THE RISING POPULARITY OF MARBLE IN CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR DESIGN

  • Magnificent marble is having a moment. A timeless classic traced back in its earliest form to ancient Mesopotamia which, in case you are wondering is stated in Wikipedia as covering ‘present-day Iraq. In the broader sense, the historical region of Mesopotamia included parts of present-day Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey.’

  • Marble has been used profusely throughout history for decoration adorning the statues, pillars, and temples of architectural buildings in Ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece and has become synonymous with luxury.  It’s a natural wonder, mined from the numerous quarries that span the globe from Italy and Portugal to China and Brazil which gives it unique character, colour, and personality.

  • A material as old as time itself, with strength, durability, and individuality, was never going to lose its charm. In recent years marble has undergone a spectacular transformation. Emerging from the bowels of excessive and ostentatious history, it has undergone an ironically modern revamp. Marble has switched up its image and reinvented itself. Timeless and opulent as ever, its use has become ever more versatile, and design conscious. Cutting-edge technology has enabled it to adopt new forms, varied function, and dramatic style. Simply put, marble has become seriously sexy and bang-on trend, prominently featured in discerning hotel lobbies, commercial and domestic residences worldwide.

  • Several international trade and design shows dedicated to natural stone have sprung up to support the rise in popularity. There’s the famous Marmonac in Verona, home to the region’s many quarries which are famous for predominantly red or pink tones, the Natural Stone Show in London and further shows in Nuremberg and Milan. Xiamen in China holds the largest trade fair of this kind in the world with over 150,000 visitors expected each year. Contemporary marble products have featured prominently at prestigious design shows over the last decade featuring new and unique designs like those of Ilab. Designs and the range of marble-based products and accessories have steadily increased.

  • Marble has made its mark everywhere within the home. Cool to the touch, its water-resistant and anti-bacterial properties, make it especially practical in kitchens and bathrooms. Here we see marble featured in all its glory with popular book-matched waterfall worktops, splashbacks and shelving or as customised slabs of bespoke made-to-measure vanities, perfectly cut to encase baths, or elevate shower niches.  Since Roman times, when public baths and spas were popular, marble has been used for wall-to-ceiling floors and tiles in bathrooms. It is now commonly used for windowsills as a practical alternative to wood with its wipe-clean water-repellent and stain-resistant properties. Pictured below are examples marble bathrooms and kitchens designed by IIab.design. In addition to their wide collection of furniture and art, they offer bespoke commissions for residential and commercial properties including the hotel and hospitality industry.

  • En-trend Designers like Sophie Paterson, Shea McGee and Kelly Hoppenfavour the use of trending marble in their designs and when it comes to colour palettes, you can rely on nature to provide the very best of design inspiration. Hues of brown are very in vogue alongside increasingly popular peach, pink, green and dramatic purples and black whilst the paler more neutral colours of creams, greys, white, gold, and yellow will always find favour. ‘Neptune’, a popular luxury kitchen design company has embraced the use of bold marble with its recent kitchen designs to include backsplashes with built-in lipped shelving.

  • With the advent of new technologies, new sealants and products are more easily available specifically designed to make caring for this timeless design classic even easier.

  • But it’s not just confined to kitchens and bathrooms. The trend for marble is spreading to other parts of our living quarters.

    We have long seen it used in the family room as a traditional material for our fireplaces, from the more ornate use of the Baroque and Rococo fireplace to the nineties trend for the plainer paired back mantel

  • Now the material is turning its attention to other pieces of furniture and home accessories. Mixed with materials such as wood, copper, leather, and glass, it has adopted a versatility with yin and yang properties. The warmth of wood balances the coolness of the marble. The texture of the raw wood grain contrasts with the smoothness of the polished stone. Materials such as leather soften the hard edges

  • Designers are becoming more playful with marble, and it has evolved as a trendy contemporary design feature in our homes not only with furniture such as coffee tables, sideboards, office desks and home bars but also with décor items such as ornaments, vases, and wall art. The visual impact of contrasting mixed materials is surprising us and the way in which we are combining them is becoming more adventurous. Marble accents can be incorporated in splashes of elevated luxury as a nod to an adjoining room for example through marble shelving in laundries, pantries, or hallways

  • With the increase in home entertaining and the renewed love of the home following the pandemic, marble bars are becoming increasingly popular and are springing up in family areas, basements, and home gyms.  In addition to looking good, marble ticks the boxes for practicality since it is durable, hardwearing and can last for many years, making it sustainable compared with cheaper manufactured alternatives, which may quickly find themselves consigned to landfill.

Pictured here is the iconic marble bar from llab.design - Sliding bar cabinet EDGE, a design triumph that not only looks good but boasts a hidden hydraulic bar, which is freestanding and versatile so can fit in any desired space within the home.

  • In previous decades consumers opted for discreet marble preferring it to blend into the background with less veining, the plainer the better. Whilst this look is still often used in flooring where a minimalistic and cohesive look is required giving the feeling of space, the trend for one-off pieces now errs in favour of the’ not so plain Jane’. Heavy and significant veining and deep striking colours are most definitely in vogue. Displayed as one large slab, it can make a statement backdrop for kitchen or shower backsplashes.

  • Fluting has become a huge trend in marble. Taken from Wikipedia, ‘fluting in architecture and the decorative arts consists of shallow grooves running along a surface. The term typically refers to the curved grooves (flutes) running vertically on a column shaft or a pilaster’.  In Latin the word ‘flutis’ means ‘the waves’.

  • Marble is quite literally making waves. Combine the fluid and organic veins found in the trending Carrara, Calacatta and Arabesco marbles with the soft, sculptural, and elegant curves of fluting and the rich earthy and dramatic hues and you have a winning combination that not only looks amazing but is incredibly tactile, inviting you to run your fingers down the ridges. Though incredibly popular right now, fluting is not a modern invention and can be traced back to the ancient pillars found in classical Greek designs. The earliest pillars were made using tree trunks which when stripped of their bark, left undulating ripples which inspired the popular design. As well as adding interest to flat marble, fluting symbolises stature, respect and discipline with its uniform regularity and highlights the veining detail giving added dimension. Historically and architecturally fluting can disguise imperfections of joints, and with the trick of light can make a column appear more perfectly round than its smoother counterpart while simultaneously making it appear lighter and more elegant. It is increasingly used in vanities, decorative edges for bowls and vases and more recently, furniture.

  • Today there are very few manufacturers of high-end marble designer furniture pieces in operation worldwide. Realising a dream following the onset of war in Ukraine, architect Alexandr Bosenko and his business partner, third-generation stone mason, Vadim Livshyts, switched their attention from stone masonry and cladding to creating llab.design.  Making their debut at Milan Design Week in record time with less than a month to prepare, they unleashed their design icons including the iconic Edge bar on the world stage.  The striking designs, pictured here, have rapidly and deservedly gained much attention.  To complement their designs, llab.design can offer made-to-measure marble solutions for walls, media walls or bespoke design concepts, an example of which can be seen below.

  • In conclusion, the allure of bespoke marble furniture, exquisite marble wall panels, and captivating decor lies not only in their aesthetic appeal but in the unique stories they tell.

  • At Ukrainian Product Design, we pride ourselves on being the trusted representatives of the llab.design brand in the UK. Our team is dedicated to bringing your visions to life through tailor-made, handcrafted creations. Whether you're envisioning a luxurious marble centrepiece for your home or sophisticated wall panels that speak volumes, we're here to turn your dreams into reality. Explore the endless possibilities of bespoke design with us, and let Ukrainian Product Design elevate your space with timeless elegance and unparalleled craftsmanship.

  • The USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine (USAID CEP) supports startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aiming to provide support for competitive industries and firms on Ukrainian and international markets, foster a better business-enabling environment and enable Ukrainian companies to benefit from international trade.

The items used in the project

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