From bedroom to kitchen, an array of marble table tops

First, I saw the beautiful hutch with burgundy glass tile emblazoned with two emblems, and then its beige freckled marble top. Just around the corner was an oval table with a white marble top on which sat a porcelain and gilt centerpiece bowl.

In this small spot in the furniture room at the auction house, I turned to find several other tables with marble tops. I’ve had natural stone on my mind for a while because I want to redo my kitchen countertop with granite (cheaper and more durable than marble). So I wasn’t sure if I was noticing marble more on this day or if there was actually more of it.

White marble table top with a French Sevres porcelain centerpiece bowl. — White marble table top on which sits a French Sevres porcelain centerpiece bowl. This appears to be a washstand.

My interest piqued, I started searching the rest of the furniture room to see if there were more of them. And there were, including a bedroom set. Most of the stone was beige-toned, and the auction house identified them as marble in its descriptions.

Many of the pieces of furniture were antiques, also as noted by the auction house. The furniture came from different homes, indicating to me that the stone had been a popular choice.

It’s understandable, because marble tops can add elegance to a home – and have been doing so for centuries, especially in high-end homes. The earliest marble top seems to date to the 16^th century. Called the Farnese Table, it was designed by Jacopo (Giacomo) Barozzi da Vignola for the Farnese Palace in Rome. The table is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

marbletabletops2 — Washstand with beige marble and backsplash of original English tiles.

Googling, I found examples of marble table tops spanning various periods of furniture-making, from Rococo to Victorian, and by designers and makers in a number of countries.

Here is some of the furniture I spotted with marble tops at the auction.

Antique gilt clock atop a gray marble top table. — French brass mantle clock set with nymph sits on a gray marble top table.

A pair of stands with marble tops and base. — A pair of stands with marble tops and bases.

Rust-toned marble on a bedroom dresser. — Rust-toned marble on a bedroom dresser or vanity.

The marble is on top of this open wardrobe. — The rust-toned marble is hard to see on top of this open wardrobe.

Bedroom chest of drawers with beige marble shelf. — Washstand with marble top and backsplash.

Wall console table with white marble and gray threads. — Wall console table with white marble and dark gray veins.

Bedroom furniture with marble top. — Bedroom furniture with marble tops.

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I collect art, but I’m not someone who has the means to pay $500,000 for a Charles White or $12 million for a Rembrandt. I’m one of the “rest of us” who want beautiful artwork in our homes but can’t afford to pay big bucks for it.

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