3 May 2018 DIY Inspiration from our Butcher Block Co. Customers

DIY Inspiration from our Butcher Block Co. Customers

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We are so inspired by the creativity of our DIY customers, that we wanted to share some of their work with you. We have recently received several photos of incredible DIY projects from some very handy customers. We hope you are moved to think outside the box and re-purpose something you already own, or even build something from scratch to make your own custom creation! We can help you customize just about any size top to fit your exact needs. Check out these amazing projects to get your creative DIY juices flowing!

Our DIY customer, Kaleb, designed and created the industrial style coffee table featured above. It is topped with a 4″ thick Maple End Grain Butcher Block. We love his mix of wood and steel, and the industrial style is certainly popular today. After his day job, Kaleb spends time in his workshop designing and building custom industrial style furniture and picture frames. “Making industrial furniture and construction is my release,” he says. “When you sit at a desk for 8 hours a day you need some sort of an artistic release…” Kaleb can build just about anything. His picture frames are large statement pieces usually 6 feet long. He uses wire rope, pad eyes, gears, chains, rivets, etc.. to give each piece an industrial feel. Check out this awesome portable island he made for his sister, which is a massive John Boos AA Block supported by the stainless steel frame he fashioned.

DIY Custom Island

Another happy customer, Karen, always wanted a long butcher block island in her kitchen, but could never find one that was long yet narrow enough for her space. She did have an existing console table that fit perfectly in her Savannah kitchen, so she decided to do-it-herself and make her own custom island featuring a Butcher Block Co. Cherry End Grain top  73″L x 18″W. Nicely done, Karen. If you can’t find it, DIY!

DIY Custom Cherry Console

DIY-er Elise, from Maryland, refinished the base of an old end table, added wheels, and topped it with a hefty 4.5″ thick hand-scraped Beech edge grain butcher block, creating this delightful kitchen island cart. Elise wrote us and shared her DIY story…”We had been using it (the table) as a stand for the printer in our home office before a remodel and it no longer fit with the new built ins. So, I was moving it to the basement for storage when I noticed it was the right width for a kitchen island (we have a strange kitchen and finding just the right thing has been problematic.) So I chalk painted and antiqued it, and added the wheels, and found your wonderful butcher block online. I am so pleased with the way it turned out. It is so nice having the extra workspace. And it looks so lovely. It really finished the room perfectly.”

DIY Custom Island Cart

If you have created a custom DIY project with one of our blocks, we would love to see it!

A DIY replacement of a top on something you already own is usually pretty easy, and is a great way to breathe new life into an old piece.

If you are in the market to upgrade some existing furniture or create your own masterpiece, we hope you’ve been inspired by these truly awesome projects, and we hope to help you along on your creative journey.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these other DIY posts on our blog:

Custom Butcher Block Projects from Happy Customers

Butcher Block Co. Happy Customer Photos

Live Edge Table Project Featuring Wood Slabs from Created Hardwood Ltd

Reuse Project – Butcher Block Table

Happy Customers – Island Upgrades

Walnut Butcher Block Tops

Creative Uses for Butcher Block

Filed Under: Kitchen Design, Repurposing, Stories Tagged With: , , , , ,
8 February 2018 Butcher Block Co. Happy Customer Photos

Butcher Block Co. Happy Customer Photos

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We love getting customer photos showing off the new Butcher Block Co. countertops and furniture in their homes! Our feature photo above highlights Walter’s New York kitchen with a Butcher Block Co. brand maple edge grain countertop inset into his quartz island countertop. The blending of natural materials like wood and stone helps to showcase the individual textural and color differences. In Walter’s kitchen renovation, it resulted in a clean, bright, and modern space. Very trendy and gorgeous!

