How about like this?

http://understatedelegant.com/index.php/other-kitchens/?_gallery=gg-6-47

OP, I don't like it. Cutting boards are simple, cheap, disposable items. Don't optimize your kitchen masterpiece around them.

First, it's in the wrong location in the illustration kitchen. It should be on the other side of the island nearer the refrigerator. Even then, you will have to carry whatever you chopped across the kitchen to the cooking surface.

In your case, you need to identify where you think you will stand when chopping and prepping. You will need to be able to lift it out of the counter to be able to clean the area around and underneath it. From a sanitation standpoint, you would do better to order a really nice Boos cutting block that can be moved, washed and sanitized. Plus, it has the added benefit of being mobile. For meats and fish you would want to use an Oxo good grips plastic cutting board.

Marble counters are another issue.

In my first kitchen adaptation (not a full remodel). I had a cabinet built to fit between stove/refrigerator. It was only 24” side. At the same time, I finally built in my KA convertible DW after 13 years. It had a lovely very thick butcher block top. I used that for the counter top for the new cabinet. It was very useful and showed its use and age when it was removed 2 years ago with my total kitchen remodel. Cleaning it was not easy, though. I used a paste of Comet with bleach and then wiped and wiped with clear water until it was clean. Kept it - intend to use it in basement near laundry. Heck, it’s now over 47 years old!

We did something similar here. We used Grothouse Lumber for the tops (one on island and one in corner).

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Kitchen Corner Clean Up · More Info

CP...the sink under the window is a 33” Koehler Whitehaven.

Your marble is pretty. Love the mixture of warm colors.

Wilson..thanks for the link to Nightowls gorgeous kitchen. It looks like she used the butcher block on the end. Hard to tell from the pics

Zalco..I’m not on instagram. I suppose I have to join to look at peacocks pics? Thanks.

I have no problem using a wooden cutting board with meat and fish, so long as I am able to scrub it under hot soapy water, sometimes Comet, which would be a problem with this application for me- doable- but a pain. Also, I have to say, there is nothing as great as using the cutting board over my sink. No counter to clean up when the juices overflow, easy to wipe down and wash thoroughly and then dry on sink. It's one of my favorite kitchen things.

Hopingtogetfit, lol.

so pretty. Yep, the coffee pot overflow is a real concern. Glad you are not freaked out by your marble. It is beautiful.

ILoveRed, I'm not on IG either. Just type Christopher Peacock Instagram and you can see his feed without signing up.

I have butcher block by Boos as the end of my island. It is 2x3 feet. I do not have it attached so I flip it every season when I oil my soapstone and butcher block. It does get crumbs in the crack so I would recommend keeping it mobile. Plus you really should keep both sides oiled as well. Good luck. Not the best picture but my counters are a mess right now so I used an old one

Strategery and homechef...thank you for the honest opinions and the education. I don’t want to get too excited about this idea and make a mistake that I will regret...

I don't think that's an integrated cutting board.

Instead, I think it's a large counter top cutting board ... it's a large, sturdy board for rolling out pastry, etc., but it is removable. People like them because they don't "scootch" when you're rolling out dough. Look at the original picture; if it's not removable, why does it feature a handle? Something like this ... something you can lift up and wash or store in the pantry.

They're also available in acrylic:

Look, this one is reversible ... you can keep one side "smooth" for making bread and use the other side for cutting:

Rita...I love, love this pic that you linked too! The end of my island is my bookcase. I wonder if that would look goofy over my bookcase. It is 13 x 54

Anglophelia...such a cool story. Not so cool hearing about how hard it was to clean !!

Kristin Petro...do you actually use these as cutting boards or are they more as countertops? They look awesome. So earthy and gorgeous. The link wouldn’t work for me. Do you have more pics of the island area? Thanks.

Rita...yeah..I sometimes wonder if I should have looked into that stages sink for my island. DH loves the Indiana Posey county melons and my floor is a constant mess from the juices.

