Marble, the embodiment par excellence of refinement. Wood, an explosion of warmth. The combination of these two elements gives uniqueness and elegance to any environment. Today, marble has managed to free itself from a certain allure of solemnity and is reappropriating the spaces of the house to be simply experienced. Wood makes the atmosphere fragrant and warm.

In this article, we will reveal the secrets to combine marble and wood, and make the design of your spaces unique and elegant.

Matching marble and wood: the rule of 3 colors

Marble and wood are noble and natural materials. Both are available in different colors and types, so they can easily fit together within any environment. The result is a solid and elegant space – as long as the combination of the two materials is well thought out.

In order to get the ideal marble and wood combination, you must first follow the 3-color rule, that is, establish a palette of 3 colors to be used for the furniture – you can also possibly choose a fourth color for the details. This first approach is fundamental, since the colors of the furniture will drag the various colors of marble and wood towards themselves.

Of the three colors you’ve chosen, two of them should pick up on the main tones of the marble and wood, while the third color can also contrast – albeit slightly, for example by opting for a lighter or darker shade. Finally, to avoid too many chromatic stimuli, our advice is to choose fabrics and furniture of the three chosen colors.

Let’s take an example.
With a Calacatta marble, which has veins on the gray, the recommended color combination will be natural wood, white, gray, taupe or dark gray. If, on the other hand, you have opted for a dark marble with white nuances, the ideal will be a wood with medium or dark tones, white, black and metals to give shine. With a marble of warm and neutral colors you can use black, white, warm woods of medium tones and neutral colors.

How to combine marble and wood in the kitchen

In the kitchen, these two materials fit any style, from modern to more rustic decor. Generally, marble is used as a coating of the worktop and for the splashback. For more original solutions, we recommend that you consider these solutions:

• marble inlays on wood or vice versa;
• a kitchen top in wood on marble.

If you have an open kitchenette facing the living room, you could use marble and parquet for the floor together: the parquet hosts the table and the matching chairs, while the marble part hosts the kitchen furniture and the appliances. If there are small differences in thickness between the two types of floors, these can easily be compensated for through separating profiles – usually made of metal -, available in various finishes.

Bathroom: elegance and shine

Wood and marble have the great advantage of complementing each other excellently. This combination gives the possibility to create a special light even inside the bathroom, to make it perfect both functionally and aesthetically.

Marble lends itself very well to flooring, sanitary ware, sinks and bathtubs, being naturally water resistant and ideal for easy maintenance. Thanks to its aesthetic characteristics, this material allows you to add a luxurious and elegant touch to your bathroom.

Many design projects combine marble items with wooden cabinets and shelves. This choice allows you to achieve a unique and diverse look, but also to have enough space to store all kinds of objects. In the bathroom, for example, you can combine dark wood and light marble – such as white Carrara – or a wood of neutral shades with a more colorful marble. For houses with minimal and modern design, the combinations with black marble are very bold, but unparalleled luxury. With wood, on the other hand, you can create beautiful showers to recreate the environment of a spa.

Using marble and wood in the bathroom means making the most of the charm of these two materials, which with their refined beauty are able to create suggestive and cozy atmospheres.

Marble and wood in the living room: how to combine them

In the living room, a marble floor contributes to give the environment prestige and elegance. If you have a spacious living room, dark or black marble is ideal, especially for a modern or classic minimalist style home, where mirrors and natural light produce fascinating plays of light. Dark marble perfectly matches with light wood – painted or natural -, of structures of armchairs and sofas, tables, chairs and fixtures. With a light marble floor in beige or white tones, it is instead appropriate to choose classic furniture in warm shades or dark wood.

In the living room, the combination of wood and marble can also be used on a single element, such as a table with a marble top and a wooden structure. The opposite composition, i.e. a table with a sculptural marble base and a wooden top characterized by well-defined veins, is also very popular.

Another solution to combine these two materials in the living room is the mixed floor, which helps to create a very sophisticated environment. For a modern style, the floor can be furnished with a mixed floor of light-colored parquet and marble. In order to have a living room with a light and unique style, we recommend alternating tiles and strips of gray oak wood. Usually or for a floor of this type is used a prefinished wood parquet, which thanks to industrial treatments can resist very well to scratches, stains and mold.Whatever the style of your decor, the combination of marble and wood will only enhance it!