My brother used carrara marble on his island, black granite on the counter tops and carrara marble subway tiles for backsplash. He loves the look of the carrara but after having it on the island, he wouldn't do it again. It's a big pain to deal with & stains like your husband says. He's constantly wiping off red wine when they have guests over. My sister in law doesn't mind it because she loves the look so much. Here's a good article about your expectations with carrara. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/using-white-marble-hot-debate-over-a-classic-beauty-stsetivw-vs~513903

Do not use the marble on the counter! You will regret it. You can't take the stains off!!! I did love it when I first saw it at my local store, soon after I talked with granite, stone and marble experts they all agree that the best way to go for a counter kitchen is granite, not marble.

Quartzite called "white super" or "super white granite" will look like marble and be far far less likely to stain. When you see the Quartzite I'll bet you like it better than Carrara Marble. It won't be too much different in price either. You still should seal it every year. It stains a little more easily than granite but is still far less likely to stain than marble and isn't soft like marble so it is also less likely to scratch or "check",

I had a calcutta marble island and honed black counters. I have three little kids and a messy husband. Yes the marble is etched and a little stained but I figured if I had bought a vintage piece of marble that would have been the beauty of it. It depends on your personality. If you re really particular don't go with the marble, it will drive you crazy. You could always do a marble slab backsplash. Super classic and beautiful.

Consider quartz, and a black walnut butcher block for the island

The etching, as mentioned previously, will occur, if for instance, orange juice is spilled. Citric acid is no friend to marble. It is not a user friendly kitchen surface, unfortunately, though extremely elegant in my opinion! You might consider using marble 3x6 tiles (or other size) as a backsplash, and using a tougher granite,, like Absolute Black, concrete or man-made quartz on countertops. There are some gorgeous granites out there now that are not what I would consider "familiar builder grades". Alaska White, Delicatus and Bianco Antico are some lighter selections that give you taupe and gray veins of interest with a good bit or white and/or cream. You might also consider a marble remnant for a certain area that is not to be a heavily used work station, and use a less porous surface that complements the Carrara elsewhere .

The problem with quartz is that there are not a lot of colors to choose from. I just remodeled my white kitchen-dark chocolate island. I used alaska white granite on the counters, white subway for back splash, tiburtino chiaro on the floor, the entire area--dining room, t.v. room and kitchen. My neighbors and friends love the look. I almost bought into marble, I have to thank my contractor for talking me out of it. Also, I visited many, many local stores in the area, no one suggested marble in the kitchen because of the stains issue. Since I wanted a white kitchen, and have no chandeliers anywhere in this area of the house, I placed a small-med size chandelier in the kitchen, just for a kick! I chose a dark chocolate color shade. I will post picture once I received the oatmeal sectional sofa I purchased. I'm interested in everyone's opinion.

Granite is a better product because of the all the maintenance issues. If you like to go with Carrara make sure you get it in a honed finish and get it sealed every year or with the new stain proof sealer by Dry Treat which has a warranty of 15 years. If you don't like the patina look that carrara will have after a few years of use you can call a marble restoration expert to refinish stone and make it look brand new again. They usually charge around $10 per square foot to the this type of restoration.

I highly recommend quartz. Between Silestone and Caesarstone, there are plenty of whites to choose from that will go wonderfully with dark cabinetry. We have quartz at home, and I wouldn't have it any other way.