Trends come and go, but classic marble is forever.
Carrara is one of the most sought-after materials in art and architecture for centuries. The reason is simple: it is durable, elegant, and features a sophisticated color palette that is expertly refined by nature. The exquisite environment created by Carrara marble imbues your home or business with a classic ambiance that will stand the test of time. In fact, a carefully maintained marble surface will keep mesmerizing you with its unmatched beauty, forever!
Of all the varieties of marble, Carrara is distinctive in the design world for its soothing white and gray marbling, offering a luxurious finish at a price point the homeowners love!
In the world of interior design, Carrara marble tiles can be incorporated into wall and floor surfaces to create high-end, bright, and open spaces. The stone can be used for a wide range of applications to create stunning interiors – including Carrara marble showers, kitchen backsplashes, laundry rooms, entryways, and even floors in both residential and commercial environments. Whether you add small accents or use marble to create big statement pieces, the soft and subtle look of Carrara tiles will add absolute luxury to timeless spaces!
Carrara Marble: A Classic Material for the Ages
This fine Italian marble takes its name from the Italian city of Carrara – a small town located at the foot of the Apuan Alps in the Tuscany region of Italy - where it’s been quarried for more than 2000 years, averaging nearly 1.5 million tons per year. The stone’s history is rich – the quarrying of Carrara dates back to the era of ancient Rome, where this elegant white marble was used to construct some of the world’s most notable structures such as the Pantheon and Trajan’s Column, just to name a few. Mined from over 600 quarry sites today, Carrara marble still adorns the most beautiful interior and exterior settings with its durability and matchless beauty!
Throughout the years, technological advances have reduced the time and effort it takes to quarry and shape the stone, allowing Carrara to find its way into the design world in the form of tile, mosaics, and slabs to beautify both residential and commercial spaces. Once used in the construction of the world’s wonders, Carrara-quarried stone has now become a highly sought-out material for marble countertops, wall, and floor coverings that evoke high-end living with truly sophisticated style!
What Does Carrara Marble Look Like?
You can spot Carrara by its feathery veining contrasted against a white-light grey background. The deep gray veining is the result of the iron content in the slab, creating natural color variation that enhances the organic beauty of the stone. Carrara is known to have a softer, finer look compared to other white marbles in the stone world– it carries the light and spaciousness of white stone while providing a touch of distinction with linear veining that’s distributed over the surface.
Marble backsplash tile, like this Carrara herringbone, is a staple of interior design aesthetics from traditional homes to modern interiors!
Its greyish white base provides a reflective surface whether polished or honed, making white Carrara marble a great option to make a small room feel bigger and brighter – Carrara marble walls help maximize the feeling of space in compact showers, narrow rooms, and backsplash areas under cabinets where little light is present. Its soft background works as an elegant canvas for any interior aesthetic – the neutral shade does not interfere with other decorative elements, making it a safe bet when pairing with trending or seasonal decor elements of any color or style!
7 Chic & Inspiring Home Designs with Carrara Marble
There are countless ways to feature Carrara marble at home or work and give your space a sense of opulence, and here are our favorite ways to incorporate pieces of this stone to create chic designs!
Brighten up a Compact Shower
Are you trying to make a small shower feel spacious, but want to add detail above and beyond all-white tile? Consider a Carrara marble shower that features striations of gray on a white background that is both attractive to the eye and opens up the space – reflection is guaranteed to play with the boundaries of your eye while you notice that no two pieces look alike!
We love the way Textured Carrara Honeycomb Hexagon Marble Mosaic Tile makes this compact walk-in shower live larger than its dimensions by creating an illusion of height with the same tiles going all the way up. The uninterrupted lines of this versatile tile create a sense of flow from the walls into the floor. Thanks to the added grip from mosaic grout lines and textured stone, it’s a safe choice for a shower floor tile. Remember, a little care for your white marble shower floor will keep it pristine for years of enjoyment!
Rock Your Bathroom
Pebble mosaic tiles have long been popular for homeowners who like to get creative with their interior design, and a shower is a great place to experiment with rocks that create beautifully organic aesthetics. While pebble-shaped Cararra marble floor tiles can be very resistant to slipping, but these tiles aren’t limited to just the flooring! A Carrara marble shower made of only pebbles can make you feel like you’re taking a shower under a waterfall in the great outdoors!
Floor-to-ceiling River Pebbles Carrara & Thassos Marble Tiles can bring the ‘zen’ feeling to your shower environment with varying shades of white and grey. Cut flat for maximum comfort under your feet, use these pebbles to bring the floor of a calm riverbed into your shower for an organic design!
Mix the Classic and Contemporary
Who said marble tiles should only be used in classic interiors? Carrara marble is versatile enough that you can pair them almost with any other material to add a bit more eye candy to your space. This Carrara marble backsplash design pairs the beauty of Carrara marble tiles with mosaics that feature unexpected details –accessorize your space without compromising on the ageless beauty of your marble!
Here, the soft neutral tones of 1x2 White Carrara Brick Marble Mosaic Tile allows metal penny tiles to take center stage and provide a light-enhancing background for an otherwise too-cool kitchen design. Metal penny tiles serve as a modern accent to the classic Carrara marble backsplash design – a great example of embracing multiple sides of your style! If you’re looking for tips to mix and match different materials or finishes in your home, Carrara tiles are a great place to start - they are a natural pairing with anything from polished glass, stainless steel, or other marble tiles!