In the recent research report, Houzz 2018 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study, we discovered some other enlightening trends regarding homeowners renovating their kitchens:

  • Homeowners who are remodeling their kitchens are paying quite a bit of attention to countertops.
  • Countertops are the most common kitchen upgrade (94 percent), followed by sinks (89 percent) and backsplashes (88 percent).
  • And countertops are the top feature (at 42 percent) on which home renovators are willing to spend a little extra.
  • The U-shaped layout of kitchens is no longer the most popular option (32 percent), as the L-shaped layout has made a comeback over the last two years (35 percent).
  • Finally, the study revealed that 75 percent of renovating homeowners are obsessed with clutter-free countertops, preferring a more minimalistic appearance.

Our customers typically order butcher block tops to serve as either kitchen island tops or kitchen countertops. Our John Boos custom tops can be ordered with stove and sink cutouts, scrap hole cutouts, miter cuts and angle cuts.  Other creative uses for our butcher block tops include laundry room counters, office desks, table tops, bar tops, workshops and more. (Check out our blog for other Creative Uses for Butcher Block).

John Boos countertops come in standard and custom sizes, in four species of wood: Maple, Walnut, Cherry and Oak. The most popular grain styles are edge and blended grain, but traditional end grain is available, too.

Butcher Block Co. brand countertops are custom made to your dimensions and offer you 15 different wood species from which to choose! They are also available in end and edge grain, but the most trendy selection is plank-style tops.

Watch our Happy Customer Photo Short Video

Visit our Happy Customer Photos Gallery to learn more about the butcher block you see below.
customer photos

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14 December 2017 Live Edge Table Project Featuring Wood Slabs from Created Hardwood Ltd.

Live Edge Table Project Featuring Wood Slabs from Created Hardwood Ltd.

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Today we are featuring our new line of Live Edge Table Tops from Created Hardwood with a special guest post from the owner of Butcher Block Co., Mark Shook. We love all the photos showing the whole process. Read on for all the details plus the beautiful finished product. Thanks for sharing, Mark!

My wife had been bugging me for a long time to upgrade the simple (and admittedly cheap and homely looking) desk squeezed against the wall of our master bedroom. I was open to the idea, but uninspired by the computer desks and narrow tables I came across. But once she discovered  the live edge tables that we had added at Butcher Block Co.,  we had our solution. Both my wife and I loved the idea that we could own a one-of-a-kind, all-natural piece of furniture that would look as though it were custom-made to fit our exact needs.

We searched scores of great-looking maple and walnut slabs, but since our bedroom furniture is dark, we narrowed our search to walnut slabs. Sure enough, we came across a long, narrow specimen of just the right length and width that was simply gorgeous.

Next, we turned our attention to selecting a base to support the table top of our dreams, and zeroed in on the Points base design. We selected the Bronze finish, which we expected would complement the dark browns in the live edge slab and in our bedroom, knowing this would extend the delivery date but feeling good about the trade-off.

We were assured that the slab and heavy metal legs would be well protected during shipment. When the massive wooden crate finally arrived, I realized they weren’t kidding! It took an hour to remove dozens of wood screws to disassemble the crate, but I love that I now have all this extra wood for various home projects.

Here’s a view of the shipping crate with its top and one end removed. You can see how much time, care and attention the packers put into protecting not only the slab, but the metal legs beneath it, as well.

Live Edge Shipping Crate

Once I removed the protective top layers, the holy grail was revealed to me. There, in all its natural glory and wonder was the prize I coveted for weeks.

After carefully moving our new, prized possession into the master bedroom, my wife and I returned to our newfound treasure chest to retrieve the base. Four bronze Point legs were secured by yet more screws to wooden braces that prevented them from jostling that could possibly mar or scratch them.

 

Live Edge Assemble

Now it was time to begin assembly. Surprisingly and pleasantly, this proved to be the quickest and easiest step in the entire process. The folks who salvage and finish these live edge slabs – Created Hardwood – pre-drilled holes into the underside of the slab, inserted metal screw inserts into the holes, and even labeled the four Point destinations, as well as the corresponding legs (A, B, C and D). Using the Allen wrench they supplied, I installed all 16 screws in a matter of minutes.

