Kitchen countertop made of natural wood: reviews and 59 photos

A kitchen countertop made of wood is a good choice, because it is easy to use, has great functionality, looks beautiful and is suitable for any interior style. Kitchen countertop made of natural wood: pros and cons for use in the kitchen. Wooden kitchen countertops have positive reviews and many advantages. They are produced both in large companies and in smaller organizations. They can be found in stores or ordered individually from a master. You need to choose according to the following parameters: color scheme, thickness of the array and dimensions of the required product.

It is not recommended to place hot objects or dishes removed from the fire on a wooden surface, as various stains may form on the surface. To avoid such defects, use special hot mats.

Solid kitchen worktop: natural wood, beech and pine

Wooden kitchen countertops are made from slabs of different trees: beech, pine, ash, etc. Therefore, this material has a wide choice compared to other raw materials. Wood is a durable material and has many advantages, but all trees are different, so everyone has different pros and cons.

The main advantage is the presence of an individual natural pattern.

Wood slabs in a production workshop. A slab is a wide longitudinal cut of an entire section of a trunk.

Slab countertops look expensive and unusual. They will fit perfectly into a modern interior and look especially interesting as a bar counter.

Professional advice on choosing

To ensure that the tabletop is pleasing to the eye for many years and does not swell or crack, it is useful to consider the following recommendations from experts when purchasing:

1. Choose a 100% wooden countertop. The store may offer a cheaper option made from chipboard covered with veneer. In appearance, such a tabletop is indistinguishable from a wooden one, but it does not have the ability to mill edges and curved cuts. In addition, veneer has a limited number of restorations, and wood can be renewed indefinitely.
2. If wear resistance is preferred when choosing, choose oak or larch. These breeds are expensive, but due to their dense structure they have no shelf life restrictions. They do not rot and withstand moisture, temperature changes, and mechanical damage without consequences. In terms of technical characteristics, larch is not inferior to oak, but costs 1.5 times less. Due to the presence of a natural antiseptic - gum - mold does not form on its surface.
3. When choosing an inexpensive countertop, you should pay attention to beech, birch, ash, and walnut. The cheapest species include spruce and pine, however, due to their low density, dents and scratches constantly form on their surface.
4. It is better to choose oil as an impregnation. Typically, kitchen countertops are sold unfinished, so you will have to coat them with varnish or oil and beeswax yourself, repeating the procedure every year. Both impregnations do an excellent job of removing moisture and dirt, but working with oil is easier and takes less time. In addition, such a coating, unlike varnish, can be repaired by treating damaged areas with sandpaper and applying a fresh layer. Any housewife can perform similar actions. The oil does not crack like varnish, does not darken or peel off over time. And most importantly, the warmth and liveliness of the wood is preserved. A protective coating is also applied to the ends.
5. Give preference to practical light countertops made of elm, beech, birch, and spruce. On dark surfaces made of walnut and oak, small specks, traces of dust, stains, and droplets of moisture are better visible.
6. Select the color of the countertop in accordance with the tone of the cabinets underneath or wooden elements (floor, window sill, dining table). A contrasting option in relation to the headset, apron and walls is also not bad.
7. Choose a tabletop with a depth of 3-5 cm greater than that of the cabinets. The protruding edge will protect against impacts on handles and surfaces.
8. If you want to save money, you can purchase a tabletop with a thickness of 20 mm (standard size is 38 mm), if you do not plan to place heavy objects on it.
9. When creating an L or U-shaped tabletop, the joints of the canvases are closed with a metal profile or fastened with internal dowels, and the cracks are masked with putty of the desired color.
10. To prevent the area adjacent to the sink from swelling from moisture, it can be made of artificial stone.

All about solid natural wood countertops for the kitchen

The production of wooden slabs takes place in workshops or wood processing workshops.

Pros:

1. Environmentally friendly material. Wood does not cause allergic reactions, so it is safe for health. Families with small children or people with allergies are recommended to purchase furniture made of wood.
2. Versatility. The wooden set is compatible with all styles: classic, minimalism, etc. As well as with any color scheme and various decorative elements. This is a big plus, because you can quickly find a suitable option without worrying about the interior style and color scheme.
3. Profitability and long service life. Solid wood is resistant to steam, water, heat and physical damage. Therefore, such products have a guaranteed service life of 10+ years, and it is not difficult to restore.
4. Aesthetics. The wood has warm shades and a smooth surface. It adds coziness to any room.

Minuses:

1. High price. This is due to the long service life and naturalness of the product.
2. Picky about care. Wipe exclusively with dry wipes or rags. Wax every 6 months to protect against moisture and mold.

Do not cut food on a wooden surface; use cutting boards. Place something soft under objects that can damage the surface of the product.

Creating a sketch and drawing

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of sketch and drawing. At the first stage, a sketch of the table is created - a drawing that will display all the features of the future furniture (shape, color, finish). You can do it manually. An alternative is to use graphic editors, including online services. Based on the sketch, a drawing of a wooden table is created.

How to make a kitchen table with your own hands from wood or wood boards

If you want to make furniture completely yourself, you should arm yourself with paper, a ruler, a pencil and an eraser. Or use online services if special programs are not installed on your computer. Before starting modeling, you need to carefully study the design features of the selected model - what elements it consists of, where and how to connect the parts, how difficult the table is to manufacture. The last point is important, since the level of complexity of the work must correspond to experience, the availability of the necessary tools, fasteners and consumables.

To create the correct drawing and detailing for it, you need:

• determine all the dimensions of the table;
• take into account the thickness of the materials;
• calculate the size of each part;
• draw up a schematic representation of the structure to scale, indicating the dimensions, not forgetting to subtract the thickness of the timber or board;
• separately create drawings of the fastening points of the elements;
• draw up a map of cutting and drilling materials.

To some, such work may seem unnecessarily complicated. In this case, it is easy to find ready-made drawings. They, like step-by-step assembly diagrams, are traditionally posted on thematic online resources.

Based on standard models, exclusive versions of tables are also created, taking into account the design features.

Materials for the production of solid wood kitchen countertops

Produced from trees of different origins. A kitchen countertop made of solid oak looks elite, but is expensive. Pine and birch have publicly available prices. Below we will consider each material separately.

From birch

Birch has a yellow-golden hue, the surface is smooth, pleasant to the touch. It obeys transformation without any problems, which is why the price is not high. Flexible wood will not crack. Simply paint and restore. You can cut out any ornament on the side edge, which is well suited for most interiors.

Pine countertop for kitchen reviews

NatalyaVolkova: “We have a tabletop made of pine board. We coated it with linseed oil three times before installation – that’s all. We've been using it for two years. Looks ok. I wipe it around the sink all the time so that the water does not stagnate, I wash it around the hob with dishwashing detergent, and sometimes I even rub it with Pemolux. There are microcracks here and there, dents, dirt... But not critical. This is normal for a tree.”

Pine as a raw material for furniture production is a budget option. Therefore, pine countertops for the kitchen have good reviews. For durability, varnish is applied to the product. After all, this tree itself is soft. Thanks to this pine product, you can give an antique effect by making abrasions.

But there is a minus: it wears out quickly, so you have to change it often.

Lev: “I have had a pine countertop for over 3 years. Tinted and covered with parquet oil and wax, still very much alive. I sometimes renew the coating with oil. The oil never peels off, warps or swells. It only gradually wears off/is washed away. The update is extremely simple - wipe clean and dry and cover the top with another layer of oil, wait a day until it dries and everything is as good as new.”

From larch

Larch is resistant to moisture and deformation, dense, strong, and not afraid of impacts. It has a unique, natural pattern of interlacing threads located inside. The price is average.

Variant of furniture panel made of larch. Such a countertop will have an interesting pattern that will add zest to the kitchen.

Tabletop with natural wood pattern. Using various tinting stains and varnishes, you can give the surface the desired color.

