Is it true that all Italian marbles are the same?

Euro Marble is often visited by many who are remodeling or building new kitchens. They love the look of Italian white marble and are shown three different types being: Calacatta, Carrara and Statuario. This almost always begs them to ask the question, “Does it matter which one we choose? Aren’t all Italian Marbles the same?”

To the untrained eye, most white marble materials may look the same however there are differences. The most popular Italian marbles are from the Calacatta, Carrara and Statuario families mentioned above. From block to block, these three types may resemble one another however there are distinct differences and it is important to explain so you are selecting the right one for your design intent.

Carrara Marble from Carrara region in Italy

The Carrara marble tends to be more of a greyish to White in background colour with less large dramatic veining and more fine, linear veining that graces the slabs

Calacatta marble from Carrara region in Italy

Calacatta marble is prized for its white to milky white backgrounds with dramatic, thick veining that can range from grey to taupe coloured with undertones of brown and gold. Calacatta marble is far more luxurious and often bears a higher price tag than its counterpart Carrara.

Statuario marble from Carrara region in Italy

Statuario is the most precious of them all known for having a stark contrast of a crisp white background and grey veining with little to no gold or brown coloured veining.

All three families will vary from slab to slab and from block to block as no two slabs are identical. The unique appeal of each marble slab is what makes each project personal and a reflection of the consumer’s individual style. What is most important than deciding between the three names is choosing a stone that is aesthetically fit for the area in which you had intended to use it in.

At Euro Marble, we have a vast display of precious, exclusive and rare Italian marble varieties. You can see these in person at our showroom and warehouse conveniently located 15 minutes from Sydney’s CBD or visit our sample galley page of Italian marble for a sample snapshot.

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5 Tips on Where to Save, When to Splurge on Your Home Renovation

Where to Save and When to Splurge

Home Renovations can transform homes from drab to fab. However, not many of us have unlimited funds so we need to make decisions on where to spend to make sure we are getting ‘best bang for our buck’.

Suzanne went further, acknowledging ‘not money of us can afford to spend from an unlimited amount of money, so knowing where to be savvy with where you decide to spend up, and where you can save comes down to making smart choices. By making smart decisions about selections and fittings, you can save a heap of money, while still getting a great home renovation. Suzanne has put together her top five tips on where to save and when to splurge on your home renovation.

Home renovation by Amerex Renovations and Additions featuring a stunning kitchen makeover.

Tip 1 | SPLURGE | Stone Benchtop in the Kitchen

By far and away, a stone benchtop is an absolute must. If you can only afford to spend up on one splurge item then this is it. I would say that almost 100% of our clients are choosing natural stone benchtops in their home renovation and extension projects nowadays. They have simply set the benchmark for quality homes.

Why are they so popular? They look good, feel nice to touch and with durability and longevity on their side, they will continue to provide style and class to your home for years to come.

They are easy to look after and if and when the time comes to sell your home, a great kitchen is one of the big ticket items that many home buyers are looking for. It stands to reason then that a stone benchtop will contribute to the value of your home both now and into the future.

Tip 2 | SPLURGE | Quality Fixtures in Kitchens

Kitchens are the hub of the home and scrimping on costs on this room is something that you will regret later on. If your kitchen does not stand the test of time due to poor quality finishes and fixtures, it may limit the resale value of your home.

Your kitchen is used every day and needs good quality fixtures, appliances and finishes to withstand the treatment it will get. Spend here and thank yourself later.

Quality choices mean that you won’t be stuck with replacing tap ware or repairing your cheap appliances in just a couple of short years. This could you more over time than if you had chosen better quality in the first place!

Tip 3 | SPLURGE AND SAVE | Home Security: Spend now and Save Later

If you don’t have home security, get it. If you are about to undertake a home renovation, there is a good chance you will need to perform electrical work too.

This provides you with the perfect opportunity to build in security at the same time as other electrical work. Doing it at the same time will be less expensive that fitting at a later time.

Not only that, but an effective security system will save you money in the long-term while providing you and your family with great peace of mind. You cannot put a price on keeping your family, possessions and home safe. So while this will initially cost money to set up and install, it will save you in so many ways. Including savings on insurance claims for theft and damage (which often leave you out of pocket), and also help prevent a break-in to your home, saving you from the stress, inconvenience and emotional trauma that this can cause.

