Would waterlox be appropriate for a kitchen table? I have an oak table whose top is in desperate need of refinishing and was considering doing this while the kitchen is down for remodeling. We eat at this table daily and I'd like something that would protect the wood without needing coasters for drinks. Any experience/thoughts on this?

I think you can't go wrong - should you go with wood counters - with having it be light to match the floors or medium to match the cupboards or darker to give some contrast. You'd have to show us pictures to give our opinions of darker or lighter I think but I don't think you can go wrong. I personally like the look of subtly contrasting layers (making up that term - I don't really know much about design but this feels like the right word). In other words for example let's say medium floor, light-ish lower cabinets, darker countertop, contrasting backsplash (that also pairs well) and then lighter upper cabinets again (with pops throughout such as something even as simple as a white sink on a black counter). So in your case if you have light floors which run up against medium cabinets, and then more matching cabinets above, I would probably be inclined to do something on the counter other than wood, or else put a LOT of thought into that backsplash. I happen to ADORE wood countertops, but then that's also cause I have white painted antique cabinets (I have old fir flooring). I would have gone w/ wood had I found a hard and water-friendly enough wood (cause of the sink) that also happened to be not too light (light wood counters weren't found in the old houses around here) and one that wasn't too full of contrasting stripes. It just got too complicated and I ended up loving that zinc look (zinc was found in lots of houses as old as mine, 1913, but in their pantries) so I went w/ stainless. Stainless isn't as nice as zinc but it's cheaper, more durable and makes a similar statement if done with a farm sink, old cupboards and lots of wood around for warmth e.g. in the floors or island top. I also may not have done stainless had I not planned on doing it with honed white marble subway tile which is a dream combination - along with all that wood I mentioned. But marble wouldn't go in the farm house I'm guessing and if it's truly a very old farm house I'm not sure stainless would work - it might not be rustic enough. It's surprisingly NOT modern looking though, if it's surrounded by other old-fashioned looking things including appropriate lighting. It's just soft and watery and clear/reflective in a way and handles scratches really well (they all blend in and seem to buff out with every cleaning/drying) and it lends a lot of light to an otherwise dark room such as mine. I'd love to see pics!

Hi Daisychain01! First, let me compliment you on your beautiful island! You have inspired me! I'm building my own island and now, having seen yours, I think I may go with maple for the top! And how very clever of you to think of looking in antique stores to figure out a way to get your drop leaf! I may do that too, although I'll have to hire an expert for that; my DIY skills aren't up to that. I applaud your decision to leave it natural. Gorgeous and functional!

cailgirl123, it’s a tough decision to make! Our bathroom marble scratched immediately, but it’s a guest bath that isn’t used as often. I lift, not slide glass containers, etc. & wipe down water splatters after my grandkids use it. So, for us, it’s been a little over a year & I love it. Not sure about a heavily used or teenage-girls-with-all-kinds-of-products scenario. Quartz maintenance is a no-brainer, evidently. I couldn’t decide if I liked the light “marble-like” looks & would probably have gone with a solid gray in the kitchen had the price been more budget-friendly. I loved the quartzite (Fantasy Brown first drew me in.) but couldn’t decide about the brown part (depended on the slab) & functionality in a kitchen. So, back to granite I went. When I found a Thunder White that didn’t look like someone had splatter painted it with purple paint, I was in love. There are still small raspberry flecks running through it, but it’s not an overall purple splotch look. Lol! My granite place had no samples so I did no testing. It’s only been five months, but I love my kitchen counters! They do water spot, & I keep a drying mat on both sides of my sink as we often keep out glasses with ice water, etc. So far, no stains. I’m the main cook & our kids are grown. I do have grandkids who cook with me but since that’s supervised, it hasn’t been a problem. Hope that helps! Here are a couple of photos. There’s a semi-circle scratch on the bottom left in the marble close-up if you enlarge it. The marble has light & dark streaks running through it so the darker part is natural.