When you think about it, a wood kitchen island surface really is a great idea because it creates one massive cutting board. If you chop a lot, you’ll love all that chopping space. Sadly, we don’t have such an island, but we do have a small butcher block with wood surface.
Below you’ll see over 41 examples of kitchens with wood-surface islands. Some are small like butcher blocks and others are large, full size custom islands with a wood surface. Enjoy.
Related: Different Types of Wood Stain | Kitchens with Narrow Islands | Kitchen Islands with Drawers | Minimalist Kitchens | Kitchens with Built-in Tables | Kitchens with Rich Dark Wood Floors | Long and Narrow Kitchens | Kitchens with Columns | Kitchens Designed for People Who Love Cooking | Custom Kitchen Ideas | Two-Tier Kitchen Islands | Kitchen Layout Ideas
Rustic kitchen with wooden cabinetry, rustic wooden flooring, and a wooden kitchen island.
Off-white modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a white kitchen island with wooden surface and a pair of white chairs.
Off-white modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a white kitchen island with wooden surface and a pair of white chairs.
Kitchen with pale blue walls, white cabinetry and trims, wood flooring, and an L-shaped kitchen island with wood surface and seating.
Rustic eat-in-kitchen with wood flat panel cabinets, stone tile flooring, and a trio of teardrop pendant lighting over a wood surface peninsula.
Small white modern kitchen with no upper cabinets, windows framing the nature view outdoors, and a peninsula island with polished wood surface and a pair of bar stools.
White modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and backsplash flanked by black backsplashes and countertops, windows, and a small stainless steel table kitchen island with wheels and wood surface standing on white tile flooring.
Country style kitchen with windows, glass door, green cabinetry, and a matching green base cabinet kitchen island with wood surface, sink. and a pair of bar stools.
Luxury eat-in-kitchen with glass cabinet doors, flushmount lighting, and a semi circle pendant lighting over a table island with wood surface.
Large Farmhouse eat-in kitchen with beige walls, built-in shelving, a dining area, and a pair of vintage pendant lights over a massive white base cabinet island with wood surface and dishwasher.
Traditional kitchen with wood cabinetry, Farmhouse sink, wood base cabinet island, and terracotta tile flooring.
Country style kitchen with ledge storage, stainless steel appliances, kitchen fireplace, and a base cabinet island with wood surface and sink standing on flagstone flooring.
Open-concept kitchen with slab cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a wall-mounted LED TV, and a massive kitchen island with cooking range and hood, sink, and wood surface with bar stools.
Mediterranean kitchen with fluted dome ceiling, candle chandelier, arched windows, and a base cabinet island with wood surface and counter stools.
Luxury galley kitchen with decorative ceiling, a chandelier, distressed white cabinets, interior wallpaper, and a long base cabinet island with wood surface, sink, and chairs.
Asian kitchen with all around woodwork from the wood-framed sliding doors to the cabinetry and from the peninsula island with wood surface to wood flooring.
Large open-concept kitchen with wood cabinetry, green tile backsplash, and a hanging potrack above the green kitchen island with wood surface.
Eat-in kitchen with tray ceiling, ceiling fan with light combo, a pair of pendant lighting, shutter windows, and a wood dining table attached to the white base cabinet island with wood surface and sink.
Eat-in kitchen with green walls to separate the small dining area by the window and a peninsula island with wood surface and matching bar stools.
Farmhouse galley kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an empty hanging potrack above a wooden table kitchen island.
Another angle of the Farmhouse kitchen with stainless steel appliances, empty hanging potrack above the wood table kitchen island, and dark wood flooring.
Single wall open concept kitchen in a great room with light green cabinetry, brick backsplash, a pair of pendant lighting above a kitchen island with wood surface, and a two-tiered island with Farmhouse sink, base cabinets, dishwasher, and wood surface for breakfast counter.
Contemporary kitchen with open walls to incorporate the natural outdoors, tall slab cabinets, and a wood peninsula island with counter stools attached to a modern white base cabinet island with sink.
L-shaped white minimalist eat-in kitchen with knobless white cabinets, dark tile backsplash, and a globe candelabra chandelier above the tiny dining area attached to the kitchen island with wood surface.
Modern kitchen with gray and brown flat panel cabinetry, white marble backsplash, a kitchen island in the middle with white countertop and gray base, and an outer L-shaped island with wood countertop, sink, and bar stools.
