Marble Flooring

Just got back from South Beach/Ft Lauderdale and noticed that EVERY condo I was in had marble flooring througout. At first it all seemed a bit tacky and soprano-ish, but after padding my bare feet around the living areas on big old cool stone tiles I'm now a huge fan of marble floors. (at least the "tasteful" ones in soft muted off white tones) So the question -- I searched through old threads and... [more]

Just got back from South Beach/Ft Lauderdale and noticed that EVERY condo I was in had marble flooring througout. At first it all seemed a bit tacky and soprano-ish, but after padding my bare feet around the living areas on big old cool stone tiles I'm now a huge fan of marble floors. (at least the "tasteful" ones in soft muted off white tones) So the question -- I searched through old threads and it seems all references to marble floors were related to kitchens or baths. Has anyone done their living area wholly in marble flooring? I'm now thinking of tearing out my worn hardwood and putting down wall to wall marble. Any thoughts? Pros/cons? Costs? Installation considerations? Resale impact? Laughter? Gagging? etc. (and as a side note, since much of South Florida is populated by ex-NYers, do we all somehow develop "bizarro taste" when we relocate -- marble floors, leopard print fabrics, ceramic giraffes....?) [less]