White Marble & Granite: When The Absence Of Color Is The Color Of Choice!

March 26, 2012

Why is white the first choice of Architects and Designers today for marble and granite? Ask one, and he’ll probably have a lot to say on the subject – so here’s our easy list of 10 top reasons why you might consider white for your next project! 

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1.   White as a backdrop. When you chose white for your walls, flooring or countertops, it creates the perfect background. It’s beautiful and clean, but it doesn’t compete for attention with your art, furniture or other design elements 

2.   White is Everywhere! When is the last time you tried to get something you love in a trendy, hot color and it’s out of stock? It happens to designers all the time. But more often than not, items are always available in white. For the designer or architect who needs what he needs yesterday, white is a great option.

3.   White is rarely disliked. New buyers rarely walk into a beautiful new home, take one look at the gorgeous white marble floors or clean white countertops and say, “Ugh, I hate white.” On walls, it allows for imagination so that new buyers can envision their own palette in the space. On floors and countertops, decorators think of it as a blank canvas on which they can stack whatever design elements they wish that will never compete for attention.  

4.   White implies clean.It’s true, white is harder to keep clean in high traffic areas than darker colors that disguise a little dirt. That’s exactly why white is a popular choice for many architects. It implies newness, simplicity, and unrivaled cleanliness. It’s pure perfection. White gives the impression that it was born yesterday, which gives a space the feel that it was just updated yesterday, too. 

5.   White implies wealth.Just as white implies cleanliness, it implies that a certain amount of effort goes into maintaining that cleanliness. While the typical homeowner may hesitate to go all white due to the cleaning that goes with it, a homeowner with a housekeeper wouldn’t think twice. That’s why designers love it. It makes any room richer – or seem richer. 

6.   White defines architectural elements.White can be boring in a four wall, square room, but white can also be extraordinary in a room with character. Coved ceilings, crown molding, and unique structural designs can be diminished by color – but white actually highlights them. Is it any surprise that architects will build models of their designs in pure white to perfectly render their visions? 

7.   Whites create depth. In a subtle way, architects can create depth with different shades of white. Warm whites, rather than sterile whites, can soften a room and be used to draw attention to specific elements with just a slight variation of color. Playing with slightly darker or brighter shades, the architect can use white to manipulate light, creating shadows and the suggestion of sunbeams where there are none. 

8.   White expands spaces.An expanse of white marble floor or granite countertop will look much bigger in white than in any other color. White reflects light, simply opening spaces. It’s no wonder that white ceilings (or some variation of white), no matter the wall color, have been a staple of decorators for generations. Ceilings seem higher when white and they will not change the color of the flooring below (see #9). 

9.   White takes on other colors.Put a red vase on a white countertop in a white room, and you’ll see that your nearby walls and countertop reflect slightly pink. Designers love this. They can fill a room with colorful furniture and create moody or whimsical shadows without getting chaotic with their wall colors. It’s easy to warm up or cool down a white room with mindful furniture selections – and it’s much easier to match whites to other whites than to match colors. 

10.  It’s a trend that’s here to stay! Ever walked into a room with a certain color scheme and been able to call out exactly what decade it was from? For example, olive green and orange – 70s! White has never belonged to a definitive decade – whether a space is white paired with bold color, pure white on white, or shades of white combined, the color white rarely calls attention to itself as out of date.

The absence of all color – is it black or white? White is actually comprised of all the colors of the spectrum, so if it is an absence of color visually, it’s still a multifaceted one! But whether or not white is really a color at all, we know designers and architects alike pick it for many of the same stylistic reasons, for their floors and walls and everything ornamental in between. 

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If our top 10 reasons to love white have convinced you that white is your color, check out our granite and marble selections in variety of colors!

Granites:  River White, White Tango, Kashmire White, Juparana Delicatus, Bianco Romano, Vintage, White Spring

 Marbles: Super White, Arabescata Carrara, Calacatta Gold, Carrara White, Bianco Venatino, Mystery White, Crystal white, Imperial Danby, Calacatta Splendor.

Learn More about White Granite and White Cabinetry

Cold No More: 5 Warm and Inviting White Granite Countertop Ideas
5 Timeless White-on-White Kitchen Looks
Are White or Light Granite Countertops Practical for Kitchens?
5 Granite Colors That Go Perfectly With White Cabinetry
Winning White Bathroom Designs With Granite Countertops
4 Stunning White Granite Countertops for a Kitchen that Pops

READ MORE ABOUT GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

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Which to Choose: Quartz Versus Granite

Will Granite Countertops Increase the Value Of Your Home?