U-shaped kitchen with white tile backsplash, ledge storage, stainless steep appliances, and a hanging pot rack above a massive island with wood surface.
Farmhouse U-shaped kitchen with white cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a kitchen island with wood surface standing in the middle of the room.
Bright and airy kitchen with white ceiling, white cabinetry, white backsplash, and a pair of pendant lighting shining on the white base cabinet island with wood surface standing near an area rug on gray tile flooring.
A white kitchen island with dark wood surface stands in the middle of a single-wall white kitchen that faces a wall of French doors and windows.
Kitchen with yellow walls, wood cabinetry, and a hanging potrack above the green double-tiered kitchen island with wood surface surrounded by area rugs on wood flooring.
Kitchen with some white upper cabinets and a Farmhouse sink by the window surrounded by olive green cabinets and pendant lights on a massive white kitchen island with wood surface.
Kitchen with shutter windows by the sink, flat panel cabinets, black cooking range and hood, and a double-tiered white base cabinet island with wood surface for the breakfast counter.
Small kitchen with white cabinetry, wood flooring, and a green kitchen island with base cabinets, dishwasher, cooktop, and a wood surface.
Open-concept kitchen with curtained windows by the sink area, wood cabinetry, and a chandelier above a kitchen island with a mixed countertop of marble and wood.
White kitchen with black countertop, recessed and pendant lights, and a small wood table island on a light wood flooring.
Kitchen with wood cabinetry, French door, a window by the sink, and a white kitchen island with an attached semi-circle wood surface for the breakfast counter.
Rustic kitchen with red-toned wood cabinetry and a two-tiered bar-style kitchen with a stone base for the upper tier with wood surface.
Beige kitchen with chandeliers, recessed and pendant lights, white cabinetry, stone tile backsplash, and a white base cabinet kitchen island with wood surface standing on medium-toned wood flooring.
Modern white kitchen with knobless cabinets and a peninsula with wood surface attached to a white table island with mirror legs and a pair of stylish cube stools on gray tile flooring.
Light and airy kitchen with white cabinetry, white tile backsplash, wood countertops, an accent brick wall with open shelving, and a surrounding wood-framed glass doors.
Kitchen with a brick wall behind the white sink and cabinetry, a light gray wall with a window, and a white stationary kitchen island with wood surface and cooking range and hood.
Beige kitchen with crown molding, decorative tile backsplash, and a kitchen island with wood surface, sink, and base cabinet.
How wood countertops are made?
They are strips of wood glued together to create a surface of any dimensions. For countertops (and island surfaces), they are anywhere from 3/4″ to 6″ thick. Butcher blocks are typically 2″ to 12″ thick.
“Butcher Block” popularity
The trending history is interesting. They were losing popularity from 2004 to 2010 and since 2010 have enjoyed a rebound in popularity. Check out the chart:
Is it okay to just have wood surface on island and another surface on other counters?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, this is the way to go if you want some wood surface in your kitchen. Wood is fabulous for a workspace, but it’s more difficult to clean. Cleaning is important because food-stuff can get caught in the grooves, scratches and nicks which can be bad… so cleaning regularly is a must. Therefore, use granite or engineered quartz or even stainless steel surfaces for your main countertops and wood for the island.
Wood surface on part of the island
Another option is to use wood for only part of the island. We have example photos of this style below, which both looks great and is very functional (less to clean). Click here to see an example of an island that has partial wood surface.
Should you make all countertops wood?
I wouldn’t. You’ll see some examples of all wood countertops below, but as set out above, that’s a lot of countertops to clean thoroughly. Also, you can’t put hot pots and pans on wood like you can granite. The wood will burn and who wants a bunch of burn marks on nice wood counters.
What are the best types of wood for wood surfaced islands?
The best wood is a hardwood. Maple is the most popular, but you can use cherry, walnut, teak or oak [source: HGTV].
How should you care for wood island surfaces?
You definitely want a protective layer of beeswax or mineral oil to seal in the wood. Do this two to three times each year. This will minimize how often or how rigorous you need to clean the surface. On an ongoing basis use cloth with warm water daily (don’t let food scraps sit on it for long).
How much do wood countertops cost?
The typical cost is $30 to $150 per square foot and that includes installation [source: Home Advisor]. You can go higher of course with more expensive wood or a thicker surface.
Related: Curved Kitchen Islands | Waterfall Kitchen Island Designs | L-Shaped Kitchens with an Island
