This summer I was on the newly minted Four Season luxury yachts taking notes of their interior design choices. As I was taking notice of items I wanted to consider for future projects, I noticed something I liked and have been seeing more in new interiors: green marble. Ya, that green marble we all collectively agreed—including myself—was going to stay in the early 1990s.
Okay, I have to say it again, yes, green marble. The kind of material that immediately makes me think of Home Alone, polished brass, enormous floral arrangements and houses with telephones…and a fax machine prominently displayed. As my wandering mind kept reverting to 1990 interiors…it dawned on me, something strange has happened. It looks...good.
Marble in general has been making a comeback for several years now. As I covered last month, after a long stretch where homeowners wanted countertops and finishes to look nearly perfect, we’ve started embracing natural materials again—the veining, variation, patina and even the occasional stain. Marble feels less manufactured because, well, it is.
And apparently green marble got invited back too. But—good news—this isn’t quite the same green marble we remember from the 1990s. Back then, it tended to be highly polished, formal and paired with dark cherry cabinetry, shiny brass and a lot of beige.
Today, designers are using heavily veined green stone as more of a statement material—on islands, fireplaces, vanities, tables and even entire walls. Pair it with walnut, white oak, plaster walls, warm metals or even stainless steel and suddenly it feels completely different. Same material, different recipe!!
We’re reaching the point where materials many of us grew up thinking were dated are, well, old enough to become interesting again. Think about it: dark woods are returning, burgundy is creeping back into interiors, chrome is showing up again, and traditional millwork is everywhere. And now, green marble.
But design rarely brings something back exactly as it was. Instead, every generation takes an old idea, strips away the parts that made it feel dated and gives it another chance. So if you walk into a newly designed kitchen this year and see a dramatic slab of green marble, don’t panic. Kevin McCallister has not decorated the house. Although, apparently, his parents were a little ahead of their time, huh!?!
