He recently used the latter in a bathroom design for a fraction of the cost of marble, and 'you could never tell a difference. Brent has worked with mirrored pieces of 'wood, leathers, silestones, and even ceramic materials' to the same pleasingly symmetrical effect. But, due to its high-impact look, a small piece of book-matched marble goes quite a long way: 'Use it in places where it can not only be appreciated, but also transition through the years seamlessly,' Brent says, like on 'bathroom walls, kitchen islands, fireplace mantels, or even in a nursery.' And if marble is starting to sound like too much trouble, note that it's possible to book-match other materials, too. Come installation day, you'll want to be sure the two pieces line up precisely right. We know what you're thinking: Acquiring two mirror-image slabs of marble is probably very costly, right? Right: After you pick a piece of marble you love-and you can only use marbles 'with the right clarify, definition, and veining,' Brent explains, this is one of those times the grain will really stand out-it has to then be professionally 'sliced' from one flat slab into two even flatter slabs. Book-matched marble with a pronounced grain in Brent's bath look for a subtler variation in the colors for a less impactful look.
