
Not many people think about wood countertops when designing their new kitchen. There are a lot of choices including the ever popular granite, solid service like Corian and laminate just to name a few. Wood is becoming more popular than ever due to the endless possibilities when it comes to species and appearance. I personally have a wood top on my kitchen island and love it as it adds a warmth and a bit of country charm to our house. I wish that was my island in the first picture but mine is the one to the right which I made from scratch with some reclaimed douglas fir that I found. Wood countertops come in a variety of wood styles including butcher block, plank, rustic and exotic with each offering it's own benefits. The bottom line is don't just think granite or laminate, think outside the norm and think wood. Below are just a few examples of what you can do with wood.

Nice example of a wood plank countertop with a farmhouse sink. Traditional white cabinets with oil rubbed bronze hardware and faucet.
Here is a butcher block countertop, perfect for preparing food. This requires regular maintenance to keep it in good condition but will always show wear due to being used as a prep surface.
This is and example of some very old reclaimed wood in it's rough state. These planks would be planed down on the surface and the edges then joined together to form one countertop. The finished product is below which happens to be a bathroom vanity top. This is my style.
This is an example of using an exotic wood to bring out the endless possibilities of wood countertops. Here you have Cocobolo, look that up if you want, with an oil finish. Very unique and striking.