Larch countertop for kitchen reviews

Basilio: “Even sinks and bathtubs are made from larch. A tabletop made from leaf wood turns out beautiful, but it needs to be processed wisely. Buy a furniture board made of laminated wood, treat it with stain and thoroughly varnish several times on all sides, and you’ll be fine.”

NaVseRuki_master: “Over time, larch “petrifies” and becomes very hard. There will be virtually no microcracks. If you choose the correct section of the board and the correct fasteners, then there will be no problems with warping. Add here the bactericidal properties, you can cover the inside of the house with furniture panels, and outside the larch only gets stronger from water. And after 7 years, any tree needs to be covered.”

Sergey Panov: “I impregnate larch exclusively with colorless propitex - this is a Russian composition of linseed oil and white spirit. At the sawmill where I buy larch, all the utility rooms and sidewalks are made from it. The sidewalks are black, but they say that they have been there for 7 years, I have been observing them for the fourth year - no changes.”

The products come in warm colors: soft brown, red, yellow-orange. Larch contains substances that purify the airspace and have a positive effect on human health.

From ash

Furniture made from ash is the most elite and superior; it becomes a decoration of any room due to its pattern. Ash is particularly durable, and such tables last from 20 to 25 years. The material is as durable as oak, but the price is lower.

The outer layer is not scratched or chipped, and heavy objects can be placed on it. It is resistant to temperature changes and steam. Ash furniture can be placed in damp rooms. When ash furniture begins to wear out, you need to apply varnish or wax and restore the surface.

Made of oak: reviews of oak countertops for the kitchen

PavelKuk: “We bought a kitchen without a countertop, chose between wood and stone, and decided to go with solid oak. I really like the texture and coating, you can’t compare it with plastic, you can move it with your hand and it feels good. We ordered natural oil for the coating, because... it can be updated after a while, again getting the look of a new countertop; this won’t happen with varnish; you’ll have to sand everything off. BUT there are also disadvantages: you can’t wash with hard sponges and dish soap, it’s afraid of alkali, so care is required, but it’s worth it.”

Leonid: “Oak is reliable, strong, wear-resistant, and can withstand high temperatures and humidity. An oak countertop is suitable for a luxury-style kitchen and has positive reviews, as it looks rich and solid. The surface of an oak table will not smell like food odors that are common in the kitchen; oak does not absorb them. It is protected from bacteria, rot, and plaque. Flexible fibers allow them to withstand mechanical stress. Oak surfaces are easy to keep clean. But for all these benefits you have to pay, and quite a bit.”

Oksana L.: “I have oak under oil - it’s just a dream!!!!! Year - excellent flight. Absolutely low maintenance.”

Beech countertop for the kitchen: reviews

MasterDerevo: “A little over a year ago I was faced with choosing a kitchen countertop material: solid wood or chipboard. I leaned towards solid beech - for environmental and aesthetic reasons. The cost of the array = the cost of chipboard in the case of countertops. When purchasing, you need to inspect the entire tabletop - for color unevenness and defects in the blocks it is made from. I installed it myself, impregnated it with special. oil several times (in a very thin layer 4 or 5 times), according to the instructions, more layers are needed. Water spilled on the surface is not absorbed; the surface can be easily washed with liquid soap (the kind for dishes). After each dishwashing, I wiped the countertop almost dry. Accuracy. Semi-minus: Poisonous chemicals like silite are contraindicated - it eats away the impregnation and leaves unprotected stains. Treated by re-tinting. Care: once a year you need to renew the coating with impregnating oil. If cuts appear, then sand them. Work for 15 minutes. My conclusion: when used correctly, natural countertops are in no way inferior to laminated chipboard. There are actually more advantages. She’s soulful, or something.”

Beech countertops for the kitchen have mostly positive reviews. Beech is presented in a yellow shade with a pink tint. You can create the desired color by tinting, painting or varnishing. Beech does not scratch, does not chip, does not wear out. But it does not tolerate moisture. To protect it from destruction, a beech table is wiped with paraffin.

