Homeowners and interior designers are giving marble a fresh look. And why not! It’s luxurious, it’s beautiful and it’s durable – characteristics that have sustained its appeal for centuries. Floors aren’t the only part of homes that are showcasing this gorgeous stone. Tables, lamps and household sculpture incorporating marble are versatile with many affordable options, especially with the popular trend toward mixed media marble furnishings that might include metal, wood and glass.

What’s Special about Marble?

People go to great lengths to create memorable colors and patterns, but with marble, unique shades and exquisite veining are already present, courtesy of Mother Nature. No two pieces of marble are alike, and no two items of marble furniture are identical, either. No one else can ever have a marble table that looks exactly like yours!

Colors range from white to black with in-betweens such as green and pink. These hues contrast wonderfully with metallics in mixed-media furniture. Veining can be fine and subtle or bold and dramatic. Marble is one of the most durable materials on earth. After all, mountains are made out of it! When it’s maintained, it lasts multiple lifetimes. There are centuries-old marble interiors and furniture that are just as attractive today as when they were new.

Marble in Today’s Homes

Marble may be a classic material, but it is amazingly versatile. It’s equally at home in a traditional or contemporary design scheme. In general, traditional interiors benefit from marble with more standard colors and veins with intricate details. Modern themes favor marble with a less pronounced veining that pairs well with cleaner lines.

A lot of today’s marble furniture uses mixed materials and espouses a minimalist look. You’ll see marble tops with accompanying metal legs that tend to be thin with strong lines. There will often be cleaner and less thick marble slabs. This produces a touch of classical elegance integrated into an aesthetic that is completely attuned to the 21st century.

It doesn’t take a lot of marble to transform a room. You can deploy a marble accent table or two with some echoing decor such as marble sculpture and serving trays. Or you could choose to showcase a single marble accent piece. In this case, you might select a bolder pattern and let the rest of the room provide a backdrop for a central item that’s sure to catch everyone’s eye.

In any case, it doesn’t take a major renovation to incorporate marble. Marble plays surprisingly well with a range of furniture materials, and most any room is enhanced with the addition of this elegant stone.

Marble Furniture

When people think of marble furniture, they tend to think first of marble-top tables, and with good reason. There’s an enviable variety of styles and sizes of marble tables. With today’s movement toward mixed materials, marble is combined with metal, glass and wood to render an assortment of luxurious looks.

A popular example is a marble top coffee table with a geometric arrangement of metal legs. These might be brass, metallic gold or even black to provide a contrast with the marble’s color and pattern. Tables range from dining tables to coffee tables to side tables to high tops. Coffee tables and accent tables can be round, oval, rectangular or square.

Sometimes there will be a glass shelf below the tabletops. This can even be reversed: a glass top and a statement marble shelf underneath. A marble coffee table or side table is a superb way to bring out the best in a sofa or accent chair.

Another furniture option, one that is sure to surprise and delight, is the marble top dresser. Also, there are marble plant stands with multiple surfaces at different heights for potted flowers and other decor.

Marble is a classic choice for lamps. A table lamp can have a flat or cylindrical marble base or a stylized spherical marble pilaster that adds panache to any table or desk that it rests on. A marble base on a floor lamp holds the lamp upright with a sophistication that a metal base can’t hope to match.

Marble Decor

Decor is an excellent option for getting started in marble interior design. It also makes a great complement to the larger marble pieces that you’ve chosen. Table lamps are but one accessory choice. There are serving trays, lazy Susans and cracker trays. You can find mixed wood and marble serving boards. There are bookends that make creative use of marble and metal. Marble veining makes each piece a one-of-a-kind proposition, and you can select the patterning that marries with the wood or metal in a combination as unique as the marble itself.

Some marble sculptures are purely decorative, but what a decoration it makes! Whether the piece is pure marble or a mixture with metal, each example works in its own special way with the furniture and shelving that surrounds it.

Even “faux marble” exudes the luxurious feel of the stone itself. For example, marble-look vinyl flooring brings the elegant ambiance to an entire room. An area rug with a marble design may actually be a polyester pile, but the thoughtful artistry of the designer produces a rug that practically speaks aloud of the timeless charm of marble. A marble-look pillow adds a hint of the stone's luxury to any sofa or sectional.

More Than Merely Furniture

The addition of marble to your home is more than the simple addition of some furnishings. A marble piece is a statement piece, even if it’s just a sculpture. Marble furniture and decor are an investment in your home’s beauty and well as its character.

The natural world offers few materials as elevated, distinctive and durable as marble. Whether it’s a marble coffee table, a pair of marble side tables or some marble-themed decor, why not make this luxurious stone part of your interior design? No matter what your motif or your current style of furnishings, marble is an option that will bring out the best in any room you add it to.