So, I am looking at re-doing our kitchen island in a few weeks. Our kitchen has all laminate countertops, so my first instinct was to get the same laminate to match those countertops. The island is about 72 by 48 inches. After thinking a little bit more about it, I am now also considering butcher block (maple) for a nice contrast and REALLY nice work surface for my baking breads.

I guess my questions are:

those of you who have Maple butcher block, how easy is it to take care of it?

I'm thinking about getting mine "raw" and then installing it myself - what kind of finish would I have to apply?

Any other pointers you might want to mention?

Thank you in advance,

Stephan