Marble has been an elegant addition in homes for thousands of years. Why has it captured so much interest and popularity?
The answer is in our history. As humans evolved and sought shelter and we became less nomadic, and our dwellings began to define our lifestyle. Marble, unlike many stones at that time, possessed an Earthly beauty. But, because the process to quarry marble was long and arduous, the use of the material was mainly used by high priests or nobility. As a result, it was cut into blocks (by hand) and used for sculptures, wall facades or flooring.
Originally, marble was used for decorative and functional purposes. The earliest uses of marble appeared in public, religious or government buildings due to the great expense and effort to quarry the material.
In Greece, many marble structures that still stand today, such as the temples of Olympus and Athena, the Panathenaic Stadium and the Parthenon.
As quarry, transportation and preparation methods improved, costs reduced and the time to deliver to market improved, marble began to appear in the wealthier homes of the Greeks, and then flourished, as wealth spread, during the Roman Empire. Marble became the status symbol of luxury and few home building materials evoked high-end living as simply and effectively as marble.
The Romans preferred Carrara and Calacatta marble, because of its pure white color. Rather than using blocks, marble would be cut into slabs and used as a fascia over brick and mortar. Often, the fragments or pieces would be used to create mosaics for floors or to accent walls.
During the Renaissance and Victorian eras, marble became the stone of choice for many artists, and continued to signify elegance and wealth. The sculpture David by Michelangelo and The Veiled Christ by Guiseppe are but a few examples of the proliferation of marble at that time.
Considering the degree of difficulty to cut, fabricate and polish, the expense involved in obtaining marble, served as material in churches, government buildings and those who could afford it.
Today, there is no better home building material that reflects Earth’s natural beauty and one that continues to symbolize luxury. With advances in technology, marble is affordable and can be used for a variety of applications such as kitchen islands, bathroom flooring, backsplashes, mosaics and accent walls.