Wood Countertop Ideas

This wood grows dark and lustrous with age. For a natural patina, avoid cleaning it with abrasive chemicals. Instead, wash the counter with warm, soapy water only and rub it with mineral oil once a month.

This wood-top island has an earthy feel and is filled with open storage.

This painted island is made of low-cost pine and topped with butcher block.

When this kitchen was remodeled, leftover cherry flooring was used to top the cabinets by the range.

Cherry wood on the island warms this kitchen. Six coats of an oil-base urethane sealer protect the wood counters from stains and moisture.

Wood countertops like this one are easy to maintain. If they burn or scratch, use a belt sander to make them look new again.

Six coats of an oil-base urethane sealer lend these cherrywood countertops a highly polished look while protecting against moisture and stains.

Wood countertop surfaces of different heights distribute the mass of an oversize island well, allocating distinct spaces for gathering and chopping.

A zebrawood top makes this desk feel like a piece of furniture rather than a bank of cabinets.

Topped with 3-inch-thick butcher block, a 4-1/2-foot-square island is the utilitarian and social centerpiece of this kitchen.

A butcher-block top of end-grain maple adjoins the work island's expanse of verde tropical granite, which was quarried in Brazil.

To offset the formality of marble countertops in the rest of the kitchen, teak butcher block tops the island and warms the space.

Custom-constructed of knotted alder planks, the high front counter hides dirty dishes from guests seated at the intimate dining table beyond. A local craftsman stained, glazed, and distressed the wood on-site using knives and forks to give the piece the look of real use and wear.