VOILA!

My wife and I could not be more pleased. Thank you Created Hardwood — a great addition to the Butcher Block Co. collection!

Live Edge Computer Table

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9 November 2017 Reuse Project – Butcher Block Table

Reuse Project – Butcher Block Table

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America Recycles Day is November 15th. In honor of this day, and in the spirit of doing whatever we can every day to help our earth, we have embarked on a project to reuse some damaged butcher block.

Reuse is the practice of using something again, whether for its original purpose or to fulfill a different function.

We acquired some large commercial butcher block tops that were damaged in shipping. When they were returned to us they were extremely beat up and would have been destined for scrap. But not in this house! I would say we have great vision and can see value in many things other folks discard. This 8′ x 4′ x 2.25” Edge Grain Maple Butcher Block had gouges, cracks and scuff marks, yet we knew it could be given new life.

butcher block countertop

Concept – Butcher Block Bar Height Table

My son, Ben, is now in his senior year at ASU majoring in Industrial Design. One of his projects this summer was to research and design kitchen islands. He came up with a unique design for a bar height kitchen island made with angle iron, rebar and butcher block. He calls this industrial style island the “Truss Table.” We knew we could reuse this damaged butcher block to serve as the top and base of his new table.

Butcher Block Truss Table

Step One – Prep the butcher block.

The first step was to repair the cracked butcher block. Using gorilla glue and bar clamps we successfully pulled the laminated rails back together. Then using the table saw, we cut the large butcher block down to the desired size for the 72″ x 36″ table top and the beams to make the base. Given the damage on the top was significant, we ran the butcher block through a surface sander. Then we finished sanding by hand with an orbital sander using 80 grit to 150 grit paper. All edges were then eased.

Butcher Block cut

Step Two – Build the frame and base.

This was the first time Ben welded and he taught himself while welding the frame together. He cut the angle iron legs to size and all metal was sent to be powder coated in black matte.  While that was being done, he then built the wood foot rest/base of the table. To create the “truss design” with the rebar, a special jig was made to make certain the angles drilled into the base and table top lined up correctly.

Butcher Block Pieces

Step Three – Stain and Finish the wood.

Hard Rock Maple has a very tight grain and is difficult, if not impossible, to stain…or so I thought. However, we discovered a product called a “dye stain” that works extremely well. This product is water based and only required one coat to give this blonde maple top a rich cherry color. The only thing we noticed was that it raised the grain a bit, which we dealt with during finishing. Our new favorite top coat is General Finishes brand Arm-R-Seal Oil and Urethane Top Coat.  We applied a coat and let it dry. Then we used 0000 steel wool over it to help smooth the raised grain. We repeated this 2 more times, with finish and steel wool. The final coat (4th top coat) was then applied (do not steel wool over the last coat). The resulting top was as smooth as glass!

Butcher Block stain

Dye Stain and finish

Step Four – Assemble the table.

Given the table was designed to spec in Solid Works, prior to building, when it came to assembly, it was straightforward and only took one hour to assemble completely!  Ben would agree, that designing and building your own table may not pay much given all the hours it takes, but the satisfaction in creating a one-of-a-kind table is well worth it.  And we reused butcher block that would have been wasted and reused angle iron and rebar from the scrap yard. A job well done!

Maple Butcher Block Kitchen Island

BONUS – Maple Butcher Block Work Bench.

A second butcher block arrived totally broken in half down its length. We were able to reuse the smaller piece and transform it into a workbench 8′ x 2′. A chamfer edge and urethane top coat made this workbench good enough to eat off of!

Butcher Block Workbench

Read our other Creative Reuse/Recycling Blogs:

https://butcherblockco.com/blog/creative-reuse-projects/

https://butcherblockco.com/blog/upcycling-creative-reuse/

https://butcherblockco.com/blog/creative-uses-butcher-block/

https://butcherblockco.com/blog/reduce-reuse-recycle-everyday/

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28 September 2017 Happy Customers – Island Upgrades

Happy Customers – Island Upgrades

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We love when our happy customers show off their beautiful butcher blocks! This week we are highlighting two gorgeous island upgrades, one featuring a standard size John Boos Blended Walnut top, and the other using custom Butcher Block Co. American Cherry Plank-style butcher block. Both look beautiful and add warmth and function to the kitchens.

