The look of wood countertops for way less
January 26, 2021
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Hello there! The
huge built ins in the basement
are moving along quicker than I thought! I've become quite efficient at this
build over the years. :)
The
first time I tackled this project
I used IKEA butcher block for the counters under the bookcases. It always
looks great! But from what I hear, IKEA doesn't carry the
true butcher block anymore -- the kind that is wood all the way
through. (If I'm wrong please let me know!)
They had the best price I found anywhere for basic butcher I could cut and
stain. The last few times I've built built ins I've used a different tactic
for the counter. I first tried this on the
half wall bookcase
I made in our last house:
This is a little trick that costs WAY less than "real" wood counters, and
it's super easy to create. Because I needed to cover so much surface on this
current project, I knew this version would save us a ton of money.
Instead of thick countertops, I just have a 4x8 panel of wood cut down to
the sizes I need:
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They will cut this down for you at most larger hardware stores. I picked
birch because it's one of the most inexpensive options, but still looks
good.
Unlike true butcher, the edges on these panels aren't pretty -- the "nice"
wood is just on the top, not all the way through:
If you are OK with a thinner look for the counters on your built ins, you
can get banding for the edges. You just iron it on and then paint or stain
it to match the counters.
But I prefer something a little thicker! My easy fix is to add this simple
"lattice" trim to the edges instead:
I just cut it down to fit around the countertop:
Make sure it's level with the top of the counters while installing. Then I
sand down the corners a bit and then where the counters and trim meet.
You can add stainable filler in between the two, but I don't think it's
necessary. After that you can treat the counters however you'd like -- paint
or stain. I used my favorite stain color, Provincial by Minwax:
You can barely tell there's trim on the front! Someone would really have to
look for it to notice. I promise -- most people would never know you spent a
fraction of the money!
One thing you'll want to consider is that different types of wood will stain
differently -- I used birch for the counters and my trim was pine, so they
matched up well. Some species won't match perfectly when stained.
Here's a quick tip if you're staining or protecting wood with polyurethane.
If I don't have steel wool on hand, I'll use a scrap piece of paper bag to
get the wood perfectly smooth instead:
It works so well! You can use this in between coats and at the end -- it
won't mess up your finish at all.
The little countertop trick will give you the look of thicker wood counters
for WAY less:
I would have spent at least $400 on birch butcher block counters for the
built ins. Instead I spent around $70 with this option.
My advice would be to use this for areas that won't get a lot of water, just
because of that tiny gap in between the counter and trim.
It's perfect for
built ins! I did this on my office bookcases as well:
I'm truckin' right along on these! Here's a sneak peek at the wallpaper I'm
using behind the bookcases:
It's a tweed peel and stick wallpaper and we LOVE it! I wasn't so sure about
it when it was in the packaging, but once I got one panel up I was sold. You
can see
how to install peel and stick wallpaper here.
I'll be back soon with another update on this big project! I'm SO DANG EXCITED
about it!
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our home here.
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I’m so excited for you! Thanks for the birch plywood and pine trim tip. I will do this one day. So good!!
ReplyDeleteHow about heat on this? My grandma had butcher block countertops, and since it was wood all the way through, you could set a hot pan on it if you liked, etc. Is that prohibited on this?
ReplyDeleteI don't put anything hot on wood counters. We have true butcher block on our island and we always use a hot pad on that.
DeleteThis is awesome! You always amaze me!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely COOL in every way! Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteWhat color is tweed wallpaper? Through the Amazon link there is a beige and a brown.
ReplyDeleteSorry, just saw this! It is gray.
DeleteLove this! Would you mind sharing the paint color you used on this?
ReplyDeleteThank you! The dark gray is Westchester Gray.
DeleteHi. Impressive work. I want to build this, but I keep getting stuck on how the shiplap wall is attached to the bookcase. Please help me to get this same result please. I looked, but I didn’t see how to execute. Is it attached to the built in or if it isn’t how does everything sit flush on the wall?
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance for any assistance.
Hello! The shiplap was nailed directly into the wall! It's not actually attached to the bookcase. You can see how I install shiplap here.
DeleteIs this 3/4” plywood on top?
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
DeleteHi! So I'm trying to figure out what to do about a 10ft long countertop on my built-in project. I love the idea of doing this with a plywood top and edging, but im afraid if i have a big middle seam (at the 5' mark) it'll look bad. I know yours is broken into smaller sections so you don't have this problem currently, but have you done this before?
ReplyDeleteHow did you secure the countertop to the cabinets?
ReplyDeleteYou can nail them into the perimeter around the top, or use screws to attach them through the top of the cabinets. (Just check the length of the screws to make sure it won't come through the top.
Delete