I did not make a penny on it I can sleep knowing that I was honest. Regarding stains they cannot always be removed. Many times they are to deep or come from extensive exposure to water like in showers and outside and the iron content of carrara itself will produce ugly brown marks that cannot be removed. Maybe some of your clients like these but I have never had customers like that. My point is that the customer has to be truly educated and aware of what they are getting themselves into and it is a professionals responsibility to explain it to them.

Seems like the people that recommend marble are the people that sell it, not the poor homeowners that have to live and deal with it.

Really, A'llure Interior Design by Rene, you expect us to believe people actually want scratches and wear on their new countertop and think its "beauty"? NOT.

when I was searching for something to buff out the acid etching on mine, I went to a shop that sold stone and Quartz countertops. The owner said that they try to discourage people from buying marble. If my marble is hard to maintain, I will just let it go with an etched patina. I have seen really old marble tops that have lost their shine and look beautiful.

Many people do find the wear on marble appealing, for the same reason people choose soapstone, etc. There are so many majestic old buildings with both marble on the exterior and/or interior - it is more than suitable for a countertop. Many fabricators do discourage marble as they are unaccustomed to working with it, or they personally don't like it. That being said, if you want both a perfect surface AND zero maintenance - marble is not for you. Christy - with regards to chips - any natural stone can have chips/pits/fissures - just part of getting natural stone - and they can be filled in the factory, in the fabrication shop, or in your home - whether you spend $100 or $30,000... The rust issue I have actually never seen in person on a marble countertop in the last 10 yrs (have seen it in old buildings with marble floors/tile)...so I don't know how much concern to have about it.

Regarding the hotel in Rome that the marble looks fine this is common in European countries where maintaining marble with marble wax is like mopping their floors. Try to explain that to the average American homeowner.... Truth be told though that marble when powder polished without wax looks much nicer, has more clarity and mirror like effect than when waxed.

I was wondering about waxing my marble, but I wasn't sure about it. I had too many questions: what are the downsides, how often it should be waxed, where I would find a good marble wax, would it yellow?

I would go with a Quartz top instead ,its stain resistant and wont require all the care that a marble top would.

http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/construction-materials/surface-design-materials/brands/zodiaq-quartz-surfaces/articles/how-to-clean-quartz-countertops.html

I believe that Rene' with Allure was not implying that modern scratched marble is beautiful...her point was that a "new" polished look to some is not appealing and that Vintage or aged marble is gorgeous. Some designers (obviously her) believe in the beauty in old and new stone....if you read her early posts...she explains the high maintenance & care. Christy is smart enough to seek the help of everyone here... where there is a wealth of knowledge. Rene' seemed offended by the generalized comment by Groutworks.. So that makes me believe she educates her clients. Try not to be too hard on people when you don't know or read the whole story. .There are a lot of designers and fabricators that are selling products without the education to go with it. Also, a 30" top is in comparison a smaller investment than doing a Kitchen....therefore it is easier to replace than refinish. Christy good job with seeking the help of others. If you have not decided yet on your countertop..then listen up. Make a decision....it sounds like you will be using this surface often, if you can't assure that your children, spouse or guests will wipe the surface every time they use the sink...then choose an alternative stone. You will save the anxiety...it will be 10x the anxiety of what you went through deciding whether to get Carrara or not! Good Luck to you and Happy remodeling...

With all due respect to all, I still stand by my comments. Even a honed rustic finish on marble can look beautiful and nice or dirty looking, stained and horrible. Marble polished or honed is definitely not suitable for any place rather for a place that makes sense with an understanding of what will it require to maintain it. One very practical way of using marble is on walls. I have seen some very beautiful powder rooms and bathroom walls of gorgeous marble while the floor could be glass mosaic, pebble rock or a porcelain replica of that marble or that complements it.
Sometimes the marble I see with the borders inlays mosaics...is impossible to restore without grinding all the marble flat first to remove the lippage (uneveness of installation) which is quite expensive.
Any designer I have this type of conversation with always says "of course..." but yet from seeing their recommendations to their customers as well as the comments they make on these forums shows they are out of touch with the homeowners interests, ignorant of what is involved in maintaining marble or not caring what happens after they leave the scene and were paid.

Thank you. I am in the process of renovating my master bath and purchased Glacier honed for the shower walls and Carrara polished for the floor. Never once did the designer mention problems with staining, scratching or etching. I've spent thousands on the tiles. The pictures above are horrible and I would be extremely mad if that happened after spending a few thousand to create my dream bathroom. Thank goodness they are not yet installed and I can return them.

Marble, as in most things, requires some research and education in order to determine if it is a surface that will realistically work for each individual. I have beautiful white marble in my kitchen and the only problem I have had was because of my not caring for it properly (I didn't wipe off the counter next to the sink one night so now it just looks like there is more veining.) There are basic rules to follow, not difficult ones, and I don't think many apply to bathrooms. It is very unlikely anyone will be spilling red wine, tomato or lemon juice or cutting the marble with a knife in the bathroom. The biggest issue would be to use the correct cleaner (nothing with lemon or other acid base as those will etch the marble). And wipe down the surface right after something gets spilled - the sealer will protect it for a little while so nothing will happen immediately. And don't drop anything heavy on the marble or it will chip. As for the three small chips that are in the piece you said you have, the sealer will likely fill them, but the installer should have something to fill them in any case. So, if having marble will bring pleasure to you, then get marble. It'll be fine.

yes, carrara marble everything, all the time!

...and when it gets stained, it starts to look like Calcutta gold ☺

We did a custom vanity top and backsplash for our guest bath of honed Carrara marble (found in the "discounted" aisle left over from a previous job and fit our dimensions perfectly; extra for honing). Honing hides water spots better. I've not had any staining issues, but I won't fret over it if they show up. Honing does not show scratching (at least not to me) and makes for a more "natural" look than polished, in my opinion. We wanted a vintage look in our new house.