The Holy Trinity of White Marbles: Carrara, Calacatta, and Statuario

When selecting white marble for interiors, the standout marbles are certainly Carrara, Calacatta, and Statuario. While they all come from the storied quarries of the Apuan Alps in the Carrara region of Tuscany, each type of marble has a distinct personality — and choosing the right one can have a major impact on both aesthetics and budget.

First, Carrara marble is perhaps the most familiar and accessible of the three. Quarried from the vast network of marble sites around Carrara, it often carries a soft white to pale-gray background with delicate, feathery gray veining. Its more muted pattern gives it an understated elegance, making it a favorite for large surfaces like flooring or classic bathroom vanities. Because Carrara is quarried in relatively large quantities, it is also the most budget-friendly option: depending on grade and supplier, material prices (without installation) often range from around $40–$80 per square foot, though higher-end slabs can go up to or even beyond $120.

In contrast, Calacatta marble is the flamboyant, statement-making cousin. Also coming from the Carrara region, but from rarer, more exclusive quarry zones, Calacatta features a much brighter, whiter background and large, bold veins in grey, gold or even beige (called Calacatta Oro). That dramatic veining makes Calacatta highly prized for high-impact design: think kitchen islands, fireplace surrounds, or feature walls. But that rarity comes at a cost. True, Italian Calacatta slabs typically run from $175–$200 or more per square foot even for the raw material, per current market estimates.

Then there’s Statuario marble, which occupies a special place in the pantheon of luxurious Italian stone. Extracted from quarries in the Apuan Alps (especially near Seravezza), Statuario is prized for its luminous, near-pure white base and its fine, yet striking, grey veining — sometimes referred to as “venato” when the veins are bolder. This marble has traditionally been used for statuary (hence its name) because of its fine crystal structure and ability to take a high polish. Because of its relative rarity and the beauty of its veining, Statuario tends to fall in a high-end price bracket: common slab prices are often cited in the $50–$125 per square foot range, though premium or particularly rare varieties may go higher.

From a maintenance perspective, all three marbles demand care. Like all marbles, they are porous, and vulnerable to etching from acidic substances, so sealing is non-negotiable. For both Carrara and Calacatta, stone fabricators generally recommend resealing every six to twelve months, especially in heavily used areas like kitchens. Cleaning should be done with a pH-neutral stone cleaner or mild soap and water; avoid any abrasive or acidic cleaners. For Statuario, the same rules apply — but many over time prefer to use honed rather than polished finishes, as the matte surface can mask wear and etching more gracefully while still delivering its signature refined look.

In short: Carrara is your elegant workhorse — versatile, soft, and relatively affordable. Calacatta is for the design risk-takers, those who want drama and a bold focal point. Statuario offers a rare balance of purity and sophistication, combining a crisp white ground with refined veining in a way that feels quietly luxurious. Your choice will ultimately depend on your design goals, your budget, and how much maintenance you’re willing to commit to. I had a client assure me that she was fine with marble in the kitchen and looked forward to having that "lived-in, cooked-in" look that tells a story about the people and the meals that happened there. But her romantic story of marble countertops turned to reality when she had m e over for dinner a year later and said, "Look at all the rings on the counter!" So understanding these subtle differences not only visually but also how you plan to use and live with the material is the first step to making a stone choice that truly elevates your space.

Happy designing!

Famous Homes: Casa Malaparte

For this installation of Famous Homes, we will be examining an enigmatic structure, nearly unreachable, whose claim to fame is an appearance in a classic 1963 French New Wave film!

Perched dramatically on a windswept cliff above the cerulean waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Casa Malaparte (also known as Villa Malaparte) is one of the most iconic and enigmatic pieces of 20th-century architecture. Its stark modernist geometry set against the rugged natural landscape makes it a singular monument—not only to architectural boldness, but also to the complex personality of its creator, Italian writer Curzio Malaparte. Beyond its historical and artistic significance, the house gained international fame as the haunting backdrop to legendary French director Jean-Luc Godard’s film "Contempt," (Le Mépris), cementing its place in cultural history.

