I recently began working on a kitchen with a local designer who loved the idea of changing the counter surface in one area to give the space contrast. An integrated butcher block is a great way to add contrast and function to a kitchen. How many times have you wanted to cut a lime, or a slice of cheese, and just cut it right on your counter because you didn’t want to dig out the cutting board? Houzz recently did an article on different types of integrated butcher blocks and also gives great tips on how to maintain them and make them work for your space.