Marble – and its variation of terrazzo – is more popular than ever in interiors. It is a material of choice for several designers and architects, who like it as much for its effect punched only for its timelessness. But you still need to know how to integrate it into a decor with tact… We spoke to two professionals who love this limestone rock with its refined look, both in their homes and in their projects.
“I have always been a great lover of marble. In fact, I think that architects in general, we like this material! says Emanuelle Thibault, herself an architect by profession.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
Emanuelle Thibault and her partner in the firm, Alexandre Calce-Milo
The founder of the firm Etat architectes speaks from experience, since she has included marble and terrazzo in her own home. It is a duplex in Verdun that she and her spouse at the time had acquired about 10 years ago, to transform it into a single-family residence. They had done most of the work themselves, she recalls. “We really got our hands dirty. And the kitchen was the last element, the icing on the sundae. »
PHOTO FÉLIX MICHAUD, PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
Emanuelle Thibault chose terrazzo in her kitchen in Verdun, a duplex converted into a single-family home.
Besides her love for terrazzo, there are also practical reasons that pushed Emanuelle Thibault to choose this material for the kitchen. ” I’m a little freak cleaning, she admits with a laugh. So I really wanted to have something smooth and easy to clean, whether on the backsplash or on the counter. That’s why we chose the same material on both surfaces. This also helped unify the room by avoiding having too many materials.
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PHOTO FÉLIX MICHAUD, PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
The architect opted for the same coating for the counter and the backsplash. This saves on the number of materials, while facilitating cleaning.
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PHOTO FÉLIX MICHAUD, PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
Since the rest of the kitchen is in white and wood tones, the bolder terrazzo pattern blends in nicely.
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The terrazzo pattern is not necessarily inconspicuous, but takes its rightful place, argues the architect. “Since everything else is really sober, the kitchen was able to carry this choice, which was very present. Indeed, the rest of the room is dressed in rather neutral white and wood tones.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Marble adorns the kitchen of designer Luke Havekes.
Not too many materials
For his part, designer Luke Havekes opted for marble in the kitchen of his own apartment in Outremont. The imposing white marble streaked with blue grooves was used for the counter, the backsplash and the island. The Calacatta Viola slab comes from Türkiye, and was unearthed at Ciot. This is also where most designers get their supplies.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Designer Luke Havekes
Ideally, the designer is satisfied with only three materials in a kitchen, to avoid multiplication: a first for the floor, a second for the counters and the backsplashes, and a third for the cabinets. It also allows the marble to shine in all its glory, without the whole thing becoming too busy for the eye.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The bathroom adjoining the master bedroom at Luke Havekes is clad in terrazzo.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Mr. Havekes bathroom terrazzo detail
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In his projects, marble can be found in several places: on coffee tables, bedside tables, shelves… “I find that it adds something everywhere in the house”, he summarizes. Even at home, he didn’t stop at the kitchen. For example, the bathroom adjoining the master bedroom is clad in terrazzo.
Besides, what distinguishes marble from terrazzo? The terrazzo is actually made up of fragments of marble or other stones, arranged in a mosaic in cement.
An iconic example of this type of flooring can be seen at the Leméac restaurant on Laurier Avenue West, illustrious Luke Havekes.
Today, however, these traditional techniques are virtually impossible to replicate. But if this Italian-born art is making a comeback these days, it’s because it now comes in slabs, on which terrazzo patterns are printed. It is this process that is used in most projects today. That’s it for the little story !
PHOTO FÉLIX MICHAUD, PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
The imposing marble island crossed by a caramel vein imposes itself in the center of the premises of Everyday Sunday.
The star of the play
“It’s really an element that creates a ‘wow’ effect in all projects”, observes architect Emanuelle Thibault, who does not hesitate to include marble with her clients, both residential and commercial. She recently did it in the Everyday Sunday swimwear store, made in partnership with Fauves Design. “The whole room is creamy white, and we put in a very present marble island. There is just the island with its big caramel vein that takes up all the space. But we can take it, this place, when everything else is really sober. »
PHOTO FÉLIX MICHAUD, PROVIDED BY STATE ARCHITECTS
Although it looks black at first glance, the marble used for the bathroom countertop is indeed green. A bold choice for the time, underlines Emanuelle Thibault.
But do you have to be ready to spend a fortune to afford this material? It all depends on the essence… and the rarity, shade Mme Thibault. Still in her residence in Verdun, she had opted for green marble in her bathroom. “At the time, green marble, nobody wanted it, it was really rooted in the 1970s,” she says. So it didn’t cost us too much. However, she estimates that today, the cost of the same material would be much higher, since it is more and more sought after.
Either way, even though she hasn’t lived in this house since, she wants her choices to stand the test of time. This was also the intention of Luke Havekes, who set his sights on this material for its timeless qualities. “The goal for me was to make quality cuisine that would last a long time, and that it would still be current in 20 years. »