Installing my {FIRST} countertops, sink, faucet and disposal!
Our basement kitchenette progress has been chugging right along! I've worked on this room nonstop since late last fall, and I'm thrilled with how it has come together!
I've shared our assembled and installed kitchen cabinets and the new LVP flooring I installed, and the next step was to get the sink functioning. For that to happen, I needed to get the counters installed.
For months I went through all the countertop options, and we waffled between hard surface counters and something less expensive like laminate.
Granite or quartz would have been lovely, but sheesh…I had forgotten how expensive they are. Plus I was feeling impatient, and knew it would take a few weeks to make that happen.
Laminate comes in so many great color options now, but I prefer not to have the short, rounded backsplash that most of them come with. (There are options without that now though!)
But when I thought about the moody, cozy feeling I wanted for this space, I knew my good ole go-to wood butcher block was what I wanted:
This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.
I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links.
See my policies and disclosure page for more information.
Contrary to popular belief, wood countertops will hold up just fine around a sink, as long as you finish them properly.
Installing the butcher block countertops.
We purchased these birch butcher block counters and had them delivered to our house. I texted the contractor guys we use for some larger projects to see about help with the installation, but they were booked up for weeks.
I was dying to get this little kitchen functioning with a sink, so I decided to tackle them on my own. I used my circular saw to cut each piece down to size, and then we carried them down so I could set them in place.
Once I knew the fit was right, I conditioned the wood with this helpful pre stain wood conditioner, stained them with my favorite Provincial stain (also Minwax) and then applied one coat of Tung oil.
I find Tung oil is the best protective coating for wood counters, as it preserves the beauty of the wood and repels water. Pure Tung oil is food safe, but we don't prep or cut on our wood counters.
I did a light sanding and cleaned that up with a tack cloth before one more final coat:
