A lot of designers and homeowners are faced with the confusion of differentiating between Calacatta and Carrara marbles. They aren’t much at fault because the differences between the Calacatta and Carrara marbles are fairly subtle and nuanced. If you haven’t been able to make out the differences, this post should help you understand the difference and choose your space accordingly. Read on to know.
Calacatta and Carrara marble are often confused with being the same. In this blog, I’ll try to explain the differences between both these marbles to help you distinguish between the two and make choices for your interiors accordingly.
Both Calacatta and Carrara are Italian marbles. They are both quarried from Carrara in Italy and are marbles with veins. It isn’t easy to make out the difference between the two for a layman and require an eye for detail. But when looked at closely, the differences will be evident. Here are the differences between these two Italian marbles.
Difference between Calacatta and Carrara Marbles
- Veining – The pattern of veins in Calacatta and Carrara is different. While Calacatta exhibits thicker and larger gray veins, Carrara has a liner and thinner gray veins. Among the two, Calacatta’s veins give it a dramatic appearance, whereas Carrara’s veins are mellow and more nuanced.
- Color – Calacatta is much whiter than Carrara. Carrara is grayish as compared to Calacatta. The contrast of thick gray veins against a pure white background also contributes to the drama of Calacatta. On the other hand, Carrara’s fine gray veins against a grayish background give it a sophisticated elegance.
- Price – The general approach to the pricing of marbles applies here as well. The whiter the marble, the more expensive it is, and the more uniform the veining are, the more pricey the marble is. Also, Carrara is easily available as compared to Calacatta, which is rare. Hence, Calacatta marble is more expensive than Carrara.
Calacatta is the more dramatic, mostly used as a highlight or focal point in a room, whereas Carrara is used generously. Calacatta marble work great as kitchen worktops against a pure white kitchen whereas, Carrara works great for backsplashes. What we mean to say essentially is that Carrara is a classic, whereas Calacatta is a showstopper. Now that you know the differences between the two, you’ll be able to decide which one you’d want to go with.
So, which one of the two – Calacatta or Carrara, are you going to choose for your kitchen or bathroom, and how do you plan to use it? Share your thoughts and opinions with me in the comments below; I’d love to hear from you as well.
The final choice between the 2 qualities is just based on 2 factors: personal taste and budget.
There are a lot of people or interior designer who could afford the cost of Calacatta Marble in their project but they prefer to go for Carrara Marble due to its softer vein pattern and less catchy look.
Then there are projects where people would like to use Calacatta marble but they don’t have the budget for it.
I personally love Calacatta Gold marble and i would go for it without any doubts
David
Calacatta Gold 12″ x 24″ format tiles just arrived for our master bathroom floor. We are encouraged to open the box and sort the tiles that we like. Do we select the tiles with thick, dark, “wild” veining or just thick, pretty veining? What would a designer suggest?
Thank you,
Bob