Wood countertops

A restaurant in LA had beautiful bathrooms with wood counter tops. In less than a year, they were totally trashed and had to be replaced.

If you're talking about a bathroom or kitchen where it will deal with water, I'd say no. Unless it's a butcher block counter top. They hold up very well.

Corian countertops.

God those are hideous, R2.

My favorite countertops ever were wood, but they probably wouldn't work well for someone who was messy and didn't clean up water spills when they happen. I oiled the most-used sections of mine from time to time to keep them looking good. My second favorites were stainless steel. I would love to have a kitchen with a combination of the two.

I can only imagine the abuse that wood suffered in a pubic bathroom.

Ikea sells them. Supposedly they're very popular in Scandinavian countries.

Wood will require way more maintenance than granite and quartz. You'll have to oil them regularly and be careful not to seal them with something toxic like marine varnish. I love the look of wood counters as well, but I know I'll never do the maintenance.

Marry me, r4. We share identical countertop tastes.

Can you seal them with urethane or anything?

I am a slob. I spill things. Accidents happen in the kitchen. Another vote for Corian

Would you seal a wood cutting board with urethane, R7?

I won't use wood on the dishwasher/sink counter there's too much moisture going on there. For all the others - wood is no problem. Other than maybe concrete, wood is the easiest of all to maintain. Throw some oil at it once in a while. If it gets scratched, burned or stained - just sand it down (only takes a few minutes) and throw some more oil at it. Easy peasy.

Woodworker/kitchen designer here. Food prep wooden counters should have "cutting board" oil...a light version of mineral oil on them to start. Re oil occasionally. Wood by high water areas will turn black if you don't wipe up the water all the time. Better choices around the sink are engineered stone like Zodiaq or Corian ( which is cheaper)... It is OK to mix materials. Also, some woods are more water resistant than others, but they all can turn black. Urethane is a version of varnish, it is a surface covering, ok for tables etc...not cutting boards.

I think this look is too rustic. Just my opinion.

Concrete. Some people love them.

Corian in a neutral color is a good compromise. Granite is so played out, concrete is depressing, and marble reminds me of a mausoleum.