Tip 4 | SAVE | Bathroom Tiles Do Not need to Bust the Budget

Bathroom tiles can look great without being expensive. Seek out the assistance of a local tiling company or interior designer who can help you to design and select tile patterns and colours to match your style, without costing you a fortune.

There are often sales where you may be able to get premium quality tiles at a discounted rate. Tiles are often reduced to clear the last remaining stock, so a word of caution, make sure there is enough stock to meet your needs, while also allowing for wastage. If you get close to the end of your renovation and do not have enough tiles and need to order more, chances are they may come from a different batch, so you may find that the colour or texture may vary and therefore not match your existing tiles.

Tip 5 | SAVE | Choose Appliances with High Energy Ratings

By choosing appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and freezers with a high energy rating you can save on future electricity bills. You will need to balance out the purchase cost with the long-term savings to make sure that you end up in front.

Ideally you will find a find an affordable appliance that also has a high energy rating so that you are winning on both fronts. With energy bills seemingly on the rise everywhere, this is a smart idea to save you money on an ongoing basis. Choose wisely now and thank yourself over and over in the years to come when those bills roll in.

In Summary

Smart choices and a blend of both splurge and save items for your home renovation can really deliver great ‘bang for you buck’ in your home renovation.

Think beyond the immediate cost of an item and factor in the long term benefits and rewards too. Sometimes spending more for an item initially will deliver cost savings in the future!

We talk to Suzanne Burke, the General Manager at award-winning renovation company Amerex Renovations and Additions who said ‘Doing an entire renovation on the cheap is not recommended and can look terrible and even devalue your home instead of adding value’.

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Using Marble In Your Home Design

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photo-3689922/

This article was written by Culpan & Company.

Building the custom home of your dreams is an exciting but extremely involved process. There are a wide variety of things to consider and hundreds of choices to be made. That’s why your input is so valuable to the custom home builder you’re working with. Once you settle on an overall design, you’ll need to start thinking about the smaller details like what kinds of materials you want used for impactful features. That’s why it’s important to consider the many key benefits of incorporating marble into your custom home design.

Using Marble As a Building Material

While it may not be the first material that comes to mind when building a custom home, marble has been historically used as one of the most beautiful and lasting materials in the world. In fact, it has been used to create numerous well-known statues, buildings, and more. If you’re searching for ways to leave a lasting mark on family and friends while increasing the value of your home, it’s important to consider adding a number of marble features in your custom home design.

Durability & Longevity

First and foremost, marble is a popular choice due to its durability in a wide variety of conditions. In fact, many historical structures worldwide have lasted hundreds of years and still stand today in pristine condition. This makes it the ideal material for various home construction aspects, especially indoor features. Even more, when you don’t have to worry about the elements, you can feel good knowing your features will last a long time while looking as beautiful as the day they were installed.

Unique Look & Feel

As one of the most recognizable materials in the world, marble comes in a variety of shades and colours. Even basic white, marble will catch the eye of your visitors instantly. That’s because it glistens under any light while creating a smooth surface, making it the ideal material for your bathroom, kitchen, and other areas of your home. It also comes in a variety of shades and colours, providing you with more flexibility in terms of overall design.

Crafted Home Features

Typically, marble is sourced from large quarries in large slabs that can be crafted into distinct designs by specialty craftsman. Because of its versatility, it can be displayed in a wide variety of ways around your home. These include:

Fireplaces

As a durable material in extreme temperatures, marble can be crafted into an elegant fireplace surround. With the ability to engrave custom designs, marble is the perfect choice for those who want to include intricate, unique features into their home design.

Countertops

Due to its exceptional heat resistance, marble countertops are a favourite among those who love to cook. Stunningly beautiful it’s also resistant to scratches, breaking, and cracks making it a great choice over other countertop materials.

Columns

When it comes to historical structures, marble columns are found in some of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. As a reliable building material, marble columns create a luxurious and classic atmosphere inside your custom home.

Stairs

If you really want to wow your visitors, adding a marble staircase can leave a lasting, powerful impression. Even better, you won’t have to worry about any wear and tear that’s common with wood-based stairs or pesky creaking in changing weather conditions.

Elevate Your Custom Home’s Decor

Given its ability to come in a wide variety of shades and gradients, marble is the ideal home building material. If you want to elevate the decor of your custom home, it’s important to have your custom home builder reach out to a leading provider of quality marble products with your personalized design and ideas in mind.

