Marble tile flooring was all the rage in high-end homes in my area 20+years ago. Since then, it has fallen out of favour because it requires regular professional maintenance and doesn't handle salt laden water common in winter here. Nor winter itself very well when used as cladding. Indeed, two years ago the 72-storey Bank of Montreal Tower was stripped of its 45,000 slabs of Bianca Carrera marble cladding after 35 years of exposure.

I guess that is the question. The marble that is in the kitchen has had no professional maintenance. The house was even vacant for a decade once and it still looks great. It is not a shiny finish, but why does everyone say it need so much maintenance now? I know I am not babying the part there now. so is there some marble which holds up better?

I'm interested in everyone's opinion, too. I don't get why stone has to be babied - but then I don't like it highly polished either. High maintenance? It's a rock!

If you don't care much if it's dull, discoloured, stained and scratched, no problem.

I think a lot of the people who love old houses (myself included) would prefer dull, discolored, stained and scratched marble to shiny, bright and new. Isn't that what attracts us to these old houses in the first place? Patina! Gotta love it.

This is going to be my first response in defense of my old house from now on: "Patina! Gotta love it." Thanks arlosmom. :)

The funny thing is the marble there at the doorway has a patina, but I would not say it is dull or discolored. I do not think it is even really scratched which is why I asked about modern marble being more porous I know a top I had made for a table did stain and scratch very easily, I attached the photo, it looks like Carrera to me.

Yes, patina!

Some quarries are hauling out stone that would have been considered 2nd quality in the past, but for the most part marble is marble.

If you insist on it staying gleaming like new, glossy and spotless as a kitten's conscience ... it's hard to keep it that way.

If you are OK with it developing patina and a soft matte finish, it's great. I'd start with honed marble, not polished, or remove the polish by laying a vinegar-soaked cloth

There are marble steps in England that have been scrubbed weekly for 200 years. They look fine. And there is a marble counter in a bar in Mexico city that's been there for about the same time and it looks fabulous. Old, softened edges from the decades of polishing, but really pretty.

Thanks lazygardens! Yes if I go for the marble, I will used honed for several reasons. First, it will not clash as much with the aged home. Two, it is a heck of a lot less slippery. Three, I like the look better! I guess what I am trying to do is get the feeling like our friend in Bergamo has. he lives in an ancient villa, but the modern elements have been added unapologetically. Sorry to all of the persons who think it should be exactly as it was at the time built, but I guess part of me thinks that is an anachronism. My house is contemporary with Monticello. If you know anything about Jefferson, he would have had the modern conveniences in in a heart beat. And as so many of you have pointed out a nice kitchen, or even kitchen as we would define it today, would not have been in the house. I am just trying to not pretend that this fits in. Saying that I want the actual room to be restored to its grandeur with the mill work and beautiful finishes. Why I am looking at the honed marble, it has the grandeur of the home.

In the same spec built home, I put in one six foot high fireplace built with honed marble blocks topped by a six-foot long Bianco Carrera mantle and matching raised hearth. In another room, the fireplace had the builder's standard flat hearth and three pieces of barely 1" thick polished marble.

The first fireplace got barely a glance while buyers oohed and ahhhed over the second.

Never underestimate the power of polish!

I'm getting sick of my wood floors in the kitchen. I don't like having to be so careful with water. I would much rather have marble with all it's problems. Given the opportunity, I'd switch to marble in a heartbeat. Buy a quality product and I bet you will be happy.