While some Quartz is close to real marbles, it isn't real stone. If you are a "purest" you will never be satisfied with porcelain or Quartz. So, the main reason to go to faux products is cost. Most, not all, but most faux products are made and imported from other countries. Almost all granites and marbles are imported. So, if you have the budget, go for the real thing and just make sure it is going to be installed by highly qualified subs and with proper high quality equipment. The installation is key. Also, don't neglect grout coloring. Match as close to primary color as possible. Good luck.

Unless you have an account with said companies, do not expect them to discuss pricing with you. They might give you retail but that's it and technically they don't have to even if you are your own designer. I do feel they should at least give you the info on point of origin of the products. A lot of products that are made in China, the materials come elsewhere... like the US or Italy. It's just cheaper to construct in China and ship back to the US verses have the US construct within the US. Especially when we have a war being waged about boosting minimum wage to $15 hr.

I understand your frustration...but it is what it is. When you factor in the cost of setting tile (of any size) real stone is competitively priced. Nothing compares to the real thing.

I would suggest looking into Cambria or Ceasarstone... they do thinner slabs for showers... also Silestone... and definitely check out Dekton - porcelain that is very durable and comes in all different sizes and can be used inside and out! If you go to their facilities to view slabs, they will not discuss pricing with you - that is for your fabricator to calculate. As far as places of origin - I do agree that there is a lot of crap that comes out of China but there is also a lot of perfectly fine products ( look around your home - I am sure you will find tons ). Cambria is a US company, Ceasarstone is from Israel, and Silestone / Dekton is from Spain.... they have some very convincing finishes, but I always encourage folks to see them in person.

Good luck!

You can put 2cm slabs on shower walls, it's not an issue. I don't know who is telling you they're too heavy. We do it all the time.

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and kind input. I decided to go with real marble after all. It's a question now of quiet (Carrara) or impactful (Calacatta Oro), tile vs slab. Dee Sanchez do you mean 2cm marble slabs? I did not know they could come this thin, that's wonderful :-)

I saw these at the show in Orlando in April. They're 1/8" thick with mesh backing, meaning they're much less fragile to transport, fabricate, and install. I don't think they're Chinese, might be Italian. I'd use these one-piece in a shower without worry.

The White Carrara tends to be a bit cooler in tones; the Calacatta has a white background with a warm gray/gold veining. What appeals to you more? It's a big difference between doing tiles versus slab walls in both looks and costs.

Thank you for your continued input. Switching to marble today I found some white Carrara White 3cm (grade C) slabs. Also came in 2cm honed but they could not show us those as they were somewhere inconvenient (?). We also found gorgeous slabs of Calacatta Carrara Extra with beautiful white ground and grey arching veining. After seeing this I completely tossed the idea of Calacatta Oro. So stunning! But $65 sq. ft. for 2cm thick slab price seems high. I cannot get any of the stone yards around Seattle to show me individual tiles to choose as an alternative to slabs. Since marble tiles come in a box you cannot pick and choose which tile you get. Best idea is to get a Carrara tile (graded A,B,C or D?) without a distinct pattern for the tiles. I am not huge a fan of a grey ground on most Carrara so has anyone ever chosen their Carrara tiles individually and if so what grade did you choose? Or is that impossible? We are running out of time as our contractor is pressuring us. It's a slow process finding the slab or tiles then waiting for your contractor to get the pricing. Here are the slabs we saw today - Carrara White, grade C+ (not sure what that means):

And the lovely Calacatta Carrara Extra:

Love to know what people think about these marble choices for use in the shower (walls - 1 long, 2 short) and a bath dual sink vanity top.

Lots of expensive maintenance with marble compared to alternatives, especially solid surface which is maintenance-free. Corian Dune Prima, a new color, looks remarkably like the others you've picked. It will outperform any other surface in the shower.

