We are in the middle of a super exciting project! My sister purchased a fixer upper for our mother’s forever home and I get to design her kitchen! The thing is, my mom watches way too much HGTV and is a perpetual renovator (I come by it honestly), so I know she will be bummed if it doesn’t look like a designer kitchen. So, no pressure, right?
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One of the reasons I’m designing it is that I’ve done kitchens before and have done a lot of research on it (read: obsessively planning our current kitchen reno)… plus, I’m generally good at bargain hunting and finding cost efficient ways to do things.
Any kind of high end countertops are a MAJOR expense in the kitchen planning process and I need to find ways to make it cost less. So, the first thing I’m looking at is alternatives to solid surface. Guess what I super, duper love? Butcher block.
Here’s a quick look at some of my favorite blogger kitchens and their awesome butcher block:
The first place to ALWAYS look is for places that carry off-the-shelf sizes. Producers offer standard sizes to consumers much more cheaply than semi custom or custom sizes. The best way to save yourself money is to find inexpensive products and sizes that will work and plan the design around that. I found a few places that have reasonable offerings. I looked for four foot lengths for purposes of comparison, but several stores only had longer lengths.
*Please note that prices are current in February 2020 and are subject to change.
Lowes Home Improvement
The Baltic Butcher Block, Natural Straight Butcher Block Birch Kitchen Countertop: 4 feet long (48 inches), About 25 inches deep, and 1.75 inches thick. Baltic burch. Unfinished. $119.98.
The Home Depot
Hardwood Reflections Butcher Block Countertop in Unfinished Birch: 4 feet 2 inches long (50 inches), 25 inches deep, 1.5 inches thick. Birch. Unfinished. $109.00.
IKEA
Karlby Countertop, Oak, Veneer: Veneer thickness : 1/8 inch, 6 feet 2 inches long (74 inches), 25 5/8 inches deep, 1.5 inches thick. Oak veneer, foil, and particleboard. $149.
Overstock
Forever Joint Hard Maple Butcher Block Top: 4 feet 2 inches long (50 inches), 26 inches deep, 1.5 inches thick. Maple. $252.89.
Lumber Liquidators
Williamsburg Butcher Block Company, Maple Butcher Block Countertop: 12 feet long (144 inches), 25 inches deep, 1.5 inches thick. Maple. Unfinished. $399.99.
Obviously, what size the sections are that you are working with are important. I will let you know what we decide and definitely show you the finished product!
Have you used butcher block from any of these stores? Have you found them in precut sizes elsewhere? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Thanks for hanging out with us in DIY land and check out more great DIY and design inspiration over on our blog.
Cheers!
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