Wood Countertops

What do you think about wood counter tops? I'm not just talking about butcher blocks. More and more home owners are choosing wood because it's elegant, warm (quite literally), and quite frankly, it's not granite! Personally, I love the look of wood counter tops with a painted-finish cabinet.  I think it gives them a furniture like quality and as the kitchen is so often the gathering space, that suits it well. 

Check out some of these pictures while I tell you what I've learned about wood countertops.

 Currently in Europe, which usually leads the US in design trends, wood countertops have more than forty percent of the market share versus seven percent in the US. 

There are many species of hardwood to choose from. Domestic woods like hickory, maple and oak are the least expensive.

Wenge, zebrawood and teak are considered exotic woods and run 60 to 120 percent more. Many manufacturers offer sustainable wood choices as well as reclaimed wood from buildings and barns that are being torn down. I know a homeowner that is using large sections of wood from the actual alley of a bowling alley for their countertops.

There are a few ways to finish the wood. I prefer protecting it (versus sealing it with a polyurethane can crack or chip) with a natural oil finish ie. mineral oil or walnut oil. We had a butcher block growing up and my mother would rub olive oil into it. That works!

I have a wood countertop on my German cupboard (you can see it here). It holds our coffee service so it gets used a lot and gets wet everyday. I like using tung oil- it gives it a slight shine and really protects it from moisture. This is not a surface that I prepare food on otherwise I would use one of the natural oils.

There are three styles to consider: Plank style, Edge grain or End grain. Plank style the boards are lying flat (like a wood floor), Edge grain the boards are on their sides- this is the best option for a counter that is going to cantilever beyond it's support because its the strongest and then End Grain is when the boards are standing on their ends- creates a checkerboard pattern as seen in some of the photos.

As you can see from the photos, there are many edge details to choose from as well. Ogee and beveled are a bit more formal, square cut is more modern. Do you like the Wenge wood above- it's so dark and edgy?!

When I said that I wanted wood countertops in my kitchen I got a lot of strange looks. I think there are a lot of preconceived notions that wood is difficult to care for or not durable and that just is not the case.

 Would I take a hot dish out of the oven and set it on a wood counter -no!, but the beauty and distinct style makes the little extra design time to plan for the way one cooks and entertains in the kitchen sooo worth it! ...and no I'm not selling wood countertops- 

though from this post it may seem that way :) 

Happy Thursday! See you tomorrow for another Fun Friday Find!

Sources: KBB Online, Gardenstate Soapstone, Craft-Art

Updated April 11, 2011

I had a lot of interest in this post. Here are a couple more photos: 

via Great Kitchen Ideas,
meredethbooks.com

via Great Kitchen Ideas,
meredethbooks.com

via Great Kitchen Ideas,
meredethbooks.com