So, you want a 40K shower? Not whole bath. Just the shower? That's fine if you can afford that. I've done it before. But. If you are not fully prepared for the high costs, and you plan to cheap out somewhere important, like the high quality specialty trades needed to make this happen, then you are throwing money in the trash and lighting it on fire. No Schmo in a rusted out pickup has got the skills to make this happen. This needs a whole group of old guys with brains, including a passel of young healthy able bodied stoners to interact with the old guys with brains.

You need Ancient Aliens and weed.

As I stated before, slab and tile are going to be two completely different things in cost and looks. If you go the slab route, you will need the expert installers and that's not likely the contractor's tile guy; has your installer made you aware of install price difference? Even if you go with marble tiles, please make sure that they are installed by someone who works with marble. Go to the better tile showrooms in your area, select what you like, they can get you photos of current lots if they are not stocked, keep in mind that natural stone will have variations, but that's it's beauty.

Found this online for marble classification...

You had asked about the pricing.... is that just the material or does that include labor for template and install???

When buying tile, if you are going to want a more "matching " vein, you will have a lot of wasted tile... you can't buy individual ones.... so if that is your desire I would suggest staying with slab walls...

While there are many of us here who love to help people and give them advice, when you are on a time crunch, you need to press the professionals around you for information.... they are supplying/installing the materials you are choosing and are ultimately responsible for your final result...

Good luck!!!

Did you plan for slabs in the design phase? If not, that will create more challenges for installing due to the weight. Better if a proper foundation is designed for these type slabs. You need real pros for this to come out right. Sophie is so right!!!!

I found the solution!! I had planned for thin porcelain slabs in the design (STILE -MSI, Plane -Oregon Tile&Marble). Unfortunately these are very disappointing to see in real life, too green or blue, especially the veins. The color is just "off" especially the Plane wall tiles (formally Thin Wall). They say the "new batch" is better but no one can show it to you. There was also no variation between slabs. Personally, I really do not care for the "book-ended" look in slabs. To me it looks like a big Roschach ink blot test. Not wanting to take their word for it and after a long, exhaustive search I went back to porcelain tile. I found a new one that is Italian and mimics Calacatta but comes in many finishes all used together and is available locally. It's "the one" (or the many)! What a relief to not have to choose a separate floor/wall/backsplash/shower tile. Blah! This cannot be a process designers enjoy unless they have a stash of favorites they pick from which would explain why so many designs look similar/"cookie cutter". I think the way of the way of the future is to have a tile that comes in a variety of finishes for the micro environments a bathroom has.Now on to counters.... anyone like to weigh in on the best white quartz counters not made in China? :-)

Where did you find those awesome sounding tiles? I'm down in Tacoma and I'd like to have that info for when I redo my bathroom down the road.

Thanks!

Much better choice especially from a good installation point of view and you won't regret it. As for Quartz countertops you will need to take a look at options with a sample of your tile and flooring and countertop.

You are going to want to check with the fabricator you are using... many do not bring in slabs from the quartz companies just for a vanity ( depending on the size ) and some fabricators will stock just certain brands... so look there and definitely bring tile, paint and any other samples you have with you.... You absolutely cannot shop that on line!

Good luck!

Thank you very much Debbi. I wish I had the time to match tile with paint and counters but my contractor/build/design company is pressuring me to decide so they can keep up their schedule and move on to their next job. They originally gave us two design meetings 90 minutes in length with their contracted designer for us to decide everything. When I hedged at the quality she presented us with the company said "Then you do it!" So I have. But its like asking to do surgery after reading a textbook. Has anyone ever had a remodeling company give them lots of time to decide tile, paint, counters, fixture, heating, cooling, doors before demolishing?

Hi Flo, we are doing counters for two bathrooms and a laundry so likely it would be okay to place an order that size? Our house is demo-ed so I have been shopping mainly online with frantic breaks to rush out to tile, slab and fixture showrooms. Nine times out of ten, they don't have what I saw on the computer. So I have made decisions on about 90% of our remodel items sight unseen :-o Unfortunately I don't have the resources of an interior designer at my command so it's been a very steep learning curve. Thank you all for your input.