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The Right Natural Stone for Flooring Different Rooms

While there are many options when it comes to materials for flooring your home or business, few
have the impact of natural stone. It’s aesthetically luxurious and sophisticated, and cool to the touch during our hot Australian summers. However certain types of natural stone are better suited to certain rooms based on their composition and susceptibility to things like spills and heat among st other factors. At Euro Marble, we’re often asked about the pros and cons of different types of natural stone for flooring different rooms, so we’ve compiled the below list to help you choose the right stone for your dream floors:

Best Natural Stone for Kitchen Floors
For most Australians, the kitchen is one of the most high-traffic areas in your entire home. As a result, kitchen floors will be exposed to all sorts of spills and splatter, excessive heat close to ovens and high foot traffic to boot. Because of this, it’s important to choose a natural stone which will be functional as well as visually beautiful. Typically, granite and limestone are popular choices for kitchen floors as they are slightly more robust and less porous than stone like marble. Regardless of which natural stone you opt to use for your kitchen floors, it’s important to correctly seal and maintain them to keep them looking pristine for decades.

Best Natural Stone for Bathroom Floors
Natural stone can really take a bathroom to another level from a design and luxury standpoint.
However, bathroom floors will inevitably be exposed to surface water no matter how careful you
are. Granite is probably the best option for most main bathrooms as its not very porous and is less susceptible to absorbing moisture when compared to other types of natural stone. Any spills should be cleaned up quickly as they may contain acidic substances found in shampoos, body wash or even bleach or cleaning detergents used in bathrooms. Again, properly sealing and maintenance must be applied when choosing natural stone floors for a bathroom.

Best Natural Stone for Outdoor Flooring
When it comes to using natural stone as tiles or pavers for outdoor areas, travertine can be a great option. It’s a beautiful stone and is also very durable. When left unpolished, travertine has great anti-slip properties making it perfect for around the entrance of a house or by a swimming pool.

These are just some options for the best types of natural stone to use as flooring in different rooms around your home or business. Other areas such as living rooms or hallways can be ideal for marble as there is less potential of constant spills etc.

Get in touch with Euro Marble in Sydney today to discuss your individual project and we can offer friendly advice about the best natural stone for it!

4 Commons Myths About Natural Stone

The striking beauty of natural stone is undeniable, especially stone like marble and granite. However, there is as much misinformation floating around about natural stone as there is accurate information, especially on the internet! Part of our vision here at Euro Marble is to educate Australians about the wonders of natural stone as a building material, so we’ve written this article to expose some of the most common myths about marble, granite and other types of natural stone:

Myth 1: Natural Stone Is Extremely Difficult to Maintain

Natural stone is actually a very durable material and once proper precautions are taken, it’s not that difficult to maintain at all. It’s important to properly seal the natural stone prior to its first use and at recommended intervals after that, the frequency of which depends on the type of stone and the area where it is being used. Aside from that, apply common sense and wipe up spills quickly, use coasters etc and your natural stone will be surprisingly low-maintenance!

Myth 2: Marble Should Never Be Used for Kitchen Benchtops

This is a very common misconception about natural stone. Like any surface, it needs to be looked after and cleaned regularly to stay in peak condition, however, on the contrary, it is actually the perfect choice for baking. Its cool, hard surface makes it the ideal surface for rolling dough and for this reason many busy bakeries won’t have any other material in their kitchens! Marble can etch however if it comes in contact with acidic substances such as citrus or alcohol, so ensure spills are wiped promptly and thoroughly.

Myth 3: Natural Stone Will Go Out of Style

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Natural stone has literally been used for thousands of years in residential and commercial construction, including some of the wonders of the ancient world. If anything, it’s one of the safest options when it comes to timelessness as far as building materials are concerned. The elegance and striking beauty of natural stone have bypassed design trends for centuries and will continue to do so.

Myth 4: Natural Stone is Too Expensive

Another hugely inaccurate piece of information floating around about natural stone is that it’s only suitable for projects with huge budgets. This couldn’t be further from the truth and while certain types of rare stone do come with a significant price tag, there are a vast array of options to suit far more modest budgets. Add to this the extensive list of advantages of natural stone compared to man-made materials, and it becomes a fantastic and cost-effective option. Here at Euro Marble, we’re one of the pioneers of Natural Stone, including Italian Marble, here in Australia. We’ll be more than happy to debunk some other common myths for you when you drop by our Sydney showroom, and happy to offer advice about the best natural stone for your particular budget and project!

