I love carrera! I'm also interested to here the pros advice on this because it is gorgeous and timeless but i also have heard its not the best for a "chefs" kitchen and my hubby loves to cook

I love my kitchen bench so much i have had carrara put into our new bathroom. Yes, it does mark, but only in the sense that it looks scuffed. It depends on whether you want a pristine kitchen that gleams all the time, or a kitchen that is really lived in. I have a slab about 1.2 x 3m. We roll out pizza dough, gnocchi, everyone stands around it when we entertain. All the little imperfections tell a story. I will always have a Carrara marble benchtop in every kitchen I own. PS the things you have to watch for staining are acids (eg lemon juice, vinegar) and red wine).

Thanks Jillian! That's what I thought. I like the warmth of wear, I just don't want huge dents and lots of stains... I really appreciate you sharing your positive experience with carrara.

Marble is a softer stone than granite so it will show wear and tear or patina over the years. Sealing the marble will help prevent from staining. We don't recommend that you lay anything acidic (like a Lemon slice) it will what we call Etch, which is a rough area very similar to scratches. Marble is very good for working with pastries, a lot of chef's use marble for this. That being said people have placed marble in their kitchens for years and we have installed several Marble Kitchens and our customers our happy with the end result. As long as you are ok with the countertops showing patina as time goes by then go for it..

Mine isn't sealed. I just make sure that if I am cooking with acidic stuff or there are red wine spills I wipe them up immediately. I'll take a photo tomorrow (when the kitchen is clean - it's been a big gnocchi and red wine night here!)

BTW mine has definitely etched in places but the marks are really only noticeable close up and in direct light.

What we've done with some of our marble customers is actually given a sample that has been sealed and tell them to take it home and "play with it" by putting different products on it like Ketchup or Wine, so they can see how marble will react.

We've done plenty of White Carrara kitchens. I certainly wouldn't rate the risk level at "terror." Here's the question I like to ask our clients considering it: "If at some point in the next few years you got a mark or small stain in the stone, would it be the end of the world?" If your answer is no, then go for it. It's a gorgeous look. I personally think a few marks here and there over the years add some character, like a high quality wood floor in a historic home that's been taken care of, but has lots of character. You won't have huge dents and lots of stains. I say go for it you want to. You'll have a beautiful home. Some things are worth having even if you, *gasp*, see a mark on it at some point down the road. Having the natural as opposed to the man-made will add aesthetic and emotional quality to the whole room.