Bedrosians new MAGNIFICA product is by far the best in the Large format Porcelain Slabs- they are made in Italy. The looks could not be more realistic. They offer it in 12mm for coutnertops and 6mm for floors and walls. This is what I went with!

http://www.bedrosians.com/en/product/detail/slabs/porcelain/magnifica-slab/?itemNo=DOLMAGSTA60126-12P

DH - Sorry for the late posting. I decided against real marble due to maintenance and cost. I chose Atlas (Ceramiche) Marvel Pro Statuario. After having these installed I can honestly say no regrets (so far). The tiles are high quality, Italian made and far, far less expensive than real marble, very durable and low maintenance. Using matte for floors and polished for walls, it is the closest thing real marble. Even the matte texture is eerily real! We were limited to local stock on hand. My installer bought several boxes more than needed to get the best pattern. There were very few if any repeat tiles in a box. We also used Atlas Marvel Calacatta Extra matte in another bathroom, also equally beautiful but a bit more calm and off white than the Statuario. If you choose these tiles feel confident in your choice. I highly recommend both over real marble.

Marvel Pro Statuario matte installed:

Marvel Calacatta matte installed:

Large XL format Marvel Pro Statuario will go on the walls. The trick was getting the local supplier to let us look through their XL slabs of Marvel Pro to choose the best ones. The supplier said "It's tile, it's all the same. You don't need to choose them!" We had to get a professional designer who orders large volumes with this suppler to finally let us look through the slab tiles. When they finally laid them out for us to choose they had to admit they were all different. And we needed to use the computer to find out the best pattern for the slabs we choose. Just like real marble ;-)

Looks great. I would love to see a photo when it is all installed.

Great information. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful.

Also want to mention now Bedrosians Tile and Stone has MAGNIFICA large format porcelain panels 60x126 12mm that are made in the USA. I just used the Luxe White Satin on my kitchen counters - wow- you cannot even tell it’s not stone. There is no maintenance and oil I use for cooking has always wiped up like a breeze. I’m telling everyone I know because it’s absolutely the best product for my young and growing family.

@aliciatro, I simply love that tile! Ive been researching the large format porcelain for a bit, but the reviews have been frustrating. Thanks for the pic!! Lovely kitchen:)

@jwill11 - I could not be happier!!

You should check with your local fabricator or a quartz showroom that has fabrication on site about Caesarstone marble looking quartz slabs. Make sure not pick from samples; you should pick a slab you like and decide on the size. Caesarstone gives a lifetime warranty on residential use.

I looked at quartz as well- while nice in my opinion it doesn’t compare in the real look of the MAGNIFICA porcelain panels to actual stone.

Yes porcelain for a stone look. But for my application I needed full slabs. I wanted no grout lines so the standard single finish 12x12 or 12x24 or 60x126cm polished tiles weren't gonna cut it, (sorry Magnifica fans).

Marvel Atlas Concorde is manufactured in Italy (I gather Magnifica is as well) and of the highest quality. Their Statuario Select and Calacatta are available in full size floor to ceiling porcelain slabs, and in many different finishes. I chose multiple 120x278 cm - 47 1/4”x109 1/2” slabs. The walls are polished finish and the floor is matte non-slip in the shower. It creates a seamless look with almost zero maintenance ( we just use is a squeegee). If you are going to think about aging in place you may want to plan ahead to avoid stooping or reaching to scrub tile and grout lines. We went this direction because the previous owners thought it was fun to use 4 inch tiles to cover a huge shower and the vanity top. The experience at the tile and stone store was the same as picking out real marble slabs. We actually had to convince the workers that the slabs were indeed different and they had to lay them out for us to choose. We counted up to 8 different patterns before we find a similar one.

