My plan was always to put a butcher block counter in the kitchen.
I’ve never been a huge fan of granite – I find it very cold – and besides that, it’s not an appropriate option for my modestly priced neighborhood.
(Pro-tip: Be careful not to over-improve your house for the area you are in; you’ll NEVER get your money back)
I definitely didn’t want laminate, and after perusing the interweb, I decided that butcher block was the perfect choice. I liked the warm and natural vibe, the fact that scuffs and scratches could be sanded out, and that it was an appropriate material for a 1920s home. Perfect!
Every single home decor blog I read suggested that Ikea was the only way to go for butcher block.The only catch was that I live in Syracuse, NY.
Translation: we are not blessed with an Ikea.
Sad, I know.
I poked around locally, but was not able to find butcher block for anything close to the Ikea price, even allowing for gas and time.
The closest stores to us are in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which are several hours away. I didn’t think it was a big issue, until I discovered that they don’t allow you to buy something over the phone and then pick it up, or have someone else pick it up. I have friends who live near these stores, but they would not allow me to buy what I needed over the phone, nor would they allow me to give my credit card number to a friend.
Hmmmm…..
So life happened, and I didn’t do anything for a couple of years (other than cringe every time I walked into my kitchen) until one day this past fall I was perusing Craigslist and stumbled on an ad for our local Lumber Liquidators – a big sale on butcher block counters. I was ecstatic to discover that not only did they have butcher block, but their sizes were more conducive to my project so it was cheaper with less waste, plus it would eliminate the 4 hour drive.
Whooo-hoooooo! The #NeverEndingReno is back on!
We made a beeline for the store and placed the order (about $400 for the whole kitchen) which is how Phase 3 of the #NeverEndingReno got it’s start.
