Beyond Carrara Or Making The Case For The Porcelain Tile

Over the last couple of weeks, I received calls from two different friends asking whether using porcelain tile in their bathrooms would make for a classy look and fit the style of their homes. The choice was between marble and porcelain tile. They did not want to use marble in their bathrooms for a number of reasons. One being cost. Another one being maintenance. And I will add a third one, the overused look of a marble bathroom – clean, white, timeless, and beautiful. But often in that generic way that you appreciate but cannot tell apart from another one.

So why are people hesitant to use porcelain tile which is so widely used and appreciated in the rest of the world?

For starters, we have come to believe that porcelain tile will make our bathrooms look “cheap” and less classy. Marble has been popularized as the to-go stone to use everywhere. You see it in entryways, as kitchen counters, as backsplash, as shower tile and floor, as fireplace mantels, everywhere.

Let me be clear. I love marble and have nothing against it. I did not choose it as a main finish for any of the bathrooms in my house not because it is not beautiful, but because it is a high maintenance stone. I knew from the start that I was not willing to get down on my knees and scrub the marble in my bathroom from any grime and soap trapped in it, then apply two coats of sealer 48 hours apart and then buff the newly sealed stone. I did not want to do that.

Almost everywhere you turn these days, from TV shows, to design magazines, to design plans, there is a marble. And not much of variations of it, either. Just white with either beige or gray veins. We cannot seem to imagine not having marble in our house.

But there is a whole other world of choices, colors, textures that can help us make our homes unique and ours and some of these choices are in porcelain tiles.

Dense, uniform, nonporous, water-resistant, stain resistant, exceptionally durable, versatile, easy maintenance and come in a wide range of colors and textures. I mean, it sounds perfect. And it is. You can have your choice among marble-like, wood-like, concrete-like, various styles from Italian glaze to Spanish and Moroccan. You can bring so much personality and warmth to your home by just allowing yourself to look beyond marble.

And if you are still not convinced that the porcelain tile is your thing, look at the different marbles available out there, look beyond Carrara and Calacatta Gold.

Cote D’Azur Marble Travertine - Dezeen Lilac Marble Noir St. Laurent - ABC Stone