I definitely want to use the large format tile for a groutless backsplash. However, I need a countertop to tie in with the large format. I am dubious about using porcelain tile for a kitchen counter because of chipping. Porcelain tile isn’t as hard as quartz. Anyone have any recommendations for a large format tile resembling marble (calacatta pref) that is very similar to a quartz?

Hi Renee,

I have had the MAGNIFICA Porcelain countertops in my kitchen for almost a year now. NO chips. and trust me when I say... I am not easy on my counters. My 2 year old took a sharpie to the countertop one day... my mouth dropped ... I grabbed a magic eraser and bar tenders friend - and it came out instantly. This is truly the best thing I could have put on my counters. I also love that they now how the 2CM thick version and the 8mm 30x30 that you can use for the backsplash - there are a lot of options. I used the 30x30 in my children's bathroom remodel on the walls and it is gorgeous.. I have the matching counters as well. Bedrosians MAGNIFICA Porcelain Slabs

Check out here: Bedrosians is launching their 2CM end of August.

https://www.bedrosians.com/en/magnifica/ 

" Porcelain tile isn’t as hard as quartz."

Engineered stone is a 6-7 on the Mohs scale; porcelain is 7.

Please don't confuse "hardness" with "chippyness". Your edge detail has much more to do with chipping than the hardness of the material.

I would suggest using solid surface for a groutless/seamless backsplash. Much easier to install, much less likely to crack, and if it did crack, unlike porcelain, it can be inconspicuously repaired. Make sure your appliances are installed per manufacturer's instructions and you'll have no problems.

Aliciatro,

could you please post more pictures of your Magnifica counters? I am considering these now. I need to decide on counters this week. Do you still love them?

Do you have satin finish? Are you happy with the finish? how does satin look? I’ve only seen polished and luxe white is beautiful in polished. However, I am not sure whether to get polished or satin.

Thanks

julia

Hi Julia, I have the satin on my kitchen counters and the polished on my desk area. MAGNIFICA is now made in 2cm thickness for countertops so I recommend using that thickness. Satin or polished is such a personal preference... but the satin feels like a honed smooth stone. Polished looks more vibrant. Cant go wrong either way, check out @bedrosianstile Instagram for inspiration they are the only ones who carry this.

Hi aliciatro. I haven't gone through the whole thread, so I wanted to ask - are you living in the Seattle area? I am asking because I am looking for a reputable and certified fabricator and installer of the large format porcelain panels in the Seattle area. Who fabricated and installed yours, if you don't mind sharing, and how much did it cost you per square foot to do?

I am thinking about doing my guest bathroom walls and floor in Fiandre's (Italian company) Bright Onyx which I believe is the same as Stonepeak's Fantasy Bright but without the middleman.

I would really appreciate your input, aliciatro. I called Granite and Marble Specialties and was quoted $50 per square foot for fabrication and installation alone ( prep work not included in the price) which seems very expensive, especially given that the 60" x 30" panels I want to use on the walls cost a reasonable $14 per square foot.

Anyway, if you or anyone near Seattle can recommend a certified large format porcelain panel fabricator and installer (and let me know how much they charged you!) I would be very grateful.

Hi Alexandra, Bedrosians in Seattle has a list of reputable fabricators that they use for their Magnifica. You can only purchase the slabs through the fabricators (who in turn get it from Bedrosians). I will note, that it will be likely be higher in cost than expected. Some fabricators are architectural stone werkes, Inc., Marmo E Granito, MW Stoneworks, and Pillar Resources.

Thank you, Hana!

@Alexandra Brooker did you go with the tile slab? I am in the Seattle area and planning a kitchen remodel. I was originally thinking of doing marble on my island and backsplash, and soapstone or black honed quartz ( LG Carbo brushed) on my perimeter counters. But then I saw the tile slabs and really fell in love. They are stunning and have a certain translucency that looks like stone, without the upkeep or price. I'm currently in the process of looking at slabs and getting fabricator quotes. I have been talking with Western Artisan and Granite and Marble Specialties. THe latter does seem more on the expensive side to me. I've been told to find a couple slabs and then shop the job around to multiple fabricators to compare price. Where are you at in your process? Have you found anyone locally to work with? I'd love to hear.