The first of our happy customers is Rachel from Colorado. Rachel’s 97″ X 36″ Blended Walnut island top has a Varnique semi-gloss finish, which is ideal since this is being used as an eating area as well as extended work space. What an impact!

Happy Customers Blended Walnut

Happy customer #2 is Teri from Tennessee. We worked with Teri extensively to find the perfect style and fit for her kitchen island. This plank-style American Cherry block is a unique and beautiful accent to her kitchen. Having chosen the natural oil finish, Teri can use this block for all her chopping and food prep. Teri’s project proves it is worth it to put in a little extra time and effort to get things just right – it looks fantastic!

Happy Customers Cherry Plank

We want to see what you’ve done, too. The more happy customers, the better! Send us your photos and we may feature you on our social media pages. We love to see them, and so do our other customers!

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12 September 2017 Butcher Block Co. Adds Live Edge Table Tops to Its Online Catalog

Butcher Block Co. Adds Live Edge Table Tops to Its Online Catalog

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Supplier Created Hardwood™ Refinishes Live Edge Wood Slabs from Seven Different Varieties of Trees

This week, Butcher Block Co., a leading online retailer of wood countertops and kitchen furniture and accessories announced it has added to its catalog live edge wood slabs for use as table and counter tops. These wood slabs, salvaged from downed trees and refinished by Created Hardwood LTD in Central Ohio, typically feature live edges on both long edges of each slab to deliver a hyper-natural look.

“Furniture with live or natural edges is gaining popularity among both interior designers and homeowners,” says Phillip Hicks, a cofounder of Created Hardwood. “Nothing showcases the natural beauty of wood better than live edges, so furniture designers and woodcrafters are finding ways to incorporate them into furniture of all types – dining room tables, coffee tables, headboards, desks, you name it,” Hicks explained.

Until now, Created Hardwood has principally relied on furniture stores and countertop installers to get their live edge table and counter tops into homes and businesses. Seeking to tap into the rapidly growing online furniture market, Phil and his brother Jon Hicks – also a company cofounder – searched for an established E-commerce business already selling wood table and counter tops. The brothers’ search led them to Butcher Block Co. – a destination site for buyers of butcher block counter and island tops and kitchen and dining tables.

“Created Hardwood typically has over 100 slabs available for sale at any time,” boasts Jon Hicks. “Over half of all slabs on hand are maple, and our second most popular species is walnut. We also carry slabs of ash, cherry, sycamore, pin oak and willow. Most slabs are between five and eight and a half feet long, typically two to four feet wide and about two inches thick,” he continued.

Created Hardwood also offers metal bases for their live edge wood-slab table tops. Shoppers have eleven models to choose from, in designs that span traditional, classic and contemporary styles. The underside of the wood slab will come with holes pre-drilled, making assembly easier. Hardware is included.

BBC’s Marketing & Operations Vice President, Kathleen Grodsky, feels that Created Hardwood’s products are an excellent fit with BBC and market trends.

Demand for live edge wood furnishings continues to grow, in part because each item is unique. Our customer will be able to match any one of dozens of one-of-a-kind slabs with any of eleven different table bases, so there’s virtually no chance he or she will ever encounter a table that looks exactly like his or hers.

According to Ms. Grodsky, BBC will also promote Created Hardwood’s metal table bases for use as supports beneath John Boos butcher block tops, as well as BBC-brand butcher block and plank-style tops.

For more information, please visit https://butcherblockco.com

Contact Info:
Name: Kathleen Grodsky
Organization: Butcher Block Co.