What Is Marble Etching and How to Prevent It

Here at Euro Marble, we’re often asked about etching on marble. Our customers ask us what it is, what causes it and if it can be prevented and/or removed once it’s occurred. As a result, we decided to put together this article to answer the questions we’re commonly asked.

What is etching on marble?

Marble etching is physical damage to the stone, generally caused by the marble coming into contact with certain substances containing acids including coffee, citrus, wine, tomatoes, alcohol and juice. This is different to a stain as etching is actually a corrosive reaction in the stone, which removes its surface layer to reveal the raw marble beneath. Think of it as burning the top layer of the marble. As a result, the exposed area is lighter and duller than it previously was. A stain on the other hand, occurs when a liquid penetrates the marble and causes discolouration within the stone.

Can Etching Be Prevented?

The good news is that there are many ways to reduce the likelihood of your marble becoming etched. These include the below:

A quality marble sealer is recommended to reduce the porosity of the stone meaning quickly wiped spills are less likely to etch the stone.
As per the previous point, if an acidic substance does come in contact with your marble, be sure to clean it immediately with a clean, damp cloth.
A honed surface is less susceptible to etching than a polished finish. If you are using natural stone in an area where it’s very likely to come into contact with acidic substances such as a high-traffic kitchen benchtop, consider a honed finish for your natural stone to reduce the visibility of etching.
Use coasters and chopping boards to prevent food and drink coming into direct contact with the marble wherever possible.
Be careful what you use to clean your natural stone as many multi-purpose cleaning sprays are acidic. We recommend using a cleaning spray specifically made for treating natural stone.

Can Marble Etching Be Reversed?

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to reverse etching on marble once it has occurred as it’s a chemical reaction. There are certain polishing products you can use but it will never be as good as new unless you hire a natural stone professional to sand down the entire surface and re-finish it. Prevention is easier than a cure when it comes to etching and natural stone!

Here at Euro Marble, we’re one of the leading providers of Italian marble and many other types of natural stone here in Australia. Drop by our Sydney showroom, or call or email us today to discuss your individual natural stone requirements!

Carrara Marble in Australian Architecture

Here at Euro Marble, we think its fair to say that marble can make any room in your home or business feel luxurious, elegant and sophisticated. Architects and interior designers love using marble in their projects as it adds a sprinkle of magic on the end result. While there are many different types of marble to choose from, the right grade of this natural stone depends on individual preference and taste along with considering the functional aspect of using different kinds of marble in certain areas.

As marble is a natural stone which is rich in calcium, it will continue to change as time passes contributing to the beauty and character of the stone and interior which surrounds it.

If you have further decided that you want a white marble for your project, one fantastic option is Carrara marble, which is often used in stunning residential and commercial projects throughout Australia. Below is more information about Carrara marble and some of the best uses for it to make your project just perfect:

What is Carrara Marble?

Carrara Marble is quarried in the Alpi Apuane mountain range in Carrara, Italy, right between Genoa and Florence. Carrara marble is a white marble with a clean, bright look accentuated by grey veining. The defining features of Carrara marble are thin, light and feathery veining against a white or light grey background instead of the dark, sharp and bold veining found in other types of marble and natural stone (see for black natural stone products).

Best uses for Carrara Marble in Your Project

As marble in general is one of the softer, more porous stones in the natural stone family, it can etch or stain if not properly sealed and maintained. At Euro Marble, many of our clients use it for diverse purposes inside the home or business, including kitchen benchtops and backsplashes, the surrounds of fireplaces, shower walls, vanity areas in bathrooms or as stunning floor tiles. It is popular in high-end hotels especially in bathrooms, where a stunning Carrara marble bathtub can ooze luxury and elegance.

Carrara Marble at Parliament House

Carrara marble is so highly-regarded that it was used in one of the most prominent areas of one of Australia’s finest architectural structures, our very own Parliament House in Canberra. Carrara marble is used to clad the front façade walls of the Great Verandah, the public face of Parliament House. The Great Verandah is often used as backdrop for ceremonies held on the forecourt, with the Carrara marble façade on display.

Here at Euro Marble, we are industry-leaders in Australia in marble, granite and other types of natural stone. Whether you’re an architect, interior designer, high-end builder or an end-user please drop into our Sydney showroom or call or email us today to discuss which natural stone is right for your individual project!