Cleo...what a great kitchen. Love the soapstone. May I ask what is under your butcher block. Does it actually serve as removable countertop for that spot?

Mrs. Pete...wow. I did go back and looked at both pictures and now you’ve got me wondering. Is it possible those are not integrated at all. I just assumed the first one was a 4” thick end grain integrated board. And that accounted for it being higher than the surrounding countertop. Now looking at it closely..is it just sitting on top of the countertop?

Here is a similar CP look:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkjEzFpgTbz/?hl=en&taken-by=christopherpeacock

And here is a link to his IG

https://www.instagram.com/christopherpeacock/?hl=en

I would do the butcher block! I have a huge 30" walnut one that I hate hauling around, it weighs a ton! Rachel Ray said to use just kosher salt and warm water for scrubbing clean up. That is what she has always done, and her mom and grandma too. That's how I sanitize mine and oil it when it looks dry. I use it all the time!!

I like a removable one like, your second pic shows or what Mrs Pete posted. I would not do something permanet/fixed but that is just personal preference.

I have seen some board inserts that are removable but even with the stone counter. It was hard for me to add a prep kitchen at the island as I wanted it "undisturbed".

Just to throw this out in case you don't go with a fancier version, I had a vertical cabinet installed under the counter at the end of my prep area with a divider --various sized cutting boards on one side and cookie sheets on the other. Very handy!

ILoveRed...those images were from a client's home, and I'm not sure how much she uses them as cutting boards. We did install an entire end-grain Walnut top for this island, and I know the clients use it routinely as a cutting board.

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New Space Vintage Style · More Info

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Thanks Martha. Got your plan but haven’t looked at it yet... waiting for time without distraction.

Mojo..I do have a pull out drawer coming to the left of my prep sink for cutting boards with dividers. Still...I thought I might like this big one.....maybe not

Kristin..so pretty. I’ve often wondered how well the wood holds up with the water from the prep sink. But that is one pretty piece of boos block.

The first one is Grothouse and the second is Boos. Both require routine maintenance, but with the way they are treated, water isn't much of an issue.

Love the idea that Cleo provided! I would go for that for sure. Also, Cleo, can you show a close up of your backsplash...I'm intrigued.

2.5 years later and I don't regret our integrated wood top.

We don't use it for gushy stuff very often; however, I wouldn't worry about bacteria as long as it is cleaned after. We use it a lot as a sandwich staging area and plating area.

One thing I really like is have the relatively soft landing spot vs. the hard marble and quartz surfaces. It opposite the DW and near the beverage frig, so we don't have to worry so much about glass breakage when taking glasses and china out of the DW or setting up drink staging near the little frig.

And, I think it gives the area some interest. I try to oil it every 6 months, but to be honest it is more like 8-12 months probably. When I do, I lightly sand it.

The seam between the marble and wood isn't perfect, but every once in a while I just get a toothpick and scape the seam. I thought about silicone, but though that would end up being more of a mess.

The hardest part was securing it to the island so that the wood and marble were married up properly.

Good luck!

I love the idea of it and think it can be practical and add warmth to the kitchen. I say, go for it! I have Taj Mahal and it would pair so nicely with the warm tones throughout. What made you decide against it?

Night owl...I would love to see more pictures if you have them. May I ask the size of yours? Thank you.

A little late here but we have a removable cutting board at the end of our island. I had toyed around with the idea of having a permanent one that was flush with the counter (soapstone), but DH wasn't so cool with the seam between the two. So we went this route. I like how it is removable, but it's heavy, so I don't actually pick it up and wash it in the sink very often anyway. We're a non-meat kitchen, and in 6 years have been fine with cleaning it in place.

It's maple and walnut. I thought it might bug me being higher than the counter, but I actually like it. Trash is under the opposite side.

Jaimeap..I love the Tajmahal. The reason I decided against it was visual. I need a dark or very neutral on my beverage center which is between my kitchen and living room. The raised surface on the structure is open between the two rooms and needs to have a surface that works for both the kitchen and the living room. The living room side has inset built ins with black hardware. My designer didn’t think the taj worked for both rooms and specifically with the living room built ins.