Valentin: “BUK! I have a kitchen table made of light beech. Array, Ikea. But they don’t have such countertops anymore. Everything is fine, of course there are no cracks, not big scratches. Oil in 5 layers. I bought it for 499r on sale. “

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of wood is its environmental purity, and its natural beauty and warmth have no equal. This material has earned its popularity due to the following advantages:

1. Ease of processing allows you to give the tabletop any shape.
2. The ability to combine with glass, metal, tiles and other finishing materials allows a wooden tabletop to organically fit into any interior style.
3. The elastic structure reduces the possibility of chipping, which affects stone countertops.
4. With proper care, the service life is more than 25 years. Wood is the only material that becomes more beautiful over time.
5. Possibility of changing the tone and surface finish.
6. The wood is antistatic, so dust does not accumulate on it.
7. Easy to update and minor surface repairs. Places of minor damage and stubborn stains are treated with sandpaper, then covered with oil.
8. The price is 2-3 times lower than analogues made of artificial or natural stone.
9. Possibility of performing any milling of the edges of the tabletop.

The disadvantages include the following:

• periodic replacement of the protective coating;
• easy flammability;
• Hot dishes may leave stains;
• the surface is easily scratched by sharp objects.

Reviews of wooden countertops for the kitchen

People who have a wooden kitchen countertop write positive reviews. From their words, we can only highlight some recommendations for using wooden objects.

The owner of an oak table surface recommends purchasing a sink with a wing so as not to wet the wooden surface, and covering the stained areas with special oil.

Another owner has been using a birch countertop for about 1 year and is completely happy with it. When washing dishes, water splashes, after finishing he simply wipes everything with a dry cloth. If anything spills, he wipes it up immediately. After using a wooden surface, he does not want to install another material.

Petrovich: “It’s better to take hardwood, the finish is oil (easy to renew yourself), and it’s ready for dents and cracks.”

Vladislava: “My kitchen is made of untreated wood... I don’t bother, because I got it for almost nothing... But you can’t spill coffee on it (stains).. if you chop the onion and sprinkle the juice, the smell will remain..+ dents from sharp objects .. I think at this rate I’ll only have enough of it for 3 years.. I think a polished one is better for life.. there are only hot pads and a special polish.”

Mama Lena: “When I bought it, I perfectly understood all the disadvantages. And it may dry out, and it needs to be treated with oil regularly... But when I touch it with my hands, I don’t care about all the disadvantages. The tactile sensations cannot be compared with any stone or plastic. And my husband and I decided that we live once, and this one time we need to please and pamper ourselves.”

There are various reviews posted online; you can read them if you are in doubt about installing a tree.

Wood selection

The tabletop is made from various types of wood: pine, beech, oak. But when choosing a material, you should pay attention not only to its appearance and structure. The main criterion in this matter is hardness.

With proper care, over time, consumers notice improvements in the appearance of the surface.

Wood species

The best option for the kitchen interior would be hardwood: ash, beech and oak. Conifers such as spruce, pine, larch are not suitable, especially for apartments.

The wooden tabletop has antistatic properties, thanks to which dust does not settle on the surface, and dirt and stains are not too noticeable.

Type of wood

The ideal options for wood hardness would be ash, birch, oak and beech. A tabletop made from solid wood such as pine, larch and alder is considered soft, especially for use in the kitchen. But there is one nuance - the harder the wood, the higher its cost. This is due to the fact that hard rocks take a long time to grow and are rare.

If scratches appear, they can be easily covered with varnish, having previously been treated with sandpaper.

Note! The durability of the countertop depends on the manufacturing method. Solid wood is more prone to warping than glued wood.

Photos of solid wood countertops for the kitchen

Wooden furniture is strong, durable, and attractive. It will last for many years if you take care of it and follow recommendations, such as waxing every 6 months to protect it and maintain its aesthetic appearance.

Repair depends on the damage caused and its extent. Most often the surface is scratched, and repair consists of careful sanding and restoration of appearance. After removing traces of scratches, it is necessary to use special preparations - primers, oils, wax or varnish (depending on the main coating) and restore the appearance of the product.

