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Marble is to geology what Cher is to the entertainment industry: hard and soft at the same time, with an endless capacity for reinvention and an unquestionable ability to dazzle. These days, designers are using marble in fresh, new ways. Here's how to add the might of marble to your home

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Disco design: The Jen coffee table, from Parisian furniture maker Christophe Delcourt, with its polished brass and chocolatey St. Laurent marble, is a sumptuous throwback to ’70s glam. $14,375. Through avenue-road.com.

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Carrara craters: The dips and depressions of Shiro Studio’s Mare Tranqullitatis tray were modelled after the mottled surface of the moon. It was named for a lunar dark spot created by an ancient volcano and is machine-milled so that the fruits and vegetables it holds look like they’ve crash landed into the Carrara marble surface. Price available upon request. Through shiro-studio.com.

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Watch for falling marble: Castor’s Deadstock BMO table is a piece of Toronto history. The Carrara marble top is a slab of reclaimed cladding that was pulled off the city’s tallest office tower, First Canadian Place – cladding that had to be replaced after the rock started falling perilously from the building in 2009. Copper legs add warmth to the cool, white stone. $3,000. Through castordesign.ca.

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Shelf life: The Melt, by Sweden’s Thomas Sandell, is for people who love the simple efficiency of Ikea’s Billy bookcase, but want something sturdy enough to last at least two or three lifetimes. The Black Marquina marble, flecked with white veins, gives the basic form its stately feel. About $7,000. Through marsotto-edizioni.com.

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Modern classic: The Bust chair mixes the muscular strength of ancient statuary with the mid-century modern sensibility of Charles and Ray Eames. Tomas Libertiny, a Netherlands-based artist, developed the piece with the Henraux Foundation, an Italian studio that has worked with legends like Henry Moore, Hans Arp and Isamu Noguchi. About $25,000. Through fondazionehenraux.it.

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Rocking curves: Famed British architect Zaha Hadid has taken marble back to its Baroque roots by giving the rock a sweeping, fluid sense of movement. But, this being 2013 and not 1650, the swooping curves of her Mercuric tables were milled with sophisticated machinery, and not painstakingly sculpted by hand. Price available upon request. Through citco.it.

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Bright idea: London’s Studio Vit put a sumptuous spin on the utilitarian bulb and socket. Instead of the usual chintzy metal fitting, the bulb is cuffed in creamy marble. When illuminated, the elegant white fixture seemingly floats mid-air. About $390. Through studiovit.se.

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