I've been noticing a marble trend over the past year in both interiors but also food photography, have you slowly noticed it creeping in too? I think it's a stunning surface to work with at home but also for shooting food and even craft, flowers and more. When I see foodies working with new materials it excites me so much since the same old things do get a bit boring and we just crave newness don't we? Marble may not be "new" - it's been around forever - but seeing it pop up in modern homes and in food shots feels very fresh when done right. I think marble looks best in pared-back interiors and with food, it works best with foods that are rich in color like berries and chocolate and citrus fruits (vs. white foods, for instance). Here are some examples of how I'm seeing marble being used in the kitchen...

(above: a marble island that I'd love to have as shown on Martha Stewart via Elements of Style.)

My friend Susanne in Hannover, Germany writes Milas Deli and she is the first person I spotted regularly using marble as a surface for her food photography. (Her Instagram stream is great - you guys have to follow her.) I love that you can smear berries on it, that liquids stay puddled vs. soak in (as they would shooting on wood or fabric) and that it's light and bright but still has those gorgeous gray lines running through bringing in lovely random patterning.

These top three photos are from Susanne at Milas Deli. See what I mean with the smeared food and that lovely faint coffee stain?

I really like the citrus on the surface shown above in this shot by Alexandra Grablewski, whom I wrote about not too long ago HERE on decor8.

This shot of fig tarts shown above is by Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille. Also a stunner.

Another shot using marble as a background. This time by the food blog, Oh Ladycakes - a new blog find of mine that is just delightful.

This one is from Top With Cinnamon - I like seeing the surface from the side don't you?

Here is some more drippy yummy goodness from Dash and Bella. Seems like there is also a trend in using red drippy things on marble, too! :)

(Another view of marble in the kitchen as shown on Martha Stewart.)

I'd love to see marble used for styling flowers against - particularly deconstructing blooms petal by petal to create something artistic and shoot it straight down - wouldn't that be unique?  I'm convinced I need a slab of it to place on my kitchen counter or on top of my small table so I can roll out dough and use it more for cooking... Some think of marble as a cold surface lacking emotion but I actually see it as one that provides a lot of versatility and is interesting visually - it's subtle but still present. It's also a great surface to present food on - particularly dessert cheeses after supper at a dinner party with fruit, jams and crusty bread. Yum.

What do you think of marble in the kitchen? What about having it as a surface for food photography? How else can you see marble being used in a creative way at home?

(images: linked above)