Walnut can be an excellent choice for your worktop. It is elegant, durable, and rich in color. The shade of walnut is so vibrant that there usually is not need to stain or paint them. It will also look beautiful in virtually any setting. Walnut worktops are usually deep chocolate purple in color and its color will remain constant throughout the entire board.
When walnut ages it tends to create a patina, this makes the antiqued wood look especially beautiful. The grain is usually fine and straight; some types may have wavy or curled grains, although these are considered very valuable and rare.
The most common type of walnut wood is the American Black Walnut; this wood comes out from the trunk of black walnut trees usually found on the east coast of America. Other common types include Italian walnut, English walnut, French walnut, Turkish walnut, and Circassia walnut. Each of these different trees has their own distinctive color palette and grain properties.
Most carpenters consider walnut a very easy wood to work with because it responds well to hands as well as machine tools. It can also hold screws and nails well, and can bond easily with wood glues. It is also easy to polish and stains evenly because of the way it can hold moisture.
A walnut kitchen worktop would be strong and durable and you would be able to choose what type you want. Solid walnut worktops are much more expensive but they are generally stronger and will last longer than other worktops. Walnut veneers are still popularly used as an alternative to solid walnut because of its low cost. You will need to be careful about placing fruits and vegetables on the counter for too long as it can cause it to stain.
One of the disadvantages about a walnut worktop is that it requires a lot more care for it to last longer. Other woods generally will not require as much maintenance as walnut and you will have to keep it away from anything extremely cold or hot. Walnut is also softwood, so although it is impervious to scratches you will need to be careful about placing things forcefully on the worktop as it may cause it to dent.
When choosing a walnut worktop you will need to know the important difference between solid wood and veneers. Veneer is usually a thin layer used to cover a surface and many manufacturers use this to improve the appearance of the wood so wavy grain worktop may be from the veneer instead of from the wood. Many people are not able to tell the difference between veneer and solid wood, if you are not sure, you could ask the salesperson.
Walnut furniture is generally a bit more expensive than other types of wood. If you put appearance before cost, then you should certainly use walnut. With time however it will show nicks and stains, although a carpenter can refinish them. If appearance is more important to you than materials, you could consider purchasing a walnut veneer worktop for a cheaper price.