Buying a Marble Coffee Table

Besides a leather sofa, few living room furniture items say "class" like a marble coffee table.  That's because marble has been valued for its beauty and durability since antiquity and is well known for its elegance and denseness.  Marble coffee tables are great because not only do they look nice, they make a nice solid sound when you set down a mug of coffee or other drink on the marble coffee table top.  Even if you can't afford or don't want a table top made completely of marble, there are coffee tables that incorporate marble in other ways.  A marble mosaic may be featured in the center of the table, for example, or as trim.  It's not necessary to have a broad sheet of marble to get the luxurious effect that the stone can offer.  A coffee table can be the centerpiece of the living room, and  it will be on display for any visitors to see when you sit and chat.  As a reflection of your taste, getting the right coffee table can go a long way to creating the impression that you care about quality and the finer things in life.  The choices of marble are many, as are the designs- you can choose a round marble coffee table, white marble coffee table, antique marble coffee table, modern coffee table, oval marble coffee table, square marble coffee table, and more.   

While it is a strong material, marble is related to other stones like travertine and limestone and is thus subject to staining and etching when it comes into contact with certain substances, especially acids. Because even coffee and juice can react with marble, which is naturally porous, there are several precautions that one must take with marble to keep it looking like new. Marble should be sealed once a year, for example. However, sealing won't prevent water rings and stains from contact with acidic substances, so you must use coasters and caution if there's a chance the marble could come into contact with these things.

Even if you feel that marble is too expensive for your budget, there are some lower cost alternatives that may suit you. In general, a large, solid piece of marble will cost more than a marble surface assembled from several smaller pieces of marble which have been cut to fit together. You will be able to see the seams between the pieces in such tables, but the surface is still marble.
There's also something called cultured marble, which is actually marble dust mixed with polyester resin. This is an artificial creation, but many people think it can look like real marble. Cultured marble is actually stronger than the real stuff and also doesn't stain nearly as easily. It's easier to maintain and is cheaper, so some people will prefer a coffee table made of cultured marble to a real marble coffee table even though cultured marble is synthetic.