Backstory before considering Taj. She thought it would be fine to do black on all white cabinets including beverage center and white on island which is a different color. Kitchen forum people said no...that all countertops need to be the same...too many elements. So, if you are still following without your eyes clouding over...that is why I’ve had such a hard time choosing my countertop and ruled out the luscious Taj.

Living room side of beverage center.

If your son-in-law is a great cook and a frequent guest, I would do whatever it takes to encourage him.

Leela....that is one impressive cutting board. May I ask the size of it? And where did you get it?

is your soapstone oiled? Very nice. Thank you for posting!

Bluesanne...lol, he is a both of those things. They live a few hours away and my dd assures me that when this lake house is done they will spend even more time with us. This guy has more energy than anyone I know. Triathlete and great cook. Much better cook than me.

Thanks, Red.

The cutting board is 28.75" x 18" it is 1.75" deep, and the sides that come over the edge are 3". We had it made locally by a guy (who happens to be a high school history teacher) who does woodworking as a hobby.

Our soapstone is unoiled.

Ilovered-sorry didn’t see your question. There is a drawer directly under it then an open shelf which is nice because when something gets stuck in the drawer preventing it from opening-I just slide the boos out and remove the blockage.

Does anyone have a purchase link to the removable integrated-look cutting boards like Mrs. Pete posted photos of? I really like that idea. I've never wanted a truly built-in cutting board but having one that could be replaced when necessary and gives a more permanent look is very attractive.

reversible-pastry-board

We are going with an integrated cutting board in our island, 4" from the under-mount prep sink - so I can swipe excess into the sink (and still have room to wipe out the area beside the two). It will sit about 1" above the the countertop and will be 41.5" length by 30" deep. We will screw it in from the underside so it can be removed (but not with ease).

I have a cutting board I've been using for veg and meats over 20 years. It's still in fine shape, and I do a tremendous amount of prepping daily, as well as bread slicing (that makes deep marks). It looks barely used, still in amazing condition with a minimum of effort (mineral oil when I think of it). But it's getting too heavy to lug around, and it's not large enough. I want my integrated cutting board to look like what it's meant to be: Something that is lovingly used, a lot. I would not want such a large movable cutting board - I'm not strong enough to carry something like that around on any regular basis. I want a prep area that will have a well-used 'patina' over time. Our kitchen will not be informal, but it will be used for cooking and enjoying. I am not concerned about bits stuck in the crevices - every so often, I will remove it, clean it, and oil the board on both sides.

I think what one needs largely depends on the amount of cooking you do and the style you are going for.

Does anyone have a purchase link to the removable integrated-look cutting boards like Mrs. Pete posted photos of? I really like that idea. I've never wanted a truly built-in cutting board but having one that could be replaced when necessary and gives a more permanent look is very attractive.

Amazon.

2manydiversions...will you share a little about the details of your kitchen please? Sounds wonderful.

Be happy to ILoveRed : ) Gimma a moment or three (pulling wiring today!)

OT for ILoveRed: Actually, I have an Ideabook with renders In Progress you can look at Here. Cabinetry style is just a fast mock-up, not what we'll use. We have made some changes I've not udpated in the Ideabook.

Our kitchen was U shaped, and now it will be an open plan. We moved one wall back 3 feet, doing away with formal dining in favor of a small TV Room/Man Cave where we'll have a mini fridge, snack cab's, and coffee station for DH. Overhead view is different in that the island is a wee bit larger to accommodate added onion/potato/bread bins. We aren't going with side drawers in the corner but rather a super susan for more storage space. The DW will be a double drawer Fisher Paykel (also with panel fronts) since we wish to run 1/2 loads nightly (wash fewer dishes/pots/pans! LOL!).

The inset above the range (outdated for some, but useful to me) will be wider, and not arched. Tile goes all the way to ceiling at the 'cabineted' vent. Vent cabinetry look still in progress, but it won't be stainless steel as that would clash with our home's style and is not our aesthetic.

