vwhippiechick - Thanks. I remember it being a paint that I can't get here, but it reminds me of BM Woodstock Tan which I used in an entryway. It's brown, but I see green at times so it sounds similar to yours. blue67 - Have you looked at the Finished Kitchen Blog for ideas? You can do a search for kitchens with white cabinets. Laurie Here is a link that might be useful: Finished Kitchen Blog

I had edge grain rock maple BB in my last kitchen & I chose it again for my new kitchen, the main reason being the functionality of cutting on it. I use cutting boards for meat, but basically, I think they're a PITA & one more thing to clean. I oil my counters 1-2 times a year & I don't find that they look overly scarred or beat up; a serrated knife will chew up BB & I avoid those. I suspect that dark species of wood like walnut would tend to look faded & dry more than a light wood, but I'm guessing. IMO old cutting boards look particularily bad because of water damage caused by submerging or soaking them or putting them in the DW - all things that shouldn't be a problem with a counter top that's reasonably cared for. Of course, if you want a countertop that looks like fine furniture with an unblemished finish & exquisite grain, cutting on it would not be the way to go.

Don't stain until you try the actual finish on a test piece. All finishes darken the wood quite a bit. Sometimes Cherry wood has sections of grain that are much lighter in color than the regular Cherry grain color. If your Cherry wood looks two-tone and you want it an even color, then use a wood stain. But when you say "a bit darker," the finish itself will probably do that. A catalyzed lacquer or conversion varnish provides the most durable, hardest, scratch resistant finish. Get a product designed for bar counters- water, alcohol, and heat proof. It is important to get a reactive finish that can't be redissolved after it dries.

Little late to the rodeo here, and I guess you got the butcher block finished already. When I installed kitchens, we used a product called "Good Stuff" that Bally block recommended . It was kinda an oil based paste that you rubbed in then buffed off. Several coats provided a nice matte finish. Cant attest for how long the finish lasts, but I've never got a call back to re apply.