Q: We received a wood butcher block as a wedding present and it gets a lot of use. We wipe it down and scrub it, but it still smells funky. I've tried everything from food-safe soaps to lemon juice. Does anyone have a foolproof trick for getting butcher blocks clean and odor-free?

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Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at the pros and cons of ceramic countertops. More

Last week my husband and I bought our first house, and it's a real fixer-upper! We are putting in a new kitchen (watch this space for lots on the IKEA cabinet planning process!), and I find myself wanting white marble countertops very badly. Am I crazy? Read on for some of the pros and cons of marble countertops, and to add your own advice: I'd love to hear your experience! More

Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at the pros and cons of soapstone countertops: More

Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at the pros and cons of concrete countertops: More

Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at paper composite countertops: More

Who: Marmo Arredo
What We Noticed: There are plenty of high-end, fantasy-kitchen items at EuroCucina, and this was my favorite: An entire island by Italian marble fabricators Marmo Arredo, carved out of one solid piece of statuary marble. It is paired up with some manmade black countertop material for a dramatic black/white contrast. Impressive, and the very epitome of a luxury item. More photos below... More

Who: Caesarstone quartz countertops
What We Noticed: Caesarstone had a big white booth gleaming with one of their new textured quartz materials: Crocodile! This was rather glam when covering drawers and cabinets, but we couldn't imagine having a textured material like this on the countertop! Click through for more photos... More

I met Dakota Witzenburg a few years ago at a friend's store. He is a wonderful cabinet and furniture maker (co-owner of todosomething, based in Los Angeles) with an incredible eye for design! And I just found out that he loves to bake, especially his grandmother's secret pie recipes. He has my dream kitchen, a kitchen which he built himself. It's a beautiful blend of modern and traditional — with unexpected green cabinets!

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Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at lava stone countertops: More