Designer House of Jade created a subtle checkerboard floor design to add light to a basement bathroom. They paired Carrara marble field tiles with white Thassos marble to create a stunning design with the perfect amount of contrast.
Create Head-Turning Accent Walls
With the popularity of unconventional tile shapes in the world of interior design, it’s easier than ever to tap into your creative side when you see these head-turning Carrara marble mosaic tiles! Create Carrara marble walls in virtually any style by experimenting with various patterns including traditional hexagons, basketweaves, diamonds to contemporary shapes, and more. Their ability to withstand wear and tear while retaining their aesthetics makes Carrara marble tiles are popular for statement walls for a residential home improvement.
For a space with a lot of different surfaces, minimize competition between patterns by choosing a restricted color palette. Statement wall tiles with intricate patterns - such as Floral Eternity White Carrara & Bardiglio Waterjet Mosaic Tile - should certainly be the hero of the space with just neutral tones throughout so that the design scheme feels elegant and cohesive like in this room!
Create Cool Floors (in temperature and style!)
If you live in a place that’s almost always sunny and warm, you might end up looking for the best option to keep your home cool. When used in warm climates as flooring, Carrara marble floor tiles emit coolness to a room for an extended period, making the stone an ideal flooring option that feels cool to the touch, and style!
This floor statement won’t go unnoticed in this gracious Carrara marble bathroom – Thassos and Carrara Weaved Octagon Marble Mosaic Tiles will make your space look gorgeous from one end to the other while remaining cool when the rest of your home feels hot and humid.
Just like a Persian rug instantly uplifts a room’s quality, patterned Carrara floor tiles have the same beauty that increases the perception of luxury in any bathroom design. Whether you add a creative tile rug to elevate your floor design or choose Carrara to cover your entire floor, you will think that you’ve just arrived in a luxurious spa every time you enter your own bathroom!
Versatile design options and price points
Although Carrara marble designs for homes and businesses have never lost the luster of luxurious living, this elite building material has certainly become more accessible than ever. Whether you’re looking for a traditional marble hexagon backsplash, a large format slab of stone for your walls, floors, or countertops, or love the delicacy and detail that goes into decorative mosaic designs, there is a Carrara tile that will fit any price point!
From bank notes to budget friendly - there’s a Carrara to fit any price point! You can even DIY a backsplash or wall accent with Peel and Stick tiles with genuine Carrara marble discs on an adhesive backing.
Care and Cleaning Tips for Carrara Marble
No matter where you choose to install Carrara marble tiles in your home or commercial space, you’ll want to follow some basic cleaning and preservation steps to extend the life of your tile investment. So, let’s take a look at the recommended care and cleaning routine to prolong the life of your beautiful Carrara tiles!
This stunning twist on Carrara marble subway tiles adds a mosaic pattern with dot details - it's easier to keep clean than you think thanks to these marble tile cleaning tips!
- How to Clean Carrara Marble: Experts recommend avoiding scratchy materials and sharp cleaning products to keep marble surfaces from scratching - soft materials such as chamois cloths and dust mops will protect marble tiles better than abrasive brushes or sponges. Be sure to use a stone cleaner designed for use on your marble tiles, flush the area with plain water after cleaning, and dry thoroughly afterward.
Tip: Start cleaning your Carrara marble floor tiles by removing any dust or dirt with a dry cloth or dust mop to avoid the risk of scratches. Try to brush in one direction to minimize the impact of sweeping or mopping your floors!
- Surface Care: Never use vinegar or other acidic cleaners on marble as these liquids will etch the marble. Clean up any spills immediately to prevent stains from soaking in – especially dark liquids like coffee, and wine.
Tip: If you end up with watermarks or cleaning solution streaks, a quick DIY cleaning poultice is a handy trick for anyone to remove marble surface stains. You can find the steps to create your easy DIY solution here!
- Extend the Life: Use a premium marble sealer for your tiles to create a protective barrier – a sealer will significantly extend the life of your marble tiles by increasing their stain resistance and absorption over tile. Periodically test your tiles to see if it needs to be resealed – simply put some water on the stone and if it no longer beads, it’s a clear sign that your tiles need to be sealed again!
Natural stone like Bianco Carrara can be used in a huge variety of installation areas, from backsplashes, shower floors, outdoor areas, and fireplace facings like this Carrara Marble Mosaic Tile that creates a stunning living room focal point!
From the world’s most notable structures built hundreds of years ago to the more contemporary buildings we see today, Carrara is known for its artistic and historical heritage that has lent the material a distinctive power in the world of design. Imagine that every time you step on your bathroom’s marble floors or walk across a marble-tiled fireplace in your living room, you know that you’re enjoying a truly exquisite and history-rich surface like no other in the world!
Thinking that Carrara marble might be ideal for your project? Don’t worry, you don’t have to travel all the way to the coast of Tuscany to find authentic Carrara marble tiles for your interior design! Just head over to our collection to choose from a selection of exquisite Carrara tiles for any type of project!
