11 Brilliant Ideas for Repurposing Leftover Marble (Once Your Countertops Are Cut)
Words by Olivia Lidbury
Photography by Jessica Alexander; Design by Natalie Myers
So you’ve just purchased the most beautiful marble slab for your kitchen island or shower.
And as anyone who has invested in stone for their countertop or bathroom will attest, there is almost always a surplus of small or awkwardly-shaped offcuts left at the end of a project. Don’t just discard the remnants—get creative and add a touch of architectural interest to even the smallest of nooks. Here are 11 ideas for maximizing those luxurious marble moments and let it be known: leftovers have never looked so chic.
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Nina Farmer
A Backsplash Where It Counts
Not enough for a backsplash to cover the entire length of your kitchen walls? Think in zones instead. As cleverly shown here by Nina Farmer, a spare slab cut into a square or rectangle (whichever your leftover allows for) adds drama around the stove.
Meet with Nina Farmer
Photography courtesy of Max Rollitt
A Fireplace Revamp
You can call on marble to add drama to the plainest of features. Take this fireplace mantel in a room by Max Rollitt, which has been given the extra factor thanks to three short slabs of marble laid around the inset. It really is as easy as one, two three…
Meet with Max Rollitt
Photography by Simon Brown; Design by Salvesen Graham
A Next-Level Bath Mat
Larger-scale marble leftovers are a smart solution for delineating a floor surface (and it’s not just reserved for Italian palazzos!). In this bathroom by Salvesen Graham—where water-sensitive wood floors dominate—a stone inset combats any splashes from the bathtub.
Meet with Salvesen Graham
Photography courtesy of Studio Hus
A Simple Hood Upgrade
Marble offcuts of the linear variety are limiting, but we have Studio Hus to thank for bringing this luxe hood border to our attention. Smoothly rendered and then trimmed in stone matching the countertop, the result brings beauty to one of the most practical features of a kitchen.
Meet with Studio Hus
Photography by Nicole Franzen; Design by Sarah Sherman Samuel
An Upstanding Moment
All that’s needed to elevate a bathroom vanity is the shallowest of upstands, as exemplified by Sarah Sherman Samuel. And a curved lip makes it feel more considered. If your stonemason is feeling creative, experiment with curvaceous cutwork.
Meet with Sarah Sherman Samuel
Photography by Felix Forest; Design by Handelsmann + Khaw
A Powder Room Power Move
Is there anything more decadent than a deeply veined, marbled baseboard in a diminutive powder room? The best part about this shot of unexpected luxury is that you only need the most residual leftover strips to make it a reality—and unlike its wooden counterparts, you’ll barely register any dust gathering. Touche, Handelsmann + Khaw.
Meet with Handelsmann + Khaw
Photography by Nicole Franzen; Design by And Studio
Photography by Sarah Elliott; Design by Athena Calderone
A Storage Coup
Take two straight edges, add a pair of brackets you adore and you’ve got yourself a marble moment. And Studio shows how a countertop offcut can enjoy new life in the kitchen as a decorative shelf (with bonus points if it meets the coordinating backsplash). Meanwhile, the unofficial queen of marble, Athena Calderone, presents a case for ensuring your supporting wall is just as statement as the shelves it hosts.
Meet with And Studio and Athena Calderone
Photography by Haris Kenjar; Design by Meghan Eisenberg
A Chic Shower Entrance
Another clever use of slim offcuts is around a shower frame, as demonstrated by Meghan Eisenberg. Echoing the bathroom’s vanity tops (and in this instance, sumptuous bath-splash), the shower doesn’t miss out on the luxury treatment either. In fact, this is one suggestion worth raiding the marble yard for alone…
Meet with Meghan Eisenberg
Photography by Simon Watson; Design by Jenna Lyons
An Essentials Nook
Carve out the largest niche your shower will allow and add a floating shelf mid-way for practicality's sake. Jenna Lyons has done just that, doubling up the curatorial value of such a nook with plants and votives, as well as regular bath essentials.
Meet with Jenna Lyons
Photography by Read McKendree; Design by McGrath II
A New Life for Your Old Table
There’s not a base in existence that a marble top doesn’t like: the two go together like strawberries and cream. An inspired way to elevate an otherwise perfunctory wooden nightstand, side table, or dresser (like the one above by McGrath II) is by topping it with a new surface. The mix of materials is one you can’t go wrong with.
Meet with McGrath II
Photography by Sam Frost; Design by DISC Interiors
An Exit Fit for Royalty
The perfect scenario for a late addition: laying marble over existing flooring for function (or beauty’s!) sake. This shower step-down feature by DISC Interiors is pleasingly both. The same idea could be successfully applied to an entryway to create the most extravagant doormat.
Meet with DISC Interiors
Photography by Sam Frost; Design by DISC Interiors