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My sink, faucet and butcher block are in!

15 years ago

I'm glad to say that the island of my tiny kitchen has been somewhat sorted out - I still need to find, then install, a backsplash on the island, deal with the gap between the butcher block and the wall (instructions required a quarter inch gap), pick up some salad bowl oil for the counter (I'm worried about the sink area - using mineral oil right now), and then have DH figure out a way to reinstall one of the doors under the sink (we ended up hacking ruthlessly into an adjoining cabinet for the sink - perhaps with too must gusto. Oh well).

I have been all over town, looking at granite for the perimeter countertop. I really like the movement found in Juperanas. All in good time, I guess!

Here's my kitchen, in progress. New Kohler Smartdivide sink (love it!), Delta Pilar faucet (uses touch), and IKEA oak butcher block!

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Comments (12)

krissd
15 years ago
Gorgeous! Love your lights.
jenanla
15 years ago
Your kitchen looks beautiful.

Have you considered using Waterlox on your counter? I also installed Ikea Oak Butcher Block. I love how it looks. We are not in the house yet, so I haven't lived with it yet. I used 4 coats of the Waterlox on both sides of the counter and all exposed edges (farm sink).
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Butcher Block counter ok to use with a sink?
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Comments (12)
I'm having the same dilemma. Wanting to do a 1913 period kitchen just because the rest of the house is almost all original so I thought it would be fun to keep the old theme going. In a very similar house, I saw that the original countertop was a medium-dark to dark countertop...maybe mahogany or cherry or even old-growth fir. It had a heavy polyurethane-looking finish so wasn't used for food prep - and it had an old sink in the middle. This house was actually a mansion (mine isn't - but very similar architecture). If you really want the surface to be for food prep, you'll have to be vigilant about drying up water, they say, because you won't be able to put a heavy duty finish on it. The hybrid finish called Waterlox is supposedly pretty durable and maybe it's food-grade/meant for cutting on? Otherwise, I'd reconsider. Or you could put a polyurethane finish on it but use the sink cut-out wood (oiled for cutting on) as the cutting board and leave it where people will see it and use it? This was a helpful site: http://www.home-style-choices.com/wood-countertops.html
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Can you seam butcher block in middle of sink?
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I have miles of butcher block that I bought in 2000 for $299 per twelve foot run, 30" wide, at an industrial supply. You might try checking in your area to see if there is a similar place. The water will ruin your butcher block when it gets into the seam or under the sink rim. I urge you to consider an undermount sink if you will have the block around it, and seal it with something really water-tight, not just an oil or wax. Water sits in the edges between the sink and the counter and you don't even see it, and it unglues the blocks. Have you considered tiling around the sink? I tiled around mine and faced it with the butcher block at the counter edge and I love the look. If you search in the kitchen forum you'll find lots of posts about butcher block inset into soapstone, marble, and tile. You will love your butcher block counters. They are warm and beautiful. Renee
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Beach house progress-white cabs in, butcher block in, sink in!!
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Comments (3)
Thanks... raro-that is exactly the type of look we think we want. Thanks for the link. I will post some other lighting options to see what others recommend. My husband found a few funky/industrial looking ones but I am unsure.
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Fireclay undermount sink with butcher block counters???
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Comments (12)
I purchased my IKEA butcher block countertops about 10 years ago and stored them for a couple more years before install. They had changed sizes and had the original size for 80% off and I couldn't resist a bargain. A few years later I picked up a Herbeau fireclay sink for $40 at ReStore and decided it was time to tackle my kitchen update. I finished the countertops with multiple coats of pure tung oil over a couple of weeks. Shortly after that, my hubby and I went on vacation and had a friend's girlfriend stay with the children for a week. I returned to find that she had used a dishtowel laid on the countertop to drain handwashed dishes. The water sitting on the countertop soaked through the finish and damaged the counter. Over the years since, we have had several more instances of damage and now have a split beside the sink. When we initially installed the counter, we were most concerned about the seam we needed several inches from the sink. We ended up using an epoxy product and the seam has been the most successful part of the installation. In summary, I won't use IKEA butcherblock again. The quality of the wood just doesn't meet my quality standards with too many knots, and uneven pieces. I also wouldn't use any butcherblock near water because I don't want to have to worry about a visitor or cleaner damaging the surface accidentally. I'm planning to use either Corian or a stone remnant for my laundry room remodel.
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evilbunnie
15 years ago
That's looking tremendous! Great job! I love the oak butcherblock!
vicnsb
15 years ago
Really nice look you have going,
lights are really cool too. Congrats!
vic
kateskouros
15 years ago
i'm loving it! great lights... tell us where they're from please!
redroze
15 years ago
Oh my...your cabinets and that butcher block are droolworthy. I don't think I've ever seen butcher block that looks that good,like it's freshly oiled or something? Those lights are fantastic.
chloe_s_mom
Original Author
15 years ago
thanks!

Jenanla - I thought that Waterlox wasn't considered a good idea if chopping on the counter? Maybe, though, I could apply it around the sink/faucet alone (if it can go over previously oiled surfaces....)

Kateskouros - the pendants are from Home Depot! I really, really like them - shiny, but practical as the glass cylinder can be cleaned somewhat easily. I think that their are made by Bazz (?) And since they are transparent, they don't block views and don't feel heavy.

Redroze - it is rather freshly oiled, as IKEA suggests a rather heavy maintenance schedule for the first two months. Now, after seeing how happy wood can be, I feel that I ought to appologize to my other rather neglected cutting boards.

What I especially love about mineral oil is that it isn't combustible. I don't care what anyway says, chopping on a surface where the rags used to apply the product cannot be put into the dryer and are spontaneously combustible, seems rather unappetizing to me.

I did find that the oil raised the grain, so I knocked it down with a super fine sanding block, and it is silky again. The first night that we had it, I put a hot pizza (on carboard) on it and found that it raised the grain oddly. but I oiled it, sanded it, seems fine.

I think that it will take some getting used to, chopping/cutting on the counter. I've been so used to NOT doing that, all these years :)
palimpsest
15 years ago
How about back-painted glass behind the range. Use starfire or other ultraclear glass to reduce the green cast.
chloe_s_mom
Original Author
15 years ago
Palimpsest et al - Thoughts on the backsplash behind the butcher block? I was thinking something simple, like white. BUt it could be that I'm just panicking from the amount of decisions required :)
mom2reese
15 years ago
It looks great! I used a similar palette in my kitchen. I like glass tile for the backsplash, probably influenced by the fact that I used that in my own kitchen, LOL.

Those pendants are perfect!
mom2reese
15 years ago
Oh, I really like the stripes in your dining nook, too!
jenanla
15 years ago
I don't know if Waterlox can be used over oil, but the folks at Waterlox are very helpful. I don't plan on chopping on my counter so I went with the Waterlox as opposed to oil.

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