In many cases, when we cut out the shape of a countertop from a slab of marble, there are unused parts left over—and those parts are called remnants. Remnants are a unique choice for smaller projects, and they are a great way to incorporate natural stone in a unique way while staying within your budget.
The Cost of Marble Remnants
Many people think that remnants are a cheaper option because they’re unwanted and cast aside because there’s something wrong with them. People also think that they’re waste, having been rejected from other projects, and therefore unwanted. That’s not true!
In many cases, fabricators will decide how to cut the slab of the countertop with the intent of creating as little waste as possible. That’s definitely something that we do at Washington Marble Works, as it lessens the cost for the customer and allows us to create remnants to set aside for future customers and their projects.
Marble remnants, while cheaper than an entire slab of a marble countertop, aren’t always “cheap.” If you want to use a remnant from a piece of White Carrara marble, for example, you might pay a higher price than you might imagine.
But one additional reason that remnant costs are lower than an entire countertop slab is that there’s less labor when it comes to them. We include the cost of labor in our countertop prices, but since remnants are closer to the size of what they’re going to be used for (examples to come later), there’s much less labor involved. It’s still important to keep SOME labor costs in mind, though, because even if a marble remnant is close to the size of what you have in mind, it’s not always exact.
Marble Remnant Uses
Remnants are most useful when it comes to creating smaller projects. They don’t work well for kitchen remodels because they’re not typically big enough to cover an entire countertop space. And while it may be tempting, we don’t recommend seaming remnants together; it’s next to impossible to find two remnants that are identical in their color and pattern.
Here are a few of the best ways to use marble remnants:
In the Kitchen
One of the most common places in the kitchen where people use marble remnants is the kitchen island. You can update the top of your island even if you’re on a budget when utilizing remnants.
- In the Bathroom
Marble is easy to clean, and it can withstand a certain amount of moisture, which makes it a great material to use in the bathroom. Remnants are usually the right size to use for vanities—big enough for a hole to be cut for a drop-in sink. They can also be cut into tiles to place in your bath or shower.
- In the Living Room
If you have a coffee table, desk, or end table that you love, but it has seen better days, you don’t have to throw it away. You can update these pieces of furniture with marble remnants, which can be found small enough to fit them. A marble top can instantly update the look of your outdated furniture and spruce it up to a higher level than it had been before. If you have mismatched pieces of furniture that you don’t want to part with, you can replace the tops with marble remnants and create a cohesive look for the room.
- Hearth Pads
Marble remnants that are sized correctly can be a great way to update your wood stove or fireplace because it adds sophistication to something rustic—the two motifs go surprisingly well together. And if you can’t find a piece big enough to make this happen, it’s always possible to cut the remnant into smaller pieces and turn it into a mosaic trim.
How to Find Marble Remnants
The best way to find a remnant is to search for a stone that fits your project and minimizes the amount of waste. Finding a stone within your price range that gets the most use out of the slab and creates the least amount of waste is how to find the best-priced remnant. It helps to have your budget in mind, and if you share that with our experts at Washington Marble Works, we’ll be able to provide you with direction in the remnant yard.
If you don’t have a clear budget set, it can be overwhelming to look through all the marble remnants out there. Narrowing down your choices is the best bet.
Not all remnants are created equal. Each one comes from a specific project, which means that the colors you’re choosing from could be limited. But what’s great is that at Washington Marble Works, our remnant yard is constantly changing and being updated with new things.
If you’re interested in learning more about remnants or want to take a look at the remnant yard, give us a call at (253) 891-1823.