@Jessica Uhler

Hi there,

We ended up with not doing the remodel of our small bathroom at all. We decided to use that money and take my mom to Hawaii.

Anyway, the porcelain thin slabs themselves are just so expensive to install on the walls and floor (around $50-60 per square foot) that we put that idea to rest. I don't know how much it would cost to use them as countertops but my hunch is that the cost would be prohibitive across the board too. Hiring a GC in the Seattle area to remodel a 7x8.5 bathroom costs another $20K minimum (we live in a condo), so for now... it's Hawaii.

We have bought 12"x24" porcelain tiles and a Sicis glass mosaic for the "vanity" wall already so the remodel will happen ultimately but not until those crazy prices go down. I'm not going to fuel the greed of contractors and Co.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.

I would strongly urge you not to do marble in the kitchen. If you want that same gorgeous look quartzite is a perfect substitute. Looks like the best marble and is as hard and non-porous as granite or quartz. Doesn't etch either. Costs a lot and you have to be careful when buying it. Sometimes the seller knowingly or unknowingly will try to sell you marble as quartzite. There are ways though that you can check what you are really getting. Just do a quick google search.

That is my two cents. :) Have a great day and good luck with your kitchen remodel!

@Alicia Torosian Design Do you still love your porcelain slabs? May I ask what city you are located in? I'm looking for an experienced fabricator in Portland, OR?

@Jessica Uhler

I am going to be using Marmo e Granito for my renovation. We are using the porcelain slabs in the shower, an integrated sink in powder room and as a backsplash in the kitchen (we wanted it for kitchen countertops but it was 14k and decided to save there since the shower was going to be expensive). I like marble but don't want the upkeep, but the cost of porcelain slabs install isn't much cheaper (Marmo e granito works with real stone too).

P.S. I am in Seattle

The benefit of porcelain over marble is that most of beautiful white marbles can range $85 a sf and up… the pocelain is much lower so it helps offset the cost of fabrication. I have moved since my original posting and used porcealin and quartzite in my new home.

I do know Bedrosians carries the 60x126 slab, 48x48, 24x48 (in some colors) and msoaics so I used some together to create the look of marble at a fraction of the cost of real marble. The price to install has come down (in recent years) since fabricators are more used to handling it and are not afraid of breaking a slab.

A great alternative as mentioned is always quartzite.

I live in southern california and I am an interior designer. Happy to answer questions.

Daltile Panorama is made in Italy. So is Bedrosians.... So is MSI large scale tile.

Porcelain slabs need to be installed in a very different way than other slabs and for those who ignore that get bad results. They seem to know how to install them in Europe, but the USA is still learning. I searched for a builder who had a lot of experience with porcelain slabs on Houzz and I personally visited a porcelain slab project he did two years ago. The marble bathroom sink counter had a fracture at the sink faucet, but the porcelain kitchen island counter and porcelain slab fireplace were still in perfect condition, even around the sink and around the edges. The owner of that two year ago project, found the builder on line like I did. In addition to Houzz reviews, I looked at the worse reviews on Yelp also. Personally, I have a 20- year-old porcelain floor that still looks great, so that is why I am going with porcelain again. I read that quartz yellows in the sun light or various cleaners and can't take pans out of the oven, granite needs to be sealed periodically, marble is high maintenance. I am planning on a wet room with marble look porcelain slabs on all of the walls, porcelain on the floor, and sink counter, all matching. I am proposing to the builder to use a 2.0cm thickness. Consumer Reports noted that the pattern on porcelain tiles can wear away, so it is best to go with through body veining or at least rated for heavy commercial applications. Epoxy grout matching the main color of the slab.

Porcelanosa Glem White XTONE