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18 May 2017 Custom Butcher Block Projects from Happy Customers

Custom Butcher Block Projects from Happy Customers

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I get to work on most of our custom butcher block projects, so when we get pictures back from happy customers, it really makes my day! Remember the speed bag platform made from a butcher block table top? I’m not sure we’ll ever top the uniqueness of that one, but I’d sure love to see you try! Even in traditional applications, I’m always stunned by the amazing work our customers do, and I love that you all appreciate the beauty, warmth, and function that butcher block can bring into the home.

Recently, we received photos of three beautiful uses for custom butcher block.

Jerry in Georgia upgraded his workspace with these gorgeous desks made from John Boos Walnut custom butcher block with custom commercial grade stainless steel bases. These bases usually come with commercial grade Maple tops, but we had Boos put together this custom design and it looks so sharp! Since he is using these as desks, Jerry elected to go with the Varnique semi-gloss finish, for a smooth, maintenance-free surface.

Custom Butcher Block

 

Over in Arkansas, Tom and his wife built their own table base and used a custom butcher block for the table top. This John Boos Blended Maple top also has the Varnique semi-gloss finish, perfect for easy clean-up on a dining table. Isn’t this fantastic? I love the base and I’m so glad we could get the perfect size top for them.

Custom Butcher Block

Now let’s head way down south to Key West, where James has crowned his island with a stunning Butcher Block Co. Walnut Plank Style custom butcher block top. He asked for a “showstopper,” and boy did he get one! The plank style allows for wider sections of wood, which really show off the beautiful grain pattern and natural color variation of the Walnut. I think everyone should have one of these!

Custom Butcher Block

If you would like to explore the idea of adding custom butcher block to your home, give us a call or shoot over an email. We love working on these projects and seeing your creative ideas!

Filed Under: Cooking Enthusiasts, Entertaining, Kitchen Design Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
27 April 2017 Butcher Block Furniture for your Kitchen Design Style

Butcher Block Furniture for your Kitchen Design Style

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Perhaps you know exactly what your design style is. I don’t think I have one particular design style that I follow in my home. Maybe it is because I have lived in my house for 20 years and did not have the luxury of buying all my furniture at one time. So, instead, my furnishings reflect my taste when I acquired the pieces and when I was in that particular phase of my life. However, overall, I would say it ties together and it would likely be described as a Mid-Century Modern design.

I do admire many design styles, especially when they are well thought out. Whether I am browsing through furniture showrooms or visiting friends’ homes, I tend to really love a well-designed space. I think coastal design is perfect for summer cottages. I appreciate the charm and comfort of a farmhouse design. I love the simplicity of arts and crafts furniture. And oddly, I find the industrial look to be very intriguing and almost nostalgic. But bottom line, I am most comfortable in my home because it is streamlined and uncluttered, with warm wood tones and natural accents like stone and copper.

Given we all tend to spend much of our free time in the kitchen, gathering with friends and family, it is no wonder that the kitchen has become a natural extension of our living room. And as part of this extension, it has become trendy for kitchen furniture and design touches to complement the furniture and design styles in the rest of our home. 

Whatever your design style, there is butcher block kitchen furniture that can easily complement your home.

Here are ten popular styles and some butcher block furnishings that could complement that particular design space.

Arts & Crafts – simple forms often showing how pieces and materials were put together.

arts and crafts design style

John Boos “C” Country Work Table

Coastal – inspired by the ocean, light and breezy feel, accessorized with nautical themes.

coastal design style

John Boos Walnut Gathering Block III and Grazzi Table Kitchen Island

Contemporary – sleek clean lines, often accented with metal frames and straight legs.

Contemporary design style

John Boos Walnut Trestle Table and Metropolitan Maple & Stainless Steel Table

Country – or farmhouse, has a rustic elegant look, with natural wood and/or white bases.

Country design style

John Boos “C Classic” Maple Table and Saratoga Farm Maple Butcher Block

Eclectic – evokes a sense of imagination, with lots of color, shapes, textures and patterns.

