On the Prowl: Alternatives to White Marble Countertops

A friend of mine who is redoing her kitchen is obsessed with the look of white marble countertops.  But, considering how high maintenance they are (staining, chipping, and resealing every 3-4 months!), she wants to know if there are any alternatives to achieve the same look.  Sure, there are, I said, there are plenty of engineered stones and the like that look like marble.  WHERE? she demanded.  Where indeed?  So now I’m putting my statement to the test, to find out if there really is anything that can match the beauty of white marble.

4.   Quartzite in Luce di Luna, Super White, or Bianca PROS: Quartzite is a natural stone, very resilient, and stain-proof. As a natural stone, we get that great veiny look we’re searching for. The Bianca is the only material I found that imitates the Calacatta Gold’s warmer, beige veins rather than gray/black.
CONS: While the pictures I’ve chosen is fairly light, as a natural stone there will, of course, be variation in the coloring, so you might have to look around for a slab that is whitish rather than gray.  When I went to see the Luce di Luna in real life, I will say that I was disappointed by the darker appearance of the slab I saw.  If you’re going from one stoneyard to another looking for the right coloring, that can mean significant time shopping around.  Also, as a natural stone, quartzite can be superduper expensive… I’ve seen it quoted at $130+.

 

5.   White Granites: Bethel White, Casa Blanca and Beola Ghiandonata
PROS: We all know the pros of granites: hard, durable, and a magnet for future homebuyers.  The other upside is that granite’s popularity has lead to an abundant supply and some very, very affordable granite options… I’ve seen it quoted for as little as $29-49 sq ft installed.
CONS: Granite is just never white.  It can be light grey, but it will still be grey.  Period.  It is also not usually veiny.  It can be swirly, like the impossible to spell Beola Ghiandoata, but most of the time it will disappoint marble-seekers because it is typically dotty and splotchy. 

Beware: what suppliers are typically calling “white” granite probably looks something like this (an actual photo from a recent trip to a stoneyard):

This piece was priced at $40 sq ft.

6.   Caesarstone Misty Carrera:
PROS: Misty Carrera is 93% natural quartz, so it’s it’s stain, chip, and crack resistant, and extremely low maintenance.
CONS: I’ve seen this in real life, and I have to say that this is absolutely not white.  It is grey.  I’ve also heard rumors of a problem with the resin in Caesarstone that there was some yellowing after exposure to sunlight.  Unconfirmed, but scary nonetheless.

UPDATE: I didn’t get to all the products the first time! Please read on to see my second look at great substitutes for marble: Countertops that look like white marble (take two)

So what do you think? Which do you like the best?