The fridge is a 'built in' 48" sub zero side by side (needed something large) that will be flush mounted to be integrated... 27" deep lower cabs allow our cabinet maker to do that.

Medium tone painted peripheral cabinetry, stained island, pantry will be stained also. Large herb cabinet on one side of the pantry cabinet (I grow/dry herbs, make a ton of my own seasonings also). Pantry has a tall drawer at bottom for heavy tall items. Will have ROTS for every shelf in pantry.

30" cleanup sink away from my prep island which will have a 24" sink to both prep and wash. Induction slide in (didn't want wall ovens, not enough room and need only one.

Our style is what I call a mutt mixture of Traditional, Old World, and French (we are lightening up the Old World and French as it was getting too dark and heavy). Paneled is not a popular look for some, but as it's open concept now, I wanted more of a cabinetry look and it's popular where we are located. The passthrough 'window' is to allow more light. The transom above the pocket door and the passthrough window also glass, as well as the pocket door itself for natural light. Pocket door and windowed passthrough so I don't have to hear DH's sports/car races while I cook!

The most important aspects to me are flow, ease as we grow older, and usefulness. Style comes after. The Layout was designed by buehl - she is amazing! Further layout help and advice from cpartist, also amazing.

Plugmolds under all cabinets, one outlet in wall in one corner for toaster/steam oven. Under cabinet lighting, pucks in seeded glass uppers I think (uppers used for storage/display). Plugmolds on 2 sides of island. Toe Kick drawer on one side of island (where we won't have a rug).

The wine fridge at 24" W is too big for our needs, but wanted to go with a standard size in case we need to replace it. MW also replaceable, located in a hidden cabinet with flip up/push in door. Are using a pot filler, deck mounted, for sous vide, pastas, etc. Not a feature many would use, but one I'll use daily.

Glass passthrough window needs to be tempered glass (cleanup sink is offset, we don't mind). Adding a panel (in closet) behind fridge wall so we can have fast access to water shut off. Extras not seen will be a small folding ladder hanging on the cleanup sink cab door to pull out and reach storage cabs. Under ca water filter at cleanup sink. Compost bin in prep sink cabinet. Knife holder in drawer at cutting block.

Back on topic: Since you are inquiring about butcher blocks, we'll use either Boos or Armani Fine Woodworking, custom size. End grain. Both highly rated here on GW (and Armani has a 'how to' for installing but still be removable). I use both end and edge cutting boards and far prefer end grain on my knives. If you do an integrated cutting board, keep in mind not to let it be too tall as that will hinder natural chopping, cutting height. : ) I'm 5'5" and ours will be 1" above countertop (leathered so it won't glare in lights, won't show accidents as easily as polished).

I will admit to not reading everyones suggestions - so sorry if I am repetitive...

I love the look of the built-in cutting board. My experience with them is that they are notched to go over the top of your countertop so you won't have 2 surfaces that butt together and it allows the top to expand and contract. In your plan it looks like you have a very long island... did you find a top that can go in as one piece? Sometimes doing the wood surface across the whole end of the island helps resolve the issue of having a seam on a long island.

Also the top does not have to be too high above the main counter in case anyone is a little shorter. I would also suggest not attaching it permanent - just some screws to secure it... that way you could remove it if need be to really clean it and sand it down as needed...

Good luck with whatever you do!

Debbi Washburn, excellent point on the overlay of the butcher block.

For us, doing the entire length in butcher block is not a personal option as I do a lot of dough/pasta work and find it sticks more easily to woods than to harder, less porous surfaces, especially wet dough.

As Debbi mentions, if you ever sell your home or wish you butcher block to be 'new' again, you can remove the block for sanding so long as you do not glue it in place. A level-with-the-countertop integrated block will not be so easily sanded if it has deep knife cuts. Also, serrated knives when cutting artisan or other hard crust breads tend to leave bigger more noticeable marks.