Eclectic design style

Johh Boos Maple Tuscan Isle and Maple Elliptical Butcher Block Tables

French – ornate and decorative in style, with an antique furniture look.

French design style

John Boos Maple Calais and Cherry Le Rustica Butcher Block Tables

Mid-Century Modern – style characterized by simplicity, functionality and natural shapes.

Mid-Century Modern design style

John Boos Cherry Le Classique Butcher Block Table and Holly & Martin’s Parkhills 3-Piece Breakfast Set

Modern – a clean, minimalistic style, often incorporating polished or metal surfaces.

Modern Design Style

Johh Boos Cucina Milano Stainless Steel Table and Metro Station Butcher Block on Stainless Steel Frame

Shabby Chic – antique looking furniture, featuring a painted, distressed look.

Shabby Chic design style

John Boos Maple Jasmine and Maple Gathering Block I Butcher Blocks

Industrial – rustic and mature looking with the use of wood and exposed steel.

Industrial design style

John Boos Cucina Classico Walnut & Stainless Steel and Cucina Mariner Stainless Steel Tables

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23 March 2017 Tips for Cooking in Small Spaces

Tips for Cooking in Small Spaces

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Cooking in small spaces doesn’t have to be scary if you’re equipped with the right information! Just about all of us have had at least one small apartment in our days, so the stress is likely familiar, but Sarah has some great tips to help keep you happy while you work. Let’s see if she can squeeze us in and give us a lesson?

Greetings, entertainers! I have designed the kitchen of my dreams multiple times, revising as my tastes change. It always has a dishwasher, lots of counter space, big, sunny windows, and a giant kitchen island. I have never had any of those things, but a girl can dream! Since I’m used to cooking in small spaces, I thought I’d share my tips today! It doesn’t take a gigantic, sunny kitchen to make food with big flavors.

Dedicate Space

When you’re short on counter space, the first thing to do is dedicate space for cooking and prep. I have a beautiful wooden cutting board that I try to keep clear, since that’s where I chop vegetables. This has necessitated me prioritizing my countertop space, and has led to me keeping small appliances tucked away unless I’m actively using them. My stand mixer goes in the pantry, my food processor goes in a drawer, and my coffee bean grinder is stowed away, too. I also make sure that my cutting board is clean, because that removes another barrier to me getting down to business.

One-Pot Wonders

My favorite recipes have fewer steps to prep, and with a small stove and sink, I have learned to love things I can make with one pan on the stove. These recipes usually involve browning meat, adding vegetables that cook quickly, and then adding liquids or tomato paste to make a sauce. After you’ve eaten and put leftovers away, you only have one pot to clean, so I’m done cleaning up before my hands get pruny. If you want more elements in your meal, roast vegetables in the oven while your main dish cooks on the stovetop. This gives you more flavors, and more crunch, without making a huge mess, or requiring super specific timing.

Clean Right Away

The least fun part of cooking a great meal is cleaning up (obviously the most fun part is eating it!). When cooking in small spaces, dishes pile up more easily in the sink and stove. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it feels like the kitchen is full of dirty dishes. Commit to cleaning measuring cups as you use them, and clean knives or any prep dishes as your meal cooks. Try to get your pans clean just after they’ve cooled, so any residual gunk doesn’t get crusty, which means more scrubbing.

Meal Prep

All hail the slow cooker! Planning meals ahead of time has been proven to lower your grocery bills and reduce stress throughout the week. This can be as easy as planning to cook two big meals on Sunday afternoons so you’ll have leftovers all week, or investing in a big slow cooker for roasts, soups, and more!

Slow cookers are a great solution for cooking in small spaces because you assemble and cook ingredients all in the same pot!

So if you have a busy social life after work during the week, or are just too tired to chop veggies and make sure the chicken is done, try a slow cooker meal to have something to look forward to when you get home.

