Regrets are difficult to guess. I'm pretty sure that the IKEA counters are cut on the long grain, rather than true end grain butcher block, so it'll nick up a lot more than something like a Boos butcher block. It's also that much cheaper that you could replace it every so often for the price.

Personally, I wouldn't want to have scorch marks. I'd rather keep a lovely trivet or two on the counter. I'm also not one to chop on a counter, but if you're going to do it, the IKEA BB should be easy on your knives. Wood cutting boards are naturally somewhat antimicrobial, so one might assume that scrubbing down the counters regularly would make them clean enough to cut on.

I think with your other, sleek materials, a wood counter that's too dinged up would look out of place like the cousin who wears holey old jeans to a funeral. I'm serious about the trivets. Scorches could look really bad. My maple cutting board is only gently scratched after many years, so I'm thinking the BB counters would look just fine (and could be sanded if there were some particularly egregious problem), but not with the scorches.

BTW, I have a cousin (one who knows how to dress appropriately), who has an old farm kitchen with counters she uses they way you're speaking of (sorry, no pictures), and I think there are even a couple of scorches, and it looks fine, but that's with three different kinds of cabinets, and different countertops, and different colors, and all of it at least 20 years old, some of it 100 years old. I just think that with the Caesarstone, SS and new white paint the scorches are that one step over the line that will ruin the effect.

Most of the marks on my maple bb island top just add character with the exception of the accidental scorch mark which happened recently. It doesn't easily sand out like other marks so I'm going to have to use the sander and refinish that spot.

I don't cut directly on the top. Everything else that gets on it can be cleaned or lightly sanded to refresh it if I wish, but most spots just wipe off or blend in eventually.

I refinished our 1923 fir floors myself, and they are certainly in the category of "dinged dented beauty". We ADORE them and I'm certain you will love yours when you rescue them.

The only thing I'd consider in your plan is, as Plllog mentions above, whether the pristine glassy shine of the Caesarstone will conflict with a more rumpled aesthetic elsewhere. My own counters are as weird and spotty as my floors, so it all sorta works. ;-)

Certain materials look nice with a ''patina''. Some wood floors, certain tiles (Mexican painted tiles and Saltillo tiles come to mind), copper and zinc counters, maybe oil-finished dark woods. Other materials really want to be gleaming and unblemished. Polished granite, polished marble, etc. I think that mixing ''gleaming new'' and ''patina'd old'' is tricky.

There might be specific situations in which you're trying to get a worn, well-used look. For example, my house has the original built-ins from 1911, they were painted white at some point, and then repeatedly repainted, so they have a very ''original'' look, to be charitable. Brush strokes, the occasional run, plenty of dings. If I go with white painted cabinets (undecided) I'll want them to look original to the house, and I'll look for a way to ''age'' the new cabinets. Such as brush painting the final coat with deliberate minor imperfections, etc.

That's my situation and plan, but I don't think it is a typical one. Now, this only goes just so far. I'm not planning to pre-scorch my counters. I think that would bug me.

I say use them and enjoy them, that is what they're for.

Have you considered Teragren Parquet Butcherblock countertops. It is end grain & inexpensive (

Here is a link that might be useful: Teragren

In my current home I have shiney Silestone tops. they have been bulletproof, look exactly as they did 8 years ago, and I'm hard on things. Here's a pic of my cutting board DH made me as a gift about 3 years ago.
{{!gwi}}
I use it hard... daily. I clean/sanitize it but haven't resanded it. I touch it all the time. I love the natural feel of the wood, Here's a closeup where you can see the scratches
{{!gwi}}
I swear I think it makes me love using it more. I see all the meals I prepared for my family, the sandwiches I cut into funny shapes with my grandson, my successes and failures in cooking/baking. I leave it out on my counter. It was then that I knew that I'm a condidtate for soapstone and marble. My kitchen will be conteomporay/industrial/ with other more traditional stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I have love my Silestone... it was a workshorse. But, I never felt a personal relationship with it (OK... That sounds ridiculous) like I do with this and anticipate I'll feel with marble and soapstone.