Expert tips on choosing the best marble style for your kitchen

Caesarstone® 5151 Empira White™

Richly veined white marble styles are a true classic, and its enduring style fits seamlessly into both contemporary and traditional interior designs. As more bathrooms and kitchens adopt marble-inspired styles, this luxury stone look is truly gaining prominence once again.

The challenge however, lies in choosing the right marble style, be it light and subdued veining or something more intense such as the popular Calacatta marble look. It all boils down to your own style preferences—do you want to keep it minimalistic with subtle-looking veins or make a bold statement with stronger veins?

From sleek to shiny, to subtle or dramatic, Caesarstone® offers a beautiful assortment of marble-style surfaces. It features the understated 5141 Frosty Carrina™ and 5131 Calacatta Nuvo™ to the intricately veined 5143 White Attica™ and 5031 Statuario Maximus™, and not forgetting the latest addition, the awe-inspiring 5151 Empira White™.

 

Full slab design of 5151 Empira White™

What sets Empira White apart from the rest of the Caesarstone marble styles is that its classical white base is coloured in the purest of hues. The high-end surface spotlights almost black veins which establish a beautiful contrast of darkness and light against its pristine white backdrop.

Making its debut as Caesarstone’s latest Calacatta marble -inspired collection, Empira White bestows elegance in any space it lands. Like all Caesarstone quartz surfaces, it showcases the exceptional beauty of natural stone but boasts resilience and minimal maintenance—winning attributes that the quartz surfacing brand are known for.

Choosing the Right Vein

Caesarstone 5143 White Attica™

The look of marble is best defined by the intensity of the veins, whether it’s subtle like 5141 Frosty Carrina™, or robust like 5143 White Attica™.  The tricky part is deciding on the veining and how to put together the entire look without looking overdone or underwhelmed.

  

General Manager Raymond Kuek of Fineline Design                                                      

Favouring richer veining, General Manager Raymond Kuek from Fineline Design says it bears the true hallmark of marble. “I have a soft spot for 5151 Empira White™. It speaks to me through its prominent veins which are refined in detail,” he reveals. “It’s edgy, yet so classic and the veining is versatile enough to carry dark or light colour schemes. That means we can easily incorporate it into many of our clients’ design briefs.”

"Raymond adds: “The purpose of using dramatic veining is to capture one’s attention with its majestic strokes. To tone things down however, adding warmer accents such as wood, fluted panels or pendant lamps can balance these strong veins to good effect. Complementary colours or shades that are similar to the base or veining colour of the marble style can also be considered for the cabinetry or backsplash.”

 

Branch Manager Norman Tan of Ciseern

Branch Manager Norman Tan from Ciseern understands how to work marble styles with subtle veining such as the 5141 Frosty Carrina™ to his advantage. “What’s the first thing you see when you enter the kitchen? It’s the countertops and these are centrepieces of the kitchen,” he exclaims.

 

Caesarstone 5141 Frosty Carrina™

He says: “You’ll want to play up these feather-light grey veins with deeper and darker undertones for an eye-catching contrast. Rich walnut wood accents are a good match, and so are complementary dark grey finishes for the backsplash and cabinetry. All these pairings enhance the crisp and streamlined appeal of the minimalistic veins, which ultimately boosts the appearance of space in small kitchens.”

 

Choose between a light or dark base colour

Caesarstone 5031 Statuario Maximus™

Colour consistency is one of the top reasons why Norman favours Caesarstone surfaces over others. He says the strict curation of colour and veining show up exceptionally well on Caesarstone’s white marble-style collections, namely 5151 Empira White™, 5143 White Attica™, 5141 Frosty Carrina™, 5131 Calacatta Nuvo™ and 5031 Statuario Maximus™.

 

Design by Ciseern featuring Caesarstone 5141 Frosty Carrina™ (seen on backsplash, and kitchen and island countertops)

To evoke a brighter and bigger sense of space, Norman recommends pairing these white marble styles with other glossy white surfaces, such as coloured glass. He says: “This is a good combination to double the illusion of space in a small kitchen; especially when you use white coloured glass backsplashes or white cabinets of high-sheen finishes.”

 

Design by Ciseern featuring Caesarstone 6046 Moorland Fog™ (seen on matching backsplash and kitchen countertop along the right wall)

To welcome white marble styles in a spacious modern kitchen, Norman suggests a grey colour palette for a polished interplay of monochromatic tones.

“With larger kitchens, the luxury of space allows for show-stopping design features,” he explains. “Think patterned accents such as geometrical detailing. Or go with fabric-look finishes for the cabinets to inject a softer touch, which will better temper the sleek white marble style.”

 

Caesarstone 5100 Vanilla Noir™

Dark marble styles, such as 5100 Vanilla Noir™, usually offer incredible visual depth due to its deep rich tone. Magnificently streaked across Vanilla Noir’s ebony surface are bold veins in tints of beige and vanilla. Norman regards this Caesarstone collection his go-to marble style and has used it lavishly for different interior styles, and even in his own office space.

 “Its versatility is pretty much fail-proof in most style settings, “he says. “What I would do to play up the colour contrast between the black base and the strong, cream-coloured veining is utilise an elegant monochromatic colour palette. White or cream colours are ideal for the backsplashes and cabinetry, and to highlight the grandeur of this dark marble style centrepiece.” 

  

Caesarstone 6338 Woodlands™

Another dark marble beauty from Caesarstone’s collections is 6338 Woodlands™. “I’m struck by its gold-like veining which stands out against the dark brown base tone,” exclaims Raymond. “There is a refined balance of chaos and calm within the veining details.”

 

Design by Fineline Design featuring Caesarstone 5100 Vanilla Noir™ (seen on island countertop, left)

"Raymond continues: “A marble style with strong veining and a dark colour will not necessarily reduce the visual size of a small kitchen or a bathroom. Other factors such as colours and materials for the cabinet finishes, backsplash and flooring come into play as well. If there’s a good mix of dark and light colours in a kitchen or bathroom, it can present a balanced and spacious atmosphere. “

Second to none, the versatile aesthetics of Caesarstone’s marble styles are just one of the top reasons why Raymond chooses to work with the brand. “Yes, we swear by it because the durability of Caesarstone surfaces wins hands down,” he affirms.  “We know we can count on Caesarstone for kitchen surfaces to undergo wear and tear in the long term. Even then, maintenance is a breeze for the homeowners.”