Strategize

If you have an ambitious cooking adventure in mind, set yourself up for success by planning ahead. If you want to make macarons, plan where the cookies will cool while you mix up the filling. Christmas cookies? Maybe set up a small card table for a decorating station so you have enough room for multiple batches to go into the oven, cool, and be ready for frosting!

If you’re adjusting to a new small space, don’t feel discouraged or limited by having less counter space than the kitchen of your dreams. By making the most of the space you have, you’ll feel more organized and up for cooking in small spaces!

Filed Under: Kitchen Design, Space-Saving, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,
16 February 2017 Walnut Butcher Block Tops

Walnut Butcher Block Tops

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Walnut butcher block has become incredibly popular over the last few years, and we totally understand why: it is GORGEOUS! A while back we had a customer who needed to exchange his blended walnut butcher block countertop for a different finish. The top was 107″ long and absolutely beautiful, and it just so happened to be in Phoenix. A couple of us here at Butcher Block Co. decided we could find use for this beauty, so we each embarked on a DIY journey to create our own masterpieces.

We hope these two projects will help inspire you to bring walnut butcher block (or any butcher block) into your home!

Candice’s Island Top

About 10 years ago I inherited a kitchen island that was originally used as a store display, and I have wanted to refinish it ever since. I got as far as replacing the wooden knobs with cute ceramic ones, but the improvement wasn’t exactly notable. The biggest problem was the top. It was cheap and too soft to use as a butcher block, not to mention completely unappealing to my tastes. Thankfully the perfect solution presented itself in the walnut butcher block being exchanged by our customer. It was already the ideal depth at 30″, and I only needed 51″ in length to give my island a nice 2.5″ overhang on each end, expanding my work surface a bit more than the previous top.

After a couple hours of wrenching the original pine top off my island (seriously, there were something like 18 screws…a little overkill!), I was able to start sanding the base so it could be painted. Unfortunately I do not possess quite enough upper arm strength to power sand 25 years of buildup off a table base, so I enlisted some help at this point. I bought some spray paint in a nice almond shade, went out of town for a week, and came home to a fully transformed kitchen island (do I have the best dog-sitter/friend or what?!)!

The oil finish already on this block was the right option for me, as I am using this as a prep table to do all my chopping. My favorite part of every month is when it is time to oil my block – there is just nothing quite as beautiful as a freshly oiled walnut butcher block. My ugly old island has become one of my most prized possessions.

Walnut Butcher Block

Kathleen’s Kitchen Table

My son was moving into his new home and we gifted him the oak breakfast nook my husband designed 25 years ago. It was a perfect excuse for us to finally upgrade to the kitchen table of our dreams.  We have always wanted a bar height kitchen table to match our dark mahogany colored kitchen cabinets. And luck would have it, we were able to repurpose this blended walnut butcher block countertop that was returned to Butcher Block Co.  Using the “other half” of the top Candice used, we were able to make a kitchen table 59”L x 36”W.

We started with an oil finish blended walnut top, our “half” was 56”L x 30”W x 1.5”. We sanded it down to completely remove the oil finish that was applied at the factory.  This table was a little small for us, so we added a 3” mahogany rail on the sides and a 1.5” wide rail on the ends using a biscuit joiner.  We chose a 3” thick rail of mahogany so that the finished table appeared to be a chunky 3” thick, even though the butcher block was just 1.5” thick. Further sanding smoothed out the seams. We did not have any desire to cut upon this butcher block, so we decided to stain it to match our cabinets, using a Zar brand wood stain. And because we were looking for a low maintenance table top, we knew we wanted to go with a polyurethane finish, applying 4 coats to the top.

The base of our table consists of 2 bar height metal disc bases.  We hired a family friend to weld the custom foot rest that attaches to the metal base. Then we sent the bases and footrest to a local business to powder coat them to match the metal on our bar stools. Our finished table is gorgeous.  The walnut colored stain brought out the beautiful grain patterns in our blended walnut butcher block. And this top is so low maintenance that all I need to do is wipe it clean and use Pledge on the top to keep it looking new.

 

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