- Decorating
- Rooms
- Kitchens
- Kitchen Countertops
Add a sturdy surface and a warm look to your kitchen with these wood countertop ideas—including styles, finish options, maintenance, and more.
By
Jessica Bennett
Jessica Bennett
Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG.
Learn about BHG's Editorial Process
Updated on March 5, 2024
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Wood countertops are popular thanks to their durability, timeless appeal, and natural warmth. This classic kitchen material—available in a wide variety of styles and stains—offers a furniture-like finish and long-lasting beauty. Use these wood countertop ideas to help you select a surface you'll love for years to come.
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Walnut Wood Countertops
Walnut countertops add rich color and texture to this white kitchen. This type of wood will grow darker and more lustrous with time and use. For a natural patina, avoid cleaning wood countertops with abrasive chemicals. Instead, only wash the counter with warm, soapy water and rub it with mineral oil once a month.
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Butcher-Block Countertops
Butcher block is made from strips of wood glued together to create a sturdy work area. This wood countertop has historically been used in butcher shops as a surface for chopping and slicing, but it's become an increasingly popular choice for homes. Generally less expensive than natural stone or engineered materials like quartz, butcher block offers a budget-friendly option for kitchen countertops.
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Curly Maple Wood Countertops
Known for its strength and durability, curly maple makes a stylish choice for wood countertops. This variety of wood gets its name from the unique, squiggly grain pattern. To keep the surface in top shape, plan to condition the wood with boiled linseed oil annually.
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Wood Island Countertop
Incorporate wood countertops as an eye-catching accent to other materials for contrast. In this kitchen, a mahogany slab treated with a food-safe finish adds warmth and texture to the island. The perimeter cabinets are topped with white quartz for a sleek, durable finish.
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Budget-Friendly Wood Countertops
Wood countertops are generally a budget-friendly choice, but imported hardwoods or intricate details can quickly drive up the price. Butcher block tends to cost less than solid wood countertops, offering a similar natural look. For an even more cost-effective option, you can also find wood countertops made from hardwood veneers over a particle board core.
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Tips for Butcher-Block Countertops
Butcher block is technically the only countertop material you can cut on, as it won't dull your knives like stone does. However, using your wood countertops as a cutting board can eventually scratch or otherwise damage the surface. You'll need to sand and refinish your countertops to restore the smooth top.
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DIY Butcherblock Countertops
Install your own DIY butcher-block countertops for a budget-friendly kitchen update. Tracing a template onto cardboard will help you create exact cuts for the edges, sink, and faucet. Cut the butcher block with a jigsaw, then install it with corner supports.
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Reclaimed Wood Countertops
Infuse your kitchen with a sense of history by using reclaimed wood for your countertops. Here, the wood countertop is made from heart pine salvaged from a 19th-century textile mill. The surface is sealed with food-safe tung oil for a durable, water-resistant finish.
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Wood Countertop Finish
Wood countertops require a protective finish to ward off moisture and stains. Food-safe mineral oil, which is colorless and odorless, can be applied monthly to create a resilient surface you can cut on. Clear-coat finishes, such as urethanes and lacquers, last longer and are generally safe for food prep when fully cured.
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Wood Countertop Combinations
A combination of concrete and butcher-block countertops adds flexibility to this kitchen island. The concrete surface ties in with the space's industrial look, while the wood surface provides a handy prep area. Plus, the softer wood surface is quieter and more forgiving with dishware and other fragile items.
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Farmhouse Wood Countertops
Wood countertops can enhance the rustic look of farmhouse-inspired kitchens. Here, natural material pairs with glass-front cabinet doors and a Shaker-style peg rail. The warm wood finish contrasts beautifully with white-painted cabinetry and paneled walls.
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Wood Countertop Edges
Wood can be cut and carved into intricate designs. Dress up your wood countertops with a stylish edge profile, such as a bevel, bullnose, or ogee edge. On this wood island, a fanciful edge design emphasizes the kitchen's traditional style.
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Storage-Filled Wood Countertop Island
A thick wood slab tops the island in this nature-inspired kitchen. The countertop material unites the island with the perimeter cabinetry and trim throughout. A warm gray paint color and vases filled with flowering branches reinforce the earthy appeal.
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Hardworking Island Wood Countertop
Woodblock countertops come in a variety of patterns, including edge grain, end grain, and face grain. Here, blocks of end-grain maple are glued together to form a grid pattern. The butcher-block top adjoins the work island's expanse of verde tropical granite, which was quarried in Brazil.
Kitchen trends come and go, but functionality and warm, natural elements never go out of style. If you want to add wood countertops to your kitchen, seek out durable woods like cherry, maple, oak, walnut, teak, and bamboo. Once installed, keep your counters looking beautiful by regularly treating the surface with food-safe mineral or tung oil (unless it's sealed with a polyurethane finish). Avoid setting hot pans on your wood counters, and clean up spills immediately to avoid staining the surface. Your wood counters can last for decades with proper care (and occasional refinishing).
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