Casa Malaparte was conceived in the late 1930s by the controversial writer, journalist, and political provocateur Curzio Malaparte (born Kurt Erich Suckert). He originally commissioned the project from Rationalist architect Adalberto Libera, a leading figure in Italian modernist architecture. However, after disagreements—some say driven by Malaparte's desire for creative control—the writer took over the design himself and had local stonemasons build it, modifying Libera’s initial vision.

Completed around 1942, the house is located on Punta Massullo, a secluded promontory on the eastern side of the island of Capri. Access is only by foot or boat (only at certain times of the day and at certain tides), making the structure both physically and symbolically removed from the world.

Casa Malaparte is a study in contrasts—between nature and human intervention, modernity and myth, austerity and sensuality. The structure is a simple red masonry box, rising straight from the limestone cliffs. A monumental external staircase leads to the flat roof, which serves as a terrace facing the sea. From this vantage point, the building almost disappears, becoming an extension of the landscape itself. The house’s alignment, materials, and minimalism anticipate later brutalist and sculptural architecture. Its interiors are sparse yet poetic, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the infinite horizon. Every design decision emphasizes solitude, confrontation with nature, and intellectual rigor—qualities that mirror Malaparte’s own writing and philosophical inquiries.

For Malaparte, the house was more than a residence—it was an autobiographical artifact. He once called it “a house like me.” Indeed, Casa Malaparte is a deeply personal space, reflecting his love of classical antiquity, his obsession with death and isolation, and his desire to shape his own narrative, both literally and architecturally.

During World War II and after, the house was rarely inhabited, but it remained a place of retreat and introspection for the writer until his death in 1957.

Casa Malaparte reached global audiences when it appeared in "Contempt," Jean-Luc Godard’s melancholy meditation on artistic compromise and emotional disintegration. Starring Brigitte Bardot and Michel Piccoli, the film unfolds partially within and around the house, using its architecture to reflect the growing estrangement between the characters. Godard’s camera lingers on the house’s brutal beauty: the stark stairs, the endless roofline, the crashing waves below. The structure becomes a silent character in the film, an emotional landscape mirroring the disintegration of love and trust. This cinematic portrayal elevated Casa Malaparte into an enduring symbol of existential elegance and architectural purity. It also contributed to the house’s mythic status among architects, filmmakers, and cultural historians.

Today, Casa Malaparte is owned by the Giorgio Ronchi Foundation and is not generally open to the public. Its inaccessibility has only deepened its mystique, reinforcing the house’s identity as a modern hermitage.

Happy designing!

Know Your Sofas: The Soriana Sofa

In November of 1969, Cesare Cassina, the founder of the Italian furniture brand Cassina contacted the husband and wife team of architects and designers Tobia and Afra Scarpa with an urgent request. He asked if they could design a new type of sofa, something unique that had not been seen before, to enter into competition at an important trade show in Germany in January. With only a little over a month, they came up with the remarkable Soriana sofa (which also comes with coordinating chairs!).

Taking advantage of new techniques in forming expanding polyurethane foam, they envisioned a sofa with no internal structure. Instead, it took its form from tines of discreet metal bracing curving up from the base. This allowed the upholstery to wrap around the shape of the sofa. Tobia recounted, "At the beginning, the workers did not understand that the leather covering was not supposed to be taut . . . but to appear like a soft, creased fabric curled around this soft mass and held together by a sort of giant metal spring." Well, the look of the Soriana was beguiling enough for it to win the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award at the trade show!

The silhouette of this sofa is still beguiling designers and homeowners alike even today. Designer Rodman Primack put a Soriana suite in his Mexico City home he shares with his husband Rudy Weissenberg.

Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson

Kelly Wearstler put one (with chairs!) in her Malibu home...

And Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent have one in their Los Angeles residence.

Photo: Douglas Friedman

The sofa (and chairs!) are still in production and can be purchased from Cassina.

Happy designing!

Porcelain Tiles Mimic Shou Sugi Ban

Italian tile manufacturer Casalgrande Padana have created a wonderful porcelain plank tile that mimics the look of the centuries-old Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban, which means burnt cedar beam in Japanese. Originating in the 1700s, the method where cedar planks are charred and then sealed with natural oils, making them a unique material for building, is also known as Yakisugi.

 

 And Casalgranda Padana captures the rusticity and marvelous darkened wood grain in a porcelain tile. Available in 9mm thickness, the planks are made in a single standard size of 8" x 48".

