ThankU.ca I too am interested in the finish... walnut is tricky due to the tannin in the wood reacting with any iron and leaving black marks, that being said I would only ever use wood on countertops cause its much gentler on glassware and also absorbs noise... im ok with marks and stains I kinda like the patina but thats just me there are finishes that buy you some clean up time the best one ive found so far is called OSMO its a food safe/ natural flooring finish from germany easy to use too.
World Class Supply I agree completely with ThankU - love wood countertops and OSMO. They make a few different types and for countertops, you should use TOP OIL #3058 which is the food grade version of 3054 Polyx hardwax finish.
The original project used an MDF top, which looks quite nice. Another option might be to use wood an stain to a nice, deep tone. I love this photo ... in fact, it's inspiring my future kitchen design right now.