apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Scwheppe's on North Ave in Lombard is a restaurant supply store that is open to the public (ie, home cooks) and carries Boos products. Not quite the city, but closer than Effingham -- its's about a block away from the I-290/I-355 exit, so easy to get to. Good luck--

Hi Janel,
There's a great resource for Butcher Blocks on the South Side / Pilsen neighborhood.
Larry is the owner of :

Butcher Block.
555 W. 16th Street
Chicago, IL. 60616

312.666.9144

They sell Maple and Oak Butcher Block tops.
They also have furnished me with a "lesser grade" Maple - where there is a lot of color variance in the wood- for the project that I created ( a kids "project Table" )- it wasnt so important.
Also- they have the capability of resurfacing (you need to bring it there) older butcher block tops.

Try looking for reclaimed butcherblock that you can repurpose. You would be amazed at what you can find on Craigslist and Ebay. You could also check your local Habitat for Humanity Store. Even if you don't find anything you should consider donating the materials that you are taking from your kitchen so they don't end up in a landfill.

N.

http://badhuman.wordpress.com

If price is an issue, Ikea sells long butcher block countertop sections. It is not complicated to buy the sections and cut them to fit your space using a steady hand, a circular saw, and some clamps. They offer bock Maple and White Oak, I think....I managed to put a counter into my previous place place by myself.

If you apply mineral oil weekly to your butcher block counters they darken a bit in color and become stain proof. I oiled my old counters every week (spreading a thick amount on the tops before I went to bed and wiping the extra off the next morning) and watched repeated dousings of red wine bead up on them. The countertops don't feel oily...it is pretty cool.

Also, dont use cooking oils to do this...they can sometimes go a bit rancid.

Dave

You beat me to it ManofSteel. I've always wondered about that place.

What's better is that I've got a 100 year old butcher block in storage right there on Canal. I could put it on a cart and wheel it over there for them to resurface!

You just made my day and it's only 10:37!

Lumber Liquidators sells butcher block in sections as well. It's on their website under "Specialty Items". Also, it might be worth a jaunt down to Effingham. That Boos location has an outlet store -- but keep in mind it's not open on the weekends. And if you're doing cabinets too, there's a Schrock cabinet outlet in Arcola. They are open on Saturday.

I have the Ikea solid oak countertops in my kitchen and have been extremely happy with them. They're extremely affordable, but need a bit of upkeep with repeated oiling, etc.