October 14, 2009

In recent years, wood and butcher block counter tops have made a come back. These countertops are not like the ones that you grew up with, they are new and improved. Well, I can't say "new" since they have been used for hundreds of years, but, what is new is that they come in a variety of standard and exotic wood species. Most people relate butcher block with maple since that has been the most used wood for this purpose. Now, you can tailor your wood top to match or blend with your cabinets and other countertops. Other wood species to consider are walnut, cherry, oak and for more of a punch, check out teak, bamboo, wenge, mahogany, zebrawood, eucalyptus, bubinga, rosewood and more (see pics below)... There are three different applications for the construction of these wood tops, end grain, edge grain and flat grain. To learn more about this, go to www.glumber.com which is the Grothouse Website, the leading company in quality wood tops.

Iroko Wood Top

Mahogany Wood Top

Wenge Wood Top

In the past, the maple butcher blocks that most of us are familiar with, they didn't hold up that well. The reason for this is that a top coat varnish was applied in an effort to protect the wood, however, this top coat would break down in time with knife cuts and burns. Once the varnish is penetrated, it opens a wound in which water, food and dirt can seep in which can be destructive to the look and function of the top. The secret to a long lasting beautiful wood countertop is to not put any top coat finish on it, simply oil it with mineral oil. Some people think this is a drawback, but I have a wood top in my kitchen and it's a simple and quick process - certainly well worth the look. If a knife should cut it or a burn occur, simply lightly sand it and then oil it again. It's important to continue oiling the top every couple of months or so, this helps the wood to stay healthy and less penetrable to liquids. In contrast to what you may have heard about wood being unsafe because it's being porous which may lend itself to absorbing or holding onto germs, the reality is that wood is very safe. It still has it's natural enzymes in the wood which actually breaks down food particles almost overnight, a fact that few people know about!

Walnut Wood Top

Teak Wood Top

Cherry Wood Top

There is a furniture finish called "Durata" that can be applied to the counter, this finish will resist any and all water, but, it can show scratches. This finish is best used on a counter surface which will not be in an area of heavy use, perhaps on a table, a desk or an accent area.

Visit the Grothouse Lumber design gallery to see the many options that are available for your new wood top. Make sure to use a reputable Kitchen Designer to create the design around this wonderful material.

Check out this excerpt from an interview with Jennifer that ran in a few nationally syndicated newspapers last week...

Cooking with Kitchens

Kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer shares trends and tips for updating and improving your kitchen

September 18, 2009 8:58 AM

By Barbara Ballinger

CTW Features

Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, is an award-winning designer whose eponymous Washington, D.C. firm has designed more than 1,000 kitchens in a variety of styles and won more than 15 national awards, including the “Pinnacle of Design” for the best overall space at this year’s annual National Kitchen & Bath Association convention in Atlanta.
With kitchens remaining many homeowners’ favorite rooms to remodel, there’s a stronger chance of recouping dollars spent on this investment than several others. Here Gilmer discusses the latest trends, including how to pare the high cost of remodeling and her latest venture, Kitchen Design OnLine, which helps homeowners plan their dream kitchen wherever they live.

Question: You're used to designing fairly high-end kitchens. What are the essentials that differentiate them from lower- and mid-range kitchens?

Answer: Better quality kitchens have more character, like open shelves that float or are suspended by cables, pantry cabinets or islands designed to look like furniture, stacked cabinets almost to the ceiling with interesting moldings and thicker countertops. They also have built-in refrigerators, double side-by-side instead of stacked ovens and more specialized appliances like steam/convection ovens. Finishes are also more custom, such as milk paint, crackle and exotic woods. Backsplashes are more intricate or custom. Lighting is improved with smaller low-voltage recessed cans or an antique chandelier over an island or table.

Q: You've recently developed KitchenDesignOnline.net, where you help homeowners bridge the gap between high-end showrooms and home improvement stores by providing design plans online. How does this work?

A: I developed the idea after hearing people talk about not being able to find a good designer at the discount cabinet store where they were planning on buying cabinets. Our service offers a few levels of design from basic drawings to detailed plan views, elevations and a three-dimensional drawing.

A client fills out a questionnaire about the style they prefer, appliances, their lifestyle, number of family members, number of cooks, entertaining needs, et cetera. We also ask clients to measure and sketch their kitchen, and we have a section on our site that explains how to do this. Once that sketch is uploaded to our site, we draw the existing space and send back drawing(s) to be checked. We work on the floor plan until they’re satisfied.
Next comes elevations. The process continues until clients approve the final design. They can take it to the cabinet showroom where they’ll purchase cabinetry or use the design to shop around and choose a cabinet dealer.

For the full article, click here