A Quick Education In Wood and Steel

I've always appreciated great products and great furniture.  To fully appreciate something, you need to know a little bit about it.  Maybe I haven't appreciated some things as much as I should have because my education has been a bit lacking.  

I now am finally educated in the finer points of butcher block!  Whew, I can check that one off!  A butcher block is a thick, unvarnished, unpolished and untreated surface that gives more useful area to kitchen counter tops, islands, or tables.  You can basically use the whole surface as a cutting board!  Yet the surface is beautiful because it is natural.  Butcher block can also be used for other types of tables and decorative furniture.  Ideal materials for a kitchen butcher block surface would be oak, cherry, bamboo and maple because they won't harm knife blades.  I can definitely see the advantages for having a butcher block counter top~you don't have to worry as much about accidentally nicking and damaging the surface with your knives, or for that matter, nicking or dulling your knives.  Of course a butcher block doesn't necessarily have to be made of wood.  They can be blocks of marble, stone, glass or ceramic.  But wood would definitely be my choice!  Most fine homes with gourmet kitchens have at least 1 butcher block table, counter top, or island to make cooking more convenient!

Here's another one--an Adirondack chair is traditionally favored in outdoor settings such as beach and wilderness areas.  There is a rustic charm to these chairs.  It is reported and accepted that the original Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903 when he was on vacation in the Adirondack Mountains and needed to have some comfortable chairs for his cabin.  He tried them out on his family until they all approved.  His design was made with 11 pieces of wood and he generously offered the design to an out-of-work carpenter friend of his, who patented it without his permission and sold them with great success.  The wide armrests are great to put food on and the rounded back and contoured seats make them surprisingly comfortable.  Adirondack chairs are also quite affordable and last a long time so they are a great furniture investment!  I think that my next outdoor chair purchase will be one of these!

 Finally, a great alternative to wood for the outdoors is stainless steel.  If not treated properly, wood does tend to decay when exposed to the elements.  Not so with stainless steel! Stainless steel tables may be an option to consider if you don't want to be bothered by regular wood treatment processes or are in a harsher environment.  Stainless steel is easy to clean, lightweight for easy moving and quite attractive!  And for the laundry room or garage there is nothing like shiny stainless steel utility sinks!