Calico hickory edge grain butcher block, built as a dining extension off the end of a painted kitchen island. The slab runs past the island cabinetry and sits on slim steel legs, turning the end of the run into a place to eat rather than more counter.

At 2 3/4" the top reads as furniture from across the room, and the square, lightly eased edge keeps that thickness visible instead of rounding it away. It is finished in Rubio Monocoat, a hardwax oil that sits in the wood rather than on top of it — matte, food-safe once cured, and repairable a section at a time.

Calico hickory is why the piece works in this room. It is the hardest wood we build with and the only pale one with real figure — blond and cream through tan and deep reddish brown, often inside a single board. Against white cabinetry, a navy island and black steel, it is the one warm surface in the room.

Project specs

Wood: Calico hickory
Construction: Edge grain butcher block
Dimensions: 60" x 60" x 2 3/4"
Edge Profile: Square edge, lightly eased
Finish: Rubio Monocoat hardwax oil
Application: Dining extension at the end of a kitchen island

Key Features

The extension is open on three sides, so the top is seen from every angle. Edges and corners are finished to the same standard as the face, and the strip pattern runs uninterrupted the full length of the slab.

Edge grain puts the boards on edge and laminates them face to face — the construction that holds flat at this size and takes daily use without showing it. Maintenance is a wipe of oil on the section that needs it, with no film finish to chip along the edge where people sit.