The Calacatta Craze

The latest trend in Quartz Countertop design has been a huge influx of Calacatta Quartz options. There are many questions surrounding Calacatta style quartz-like what does Calacatta mean? Is it Calacatta, Calcatta, Calcuta, or something else? What is the difference between different Calacatta styles? Which one is the best?

We will try to answer some of those questions for you. First off, we prefer to spell and pronounce it as Calacatta and the most important thing to note is that this Quartz style is named after its natural stone counterpart, the Calacatta Marble.

Calacatta Marble is rarer than Carrara marble and features thick bold greyish veins. Since it is rare, it is also more expensive. Some Calacatta slabs can cost thousands of dollars more than their Carrara cousins. Calacatta Quartz is designed to mimic the most expensive styles of Calacatta Marble.

The Calacatta Nuvo by Caesarstone (pictured above) is one of many styles of Calacatta Quartz. Some have an off-white or creamy white base while others have a more pronounced gold lining in the veining.

We carry dozens of Calacatta Quartz options. Some of our favorites are:

MSI Calacatta Verona 

K-Stone V8001

Is it expensive?

Calacatta Quartz is more expensive than most other patterns available. The primary reason for the high cost is the molds and additional time it requires to create the veining. With a solid pattern or a pattern that is not quite as uniform, it is much easier to manufacture. There are cheaper brands and options that are more commonly becoming available but with any white quartz, we suggest sticking to a reputable brand and not taking the risk of ending up with a countertop filled with resin and prone to staining. The higher ticket Calacatta options also have a brighter white and better polish which really brings out the veining in the stone.

Should I choose Calacatta Quartz for my kitchen?

There are many variables to identify before choosing which style of quartz to go with. Some of the advantages of choosing a Calacatta style are:

Versatility – White and grey works with so many different cabinet, paint, and decor themes so its really hard to go wrong.
Backsplash – Calacatta quartz is by far the best looking material to match and flow into your kitchen backsplash. It is important to identify if bookmatched slabs are required and available to achieve the best results.
Waterfalls – Just like flowing the veining in the countertops into the backsplash is an awesome look, flowing the countertop down a waterfall is a growing trend.
Timelessness – It seems that this Calacatta craze is still in its early days and is here to stay for the foreseeable future. It is highly unlikely that we will see it go out of style anytime soon.
Investment – The above-mentioned “pros” of choosing Calacatta Quartz make this choice a great investment and is definitely worthwhile to pay the difference between the cost of this option vs other lower cost patterns and styles.

One of the only times we advise against making the jump in cost to Calacatta is when we are working with a very narrow surface or small countertop. The veining is going to stop very shortly after it started and you won’t get the full value as a project with waterfalls, backsplash, or large island would achieve.

Overall, the Calacatta style is a great choice in most cases and with Calacatta Quartz you can achieve the rare marble look without breaking the bank. Being Quartz instead of marble it is also much easier to maintain, non-porous, and doesn’t need to be sealed like natural stone.

Call us today to book a free in-home consultation and see if Calacatta Quartz is a good choice for your home.