More serious damage to wooden surfaces, caused, for example, by falling heavy or sharp objects, can also be repaired. But in this case, the repair will be longer and more painstaking, and the work will require the following materials and equipment: putty, varnish, wax and oil, special scrapers and brushes, sandpaper of various grain sizes.

Step-by-step work algorithm

Regardless of whether the master is going to make a table from timber, boards or solid wood, oval or square, with 4 or 2 legs, the algorithm will be similar. The first stage is cutting all the necessary parts. Since the drawing with the dimensions of each element is already ready, you can begin making a wooden table with your own hands. If the legs are planned to be metal, the best option would be a steel or aluminum pipe of a suitable cross-section. But the easiest way is to make table legs from timber with your own hands. For this purpose, you will need a block with a cross-section of at least 5 × 5 cm. It is even easier to find ready-made balusters.

The second element is the tabletop. When talking about how to make a wooden table with your own hands, we can mention different shapes and types of tabletops. The easiest way is to make it rectangular or square. They use boards, timber, solid wood, even tree cuts, glass, and other decorative materials. The main thing is to cut them to one size and fasten them together - most often, special glue and wooden dowels are used for this.

At this stage, it is important to remember the strict sequence of actions:

• manufacturing, fitting of all elements;
• sanding;
• opening with soil;
• grinding.

At the second stage we assemble the table. To do everything correctly yourself, you need to adhere to a certain scheme:

• The legs are fastened in pairs with transverse boards, using screws and glue;
• fix pairs of legs to long crossbars;
• Use screws to connect the frame and tabletop.

Tips for making a computer desk with your own hands, stages of work

The last stage is finishing. The DIY wooden dining table is almost ready. All that remains is to give it a beautiful appearance. You immediately need to hide all fastening points using a special putty for wood. It is applied so that the composition completely covers the recesses, leveling the surface. Then everything is sanded and brought to perfect smoothness using a grinder.

Next is the application of paints and varnishes. Those who know how wooden tables are made will name many types of coverings. This is a colorless or tinted varnish (acrylic, solvent-soluble), paint, oils, waxes. Stain does not lose popularity, after processing which the surface is covered with a transparent varnish. It is better to apply coatings to the tabletop with a brush.

To give the table surface special decorative effects, use epoxy resin and lay out a mosaic of glass, ceramics or other materials.

Cutting parts

Fitting elements

Making a countertop

Making legs

Installing the feet

Assembling a single structure

Painting parts

Ready table

How to make your own countertop

To reduce the cost of upgrading your kitchen, you need to make the wood countertop yourself. This is what a complete list of required tools for creating a tabletop looks like: • a drill with a set of drills; • hammer and nails; • wood hacksaw; • pliers; • cutter; • jointer.

Materials needed for work: antiseptic impregnation, wood glue, clamps, paintwork materials, sandpaper, thicknesser and wooden boards. Advice! Before starting to assemble the structure, be sure to dry the wood. Choose even boards, this way you will avoid deformation and the structure will be more reliable.

Step-by-step progress of work:

1. Dry the boards prepared in advance (the humidity level is no higher than 10%), and then impregnate them with an antiseptic. 2. We process them on a planing tool in order to obtain a smooth and even plane as a result. 3. Using a router, make grooves on the cuts on the long sides. Then we polish the planes of the boards, creating a strong connection with each other.

Recommendation! If you took thick boards, the best width and depth of the groove is considered to be 10-12 millimeters, and for thinner ones 6-8 millimeters.

Let's start assembling the tabletop: first, glue a strip into the hole of the board, which is wider than the recess of the groove. Next, insert the groove of the next board onto the glued strip. Then we collect the rest in the same way until complete collection. We polish the glued tabletop and treat it with varnish or oil. Almost any wood kitchen countertop can be produced using the same method. The main condition for obtaining a high-quality piece of furniture is skill and persistent desire.

And at the end we offer a few more photos of the wooden tabletop:

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