The Pitfalls Of Marble Coffee Tables You Haven't Considered

Is there anything more stunningly luxurious than a marble coffee table as the centerpiece of your sitting room? Marble is highly coveted as a natural stone thanks to its remarkable, one-of-a-kind color gradation and veining, as well as its rarity. If you're considering it for a coffee table, you already know that it's an incredibly expensive material. It ranges from hundreds to several thousand dollars, depending on the size of the slab and whether it's a solid design. But if you've already wrapped your mind around that, then there's no reason not to take the leap and buy one, right? Unfortunately, price isn't the only reason you might want to reconsider your marble coffee table. 

In addition to the exorbitant cost, marble is incredibly difficult to clean and takes on damage very easily, and even common cleaning products can stain the material. Plus, because of its distinct look and colors, you won't be able to match your marble coffee table with every interior design aesthetic. And when it comes to moving, rearranging, or replacing your furniture, you're going to really regret buying it because authentic marble is wildly heavy. 

Even though marble is solid stone, it's extremely porous, which means that it has tiny gaps that aren't really visible to the human eye. As a result, liquids and other substances are able trickle into these spaces well below the surface. So every time you leave a glass of water on a marble coffee table, the condensation is able to seep into the material. That's why it stains so easily, even from colorless liquids like water. It's also highly sensitive to acids, common in many food and drink products like tomato sauce, red wine, and coffee. Not only do these acids cause staining, but they can actually dissolve the marble. If you use coasters without fail and never eat dinner on the couch, this might not be as much of a concern for you. But if you're like the rest of us, food and drink will eventually damage your marble. 

And the acid issue also extends to cleaning products. Right now, are you able to use a bottle of all-purpose cleaner throughout most of your home without issue? That won't last for long if you decide to invest in a marble coffee table. Any acidic or highly alkaline product will damage it, so you'll only be able to clean with neutral solutions such as those specially designed for this material. Even with all of these precautions, etching and dulling is inevitable. 

Once you order a marble coffee table, you better hope you never have to move it again, because these things are heavy, and we don't mean that lightly. For example, a 5-inch thick slab of marble cut into a modest 3-foot by 2-foot piece would weigh 400 pounds! This isn't the sort of coffee table you can move around and try out in a different room when the mood strikes you. You may even need to hire professionals to tote it just a few feet away, so you shouldn't buy one unless you're certain you have the perfect spot for it. Once you've placed it, consider it set there permanently for the foreseeable future. 

In the same vein, if you're someone who loves to redecorate and try new styles, the marble coffee table also isn't for you. Sure, we love marble in a home that oozes the quiet luxury aesthetic, but it would look very out of place in a cottagecore-style living room. This is especially true if you use a less common gradation and color pattern that's very tied to other interior design choices such as furniture and paint colors. So think carefully before you commit to marble in your interior design, and good luck getting it out of the house if you change your mind!