The planks come in six different colorways but the ones that look most realistic are black and brown...

I can see some great uses for this product, adding warmth and an organic sense to any space whether on a floor or wall!

Happy designing!

Famous Homes: Villa Necchi Campiglio

If you saw director Luca Guadagnino's 2009 film "Io Sono Amore" ("I Am Love") starring Tilda Swinton (Guadagnino also directed the phenomenal "Call Me By Your Name" in 2017), you have seen our next home in our continuing Famous Homes series (previously here).

The Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan was designed by Piero Portaluppi and built between 1932 and 1935 for sisters Gigina and Nedda Necchi (heiresses to a sewing machine empire), and Gigina’s husband, Angelo Campiglio. The design of the house represented the world's expanding interest in Modernism. Keep in mind that the Modernist Bauhaus school closed in 1933 because of Nazi opposition, but on the other side of the coin, the Villa Necchi Campiglio was designed and built during the height of Italy's rising Fascism which of course greatly influenced architecture. The dedication to clean lines and severity led to unadorned monuments, like the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana on the outskirts of Rome, and the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence. In fact, in 1943, the Villa became a headquarters for the Fascist Republican Party, while the family repaired to the countryside.

After the war, the family decided to refurbish the house and employed Tomaso Buzzi to bring in furniture and furnishings that reflected a resurgent interest in antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries. Unfortunately, this developed a schism in the spirit of the house. One of my design mottoes, seen to the right, is "Contrast brings interest," but contrast used judiciously and not haphazard. The Villa Necchi Campiglio does not feel like fertile ground for the kind of overwrought lighting fixtures and large, ornate fireplace surrounds that still burden the house. But one can still see the bones of the house in the marvelous steel doors, the geometric panels on the staircase, and the restrained use of inlaid rosewood. And a few pieces of original furniture by modernist designer Guglielmo Ulrich are peppered about.

Villa Necchi Campiglio has been open to the public as a museum since 2008. Gigina, who lived longer than her sister and husband and never had any children, died in 2001 at age 99 and bequeathed the house to Italy’s national trust for restoring and preserving historical buildings. The house is open for tours...if you are going to be in Milan, click here for information about the house and how to visit it!

And as I mentioned above, the film "I Am Love" was set at the Villa.

Happy designing!

Legends of Design: Gio Ponti

In every industry, in every arena, there are legends who have come before and if one wishes to know as much as one can about a chosen subject, it is good to take a look at those legends and see what they contributed to where we are now.

One of those giants of design is Italian designer Gio Ponti who created a slew of Modernist masterpieces. While primarily an architect (in 1950 he designed the infulential The Pirelli Tower in Milan, and the northern extension of the Denver Art Museum in 1971), he also worked in ceramic and glass and designed flatware, furniture, lighting, and decorative objects over a long and spectacularly prolific career which included founding and editing the famous interior design magazines Domus (from its inception in 1928 to 1941 and then from 1948 to his death in 1979), and Stile from 1942 to 1947.

A magnanimous, larger-than-life personality who was a great lover of art, Ponti believed in the marriage of the practical and the beautiful. Arguably, his most famous creation is the Superleggera or Super Light Chair. In 1957, he created a chair out of lightweight materials and the advertisements of the day showed a young boy lifting it with a single finger. The chair has been re-issued by Cassina and is available for purchase now.

He also designed the Distex chair and its descendant, a lounge chair with open sides and stiletto legs for Molteni.

And it is easy to see why this Ponti chair was christened the 969 Chair when you see the undulating back rest.

Ponti worked with glass blowers in Venice to create the iconic and often-imitated Modernist Murano chandelier.

Other lighting designs include the Bilia light, a cone with a lighted ball perched on top, the very Modernist 0024XXL hanging lamp featuring stacks of glass discs, and the Fato lamp which can be used as a table lamp or as a wall sconce!

Here is a sideboard and cocktail table for Molteni...

...and this stunning tripod, oval cocktail table with a cut-out hole.

And finally, take a look at some of his decorative objects:

But in Italy, he will forever be known for his redesign of a staple of daily Italian life, the espresso machine. Ponti designed La Cornuta for Pavoni in 1948.

Happy Modernist designing!