The Best Marble Counter Alternative

When it came to renovating our kitchen, I was originally pretty set on using real marble for our countertops and slab backsplash. I just absolutely love the soul that comes with a natural material that ages and patinas over time. But after some serious contemplation I quickly realized that with a toddler underfoot, and the fact that this isn’t our forever home, we just weren’t in a marble stage of life. (Case in point: the other day my two year old excitedly called me into the kitchen to show me how she had used her ripe, juicy, blueberries to draw “snake trails” all over the counter – ha). When it comes down to it, marble is a porous material that etches and stains quite easily, even if it’s properly honed.

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{“look mama, blueberry snakes!”}

In this case, longevity and resale played a major factor in our decision making. To get that well-patina’d marble look, you simply need years of regular use. Those first few etches hurt and stand out like a sore thumb, but overtime they begin to tell a story. And we simply aren’t planning on sticking around long enough to give our counters the chance to sell said experience.

related: our full kitchen reveal

Thus began the hunt for the best marble counter alternative on the market. I am super picky about this sort of thing but I’m really excited to announce that I’ve found it. As you know I’m not one to gatekeep, so if you’re looking for the best marble counter alternative around it’s none other than Hanstone’s quartz in their Montauk finish.

It has incredible depth, plus just the right amount of veining, in a completely random pattern that’s innate to real marble. It has already tricked just about everyone that has come through our home into thinking it’s the real deal. And because it’s a non porous surface, it has stood up to all toddler related blueberry atrocities (and then some). I just love that it gives the exact marble look that I’m after, without any of the grey hairs.

Going forward, it will be my go-to for all client projects that are faced with the same dilemma – wanting the marble look but not the upkeep or patina. It’s a solution I’m excited to have in my back pocket from here on out.

For all of our kitchen sources (including paint colours), scroll to the bottom of this post.

I want to thank Hanstone for partnering with me on this project. It means the world and it’s an honour to house their products in our home.