The Peninsula & The Butcher Block Countertop

The south edge of the kitchen is bordered by a peninsula. The peninsula consists of two sections. The section with the butcher block is regular counter height (36"). The raised L-shaped section with the tile is 42" high (standard bar height). The lower part of the peninsula consists of ikea cabinets, with the butcher block countertop affixed to the top. The cabinets extend all the way back to the east wall. The raised portion was custom built from plywood, and painted with a high-gloss grey paint (to match the grey pull-out drawers on the east wall). I was originally going to try to put venetian plaster over the plywood instead of painting it, but after working with the plaster I figured it probably wouldn't go over plywood easily, and I was afraid it would flake off or something. You can see a cubby hole at the far end of the butcher block. There will be further details on that in a later post.

The maple butcher block was purchased from Lumber Liquidators. I purchased an 8 foot section for $259, but I only needed about 4 feet. I used some of the remainder to top the grey pull-out drawers on the east wall. I use the butcher block as a cutting board. It works really well. It's easy to clean (scrape off the food bits, spray with vinegar, and wipe down). About once a week I oil it with food grade mineral oil. You don't need special butcher block oil. It is much cheaper to get at the drug store or grocery store. They even have it at Target. But you have to look in the medicine section with the laxatives, because it is sold as an "intestinal lubricant". You can buy a 16 oz bottle for as cheap as a couple bucks.