Marble countertops make you look poor. Here’s what to choose instead.
romamce  Marble countertops don’t make you look rich.
You may think Carrara marble countertops are timeless, luxurious, aspirational, but they’re actually just aspirational. Show me a gigantic open concept kitchen with seating all around a massive island with a waterfall marble counter, and I’ll show you someone who’s nouveau riche.
Historically, most kitchens didn’t have marble countertops, except for those used by pastry chefs.
Are you a pastry chef? No? Then stop.
If your house is modern farmhouse, mid century, industrial, a refined marble countertop is not appropriate. You can use soapstone, honed granite, butcher block, concrete, zinc.
Not all granite is hideous, by the way, these days.
You can also use all different shades of marble.
You can use terrazzo, tile.
You know what many elegant homes had in their kitchen as kitchen counters? Stainless steel. That’s right. Traditionally, kitchens weren’t for hanging out in. They were for the staff.
So you wouldn’t have marble where your guests couldn’t see it. It was about utilitarian, easy to clean. Admittedly, I am generalizing. Some old money people love to cook. Some may even entertain in the kitchen. But in many cases, if you go into that kitchen, you won’t see a marble countertop.
Anyway darling, I hope you don’t hate me and I hope this helped. For more in depth old money design tips and tricks, on any budget, The Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners podcast is full of design-related episodes. If you want to read an elegantly steamy novel about an interior decorator (for yachts!) who has lots of opinions about decor and design, you’ll love Low Season in St Tropez. If you want to read about an old money girl who is forced to work in a very luxurious new money home, you’ll get a kick out of Service Entrance.