the simple way: calacatta marble

In my first post here I swooned over Calacatta marble (to say the least) but I wanted to share some options I've come across in my journey to get the look for less (a.k.a.: even though I don't have the budget for it I'm going to get it one way or another!). Here's what I found.

If you are wanting the look of a big slab of marble on your walls but aren't ready to purchase a big slab you can purchase large format tiles and install them to help create the look of a large slab. I found these big tiles for $35 /square foot.  These tiles are 12x24 but sometimes you will get tiles cut from the same section of stone in which you can match up the veins like they did here. 

from Julian Tile

These would look great used in a kitchen or bathroom and cost you less than a big slab especially if you can do it yourself.  You can see in these next two bathrooms how they used large format tiles but installed them very close together in order to create the effect of a continuous slab. 

More Design and Build

via style at home

I understand that $35 a square foot is still a hefty price to pay or you simply may not be ready to make such a big commitment, so instead you could install a few pieces over your stove or sink or bathtub or in another area where it will provide you with the visual impact you are looking for and then tile the rest of your space with another tile like a simple white tile as they did in these next few kitchens.  

Polsky Perlstein Architects via Decorpad

via cococozy

Or you could pair it with smaller scale marble tiles like in this next kitchen, which reportedly belongs to Gwyneth Paltrow.  Her kitchen does have a beautiful marble sink (sigh...someday!) but it gives you an idea of how you can use the large scale marble tiles on the wall behind the sink or behind some open shelves and then do the rest of your space in the smaller marble tiles, which are usually less costly than the bigger ones.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Manhattan Kitchen

Or you could pair it with glass tile like Thom Felicia did in this bathroom to keep the look more modern. 

Thom Felecia via House Beautiful

Another idea would be to tile the base of your kitchen island, which would be a great diy tile project since it wouldn't require too many tile cuts and your island should be fairly straight.  Many islands have space on the backside or the back and sides where you could use the larger scale tiles and put them close together to create the illusion of a large slab.  12" x 12" tiles or 12" x 24" is a good size for a diy project since they are easy to cut on a basic tile saw by yourself.  Anything bigger may require a fancy shmancy tile saw for cutting bigger tiles, or at least a few people to help hold the tile as you put it through on a standard saw.  Make sure you have LOTS of water in your tile saw to avoid chipping and also make sure you lay out your tile pattern on the floor first before you start.  Hopefully these islands will inspire you to take yours to the next level.  

Interiors by Darren James

via Apartment Therapy

I also came across this faux marble. I've never been a big fan of faux marble but it seems they are making it better and better these days and when I came across this faux calacatta I was definitely sold on it.  I love this stuff and almost thought it looked better than the real thing.  What was even better was the price at $13.95 a square foot. 

from Julian Tile

Another option is to check with stone suppliers to see if they have remnant pieces you may be able to purchase at a discounted price.  Or check your local classifieds for anyone selling off left over material.  I recently did this and found honed Calacatta marble tiles and ended up paying just under $5 per square foot.  Make sure you are very careful when measuring your square footage.  You should have the square footage you need plus 10-20% extra.  You will also want to take your measuring tape with you to double check the size of the tile since some batches of tile are sometimes cut just a little bit bigger or smaller than the size they are supposed to be.  If you have just enough tile but none extra then look at adding in an accent tile like in these next few bathrooms done by Sarah Richardson.  I love the look of these bathroom floors but only consider this if it's either in your budget to pay extra for installation or you are doing it yourself and the cost of installation is not an issue.  

Sarah Richardson Design

Sarah Richardson Design

Well, hopefully I've inspired you to believe that with a little creativity (and maybe a little elbow grease) you can achieve a high end look with calacatta marble without breaking the bank.