Ok, so my DH brought it home and..... I don't like it :( Sometimes things have a way of growing on me but I don't think that this will. And, of course, the cabinet isn't finished yet so it's a bit hard to see it and judge with the cabinet looking the way it does above rather than the rest of the cabinets. My complaints - I think it'll be too dark. It's the darkest thing in the kitchen and it's basically the longest uninterrupted stretch of counter (the area next to it is 112 but that includes the sink) so it seems very visually prominent. I'm not a huge fan of the strips of wood next to the strips of wood in the floor. The finish on it is pretty shiny and somehow it appears very lifeless and flat - DH commented that it looks like laminate! I realize that this could be changed with a different finish on it. The positives - it looks really nice with the dark wainscotting in the dining room. It's not in the dining room of course but the view through is nice. The wood itself is pretty gorgeous. The colors and patterns are SO pretty. I'm thinking now that I need a different wood species. I think I'd prefer something that's more in keeping with the colors in the floor. Anyone have any recommendations? I'm thinking about sapele, mahogany, cherry, teak and maple. I think I'd probably prefer a plank style so that it's not as visually similar to the floor. Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated!!

it's the regular black walnut. There are three knots on my top actually. I wish I had thought to take a far away shot when I had Jen's camera last night! Next time I will back up and take a full top shot for you guys. I can't believe no one else is in awe though. I never Ever thought rubbing alcohol would take of permanent marker from waterloxed wood. (someone on here said "Waterloxed - new verb!" and I am totally stealing that) : )

hi Its been awhile but yes, we went with the wenge counters. We found an importer of the wood around Baltimore but they did not work with the wood. They however, recommended to us a furniture shop in PA run by the Menonites. we went , talked, gave very specific measurements and they did a wonderful job at about 40% of what everyone else had quoted, even with 2 sink cutouts. I am very happy after two and 1/2 yrs. they still look new. We do take care of them but not obsessively, just damp sponge and drying plus every month or so a lemon oil. It seems however, that the wood is difficult to work unless you are professional, dense, very oily and therefore somewhat difficult to glue, etc. we are very glad we didn't try and doit ourselves, which was the original plan. the professional finish is one which I am sure is part of its longevity. Good luck. will try and show fotos which are right now on my cell.

Maybe this is just me, but I can smell my waterlox samples (from Devos and Brooks Custom)...even after nine months. Yes, the Waterlox treatment is extremely robust. I left everything I could think of on our samples, including lemon, ketchup, wine, oil, straight white vinegar, Clorox cleaner. No damage. That stuff is amazing. (Dents are more reflective of the hardness of the wood itself, so the brazilian cherry dented waaayyy less than the cherry.) That said, those samples are from last April and I can easily smell them and the reek of Waterlox. When wood finishers make furniture, they NEVER use that kind of product on the inside of drawers because it will seemingly gas off forever. They use shellac - which isn't tough enough to withstand your project use, but it doesn't smell months later. I know someone whose husband put a Waterlox-type product (medium polymerizing oil) on the inside of an unfinished armoire. Oops. That was seven years ago and that piece is still out in her garage, smelling. I don't know if that smell ever goes away, and I wouldn't have it in my kitchen. This is why we are not going with Brooks or Devos. (I wanted wide plank, and Waterlox is all they'll use.) Get a sample of the finish from one of the companies above and make sure you can stand the smell.