I absolutely agree with u. It's not the same product let alone look. My husband and I would send that right back.

were these your only specs and communications and there were no other specs for the degree of variegation you prefer then a) it is understandable you are disappointed and b) both sides could (should?) have insisted on closer communications.

To me it is loud and clear what you wanted. Not only did you send a clear picture example but you also verbally pointed out what wanted. You're definitely not overreacting and I hope you can come to a peaceful resolution. I know it can be hard to confront someone when you're dissatisfied.

My primary occupation is building homes. I have a hobby where I design and build custom furniture. If I was commissioned by you to build this counter top I would have noticed and been aware of how much light and dark wood there is. I would have talked to you about this and laid out the wood, taken a pic, send it to you and have you sign off on it. My personal opinion is that there is too much difference in the amount of dark and light wood therefore I wouldn't accept it. All the best.

Has it been oiled to bring out the variation in tones or is it just in the raw state? You can bet that the first pic is oiled.

I would not accept that

Is it possible your example pick