One of the most opulent surfacing materials in an interior designer’s toolkit, marble has retained its top spot as the preferred natural stone finish for centuries. From Michelangelo to Shahjahan, marble has found many advocates over the years. World-famous monuments like the Parthenon in Greece and the Taj Mahal in Agra have showcased the timeless elegance of pure marble, and these structures have stood the test of time and are peerless even today!
Modern marble is processed and polished in new ways that deliver scratch-proof and stain-resistant finishes, and can keep homes looking stunning for decades. In this blog, we take a close look at how marble wall designs can accentuate and enhance your home décor. Keep reading, and you can take away some of these lovely ideas for use in your own home!
Marble Wall Designs: Installation
Marble wall designs are available as slabs or tiles, and both are installed in a similar way.
- The marble should always be pre-polished before cladding on a vertical surface.
- Prepare the surface on which the marble is to be affixed, by ensuring it is perfectly vertical and applying cement mortar to the required thickness.
- The back of the marble should be rough to ensure better grip.
- Place the marble on the prepared surface and fix in position, using a plumb rule to ensure verticality and perfect alignment.
- Adjacent slabs should have continuity of grains of marble, and joints should be paper thin.
- Cramp supports can be used if the slabs are very large and heavy.
Marble Wall Designs: Cleaning and Maintenance
Marble is a porous natural stone, and requires to be well-sealed on the surface to render it impermeable before use. It can scratch and stain, and does not typically last as long as granite, slate, or other harder forms of natural stone.
But unlike floors, which are subject to heavy foot traffic on a daily basis, marble wall designs are far more easy to maintain. The slab should be well-polished and sealed using a chemical penetrating surface sealer before it is affixed to the wall. Once the stone is mounted on the wall, polishing it becomes impossible.
All that is required to keep your marble wall designs looking as good as new is just a wipe-down with a soft cloth to remove surface dust. Do make sure that there are no hard, abrasive or pointed surfaces in contact with the marble wall designs, to prevent scratches and damage.
Types of Marble Wall Designs
We’ve listed out a few types of fine marble that are used in home décor.
Carrara marble:
One of the most popular types of marble, Carrara marble is quarried in the Carrara region of Italy, hence its name. This greyish-white stone is characterised by feathery veins in grey. Carrara marble wall designs are fairly economical, making this one of the most widely used marble varieties in home décor.
Calacatta marble:
Quarried from specific regions in the Carrara region of Italy, Calacatta marble is prized for its dark and beautiful veining patterns over a lustrous white background. It is quite rare and is therefore more expensive. Calacatta marble with gold veins looks gorgeous and is used in high-end luxe homes.
Makrana White Marble:
Bright white and lustrous, Makrana marble is renowned for its striking purity. This is the marble that was used to build the Taj Mahal, Dilwara temples in Mount Abu, and countless historical monuments of yore.
Indian Green Marble:
Also called Rainforest green marble, this shade of marble is richly pigmented and offers lovely contrast against white or grey stones. It is used on kitchen counters, flooring tiles and in marble wall designs.
Indian Onyx Marble:
With delicate feathery veins in shades of grey, Indian onyx marble is widely available and more cost-effective than Makrana or Calacatta varieties. This type of marble is used for wall cladding and as flooring tiles.
Marble Wall Designs Lookbook
We’ve pulled out some of our favourite marble wall designs from the HomeLane archives—classic examples of how this lovely stone can be styled!
Marble Wall Designs for the Bathroom
The quintessential dichotomy of black and white never fails to make a stunning statement. High-contrast lustrous and clean white marble on opposite walls is elevated to a whole new level by the black Italian marble on the floors, folded up to continue on the accent wall. Pinpoints of light on the ceiling are reflected onto the sparkling walls for an other-worldly look.
The varying greyscale of this gleaming marble takes this bathroom to a whole new dimension. Gold accents in the plumbing and mirrors add an unexpected element of drama. We’re loving the sculptural quality the marble lends to this compact, yet highly opulent space.
What can be more inviting than this marble-wrapped shower cubicle that has swathes of green cascading down from the skylight above! Prettily patterned tile flooring adds subtle contrast to the pale green patterns on the marble wall. Here, marble tiles are used instead of slabs, making the cladding a whole lot easier.
Marble Wall Designs for the Living Room
This biophilic living room uses marble not only on the floors and walls, but also to top little round centre tables. An open shelf, lined in wood, acts as a divider between two walls that are cladded in light grey marble slabs.
Elegant white marble with grey streaks is placed so as to seemingly radiate out in spokes from the television unit, in this luxe living room. Paired with wood and brown accents, the marble TV wall design makes a striking impact.
Kitchen Wall Marble Design
With its lustrous finishes and diverse textures and grains, marble lends itself particularly well to contemporary interiors. This open kitchen is the last word in opulence, and its stylish backsplash and counters in fine black Italian marble is what makes it stand apart. The wraparound waterfall counter around the breakfast table adds the perfect finishing touch.
Grey is the new neutral, and is versatile enough to pair with any colour in the lookbook! Here, grey marble with delicate white veining holds its own against dark as well as light colours of wood, and is beautifully highlighted by the accent lights positioned just above.
Wrapping Up
Love the luxe sheen of marble wall designs, and want this look in your home? HomeLane’s interior experts can help you narrow down the perfect choice among the top trending marble choices. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today!
FAQs
1. Are marble wall designs good for the walls?
Marble is one of the most widely used natural stones in the world. Marble wall designs can transform an interior space from the ordinary to the extraordinary in an instant. While marble is a porous stone and can get damaged when used on the floors, it is an excellent choice for wall cladding as it shows minimal damage and is easy to maintain.
2. Where are marble wall designs typically used?
Marble is a popular wall cladding material for living room marble wall design, bathrooms, and kitchens. When used in kitchens or bathrooms, care should be taken to ensure that the surface is sealed well so that it is completely impervious and does not stain. Chemical sealers will reduce the porosity of the marble and make it heat and moisture resistant. Not only will your rooms look luxurious, but they will also be highly functional!
3. Which marble wall designs are best for your living room walls?
Marble is available in a wide range of colours; white and black being the most popular among them. You should choose the marble wall designs for your living room based on the colour palette you are using.
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- White and grey are neutral choices, and will go well with just about any colours.
- The lighter the colour of marble, the more open your room will feel. So, if you have a room that’s on the smaller side, choose light coloured marble wall designs.
- Darker shades of marble like green, yellow ochre, red, blue and brown should be used with care, as a large expanse of coloured marble will impact the colour palette in your living room. Ideally, you should first pick the colour of the marble, and then work the colour scheme in the rest of the room keeping the core colour in mind. Green or aqua upholstery, rugs and artwork —perhaps with pops of yellow in the accessories and accents—will go well with blue marble wall cladding, for instance.
4. Which marble wall designs are best for the bathroom?
Your bathroom is a space that is prone to high humidity and temperatures. Pure white marble, or marble with veins of grey, gold or any other colour, will look stunning on your bathroom walls.
While most people believe that hard water stains will not show up easily against dark surfaces, the opposite is actually true! Always keep in mind that if you are using dark colours in the bathroom—and if the water is hard and contains minerals—then you are very likely to find hard water stains on the walls.
5. Are marble wall designs good for use in kitchens?
Yes, marble is a popular choice of backsplash material for kitchens. When the same marble is used on the countertops as well, it gives a seamless appearance that looks particularly stunning if the marble used is of high quality.
However, a word of caution here! Marble stains easily with turmeric and vinegar or citrus, which are all commonly used in the kitchen. It can also get scratched rather easily, as it is a soft stone. We recommend using granite instead in the kitchen, as it is an impervious stone and is resistant to staining and scratches. If you love kitchen wall marble design, and absolutely must have only marble on the walls, do ensure that it is properly sealed and polished. Also, make sure that it is re-sealed every couple of years to keep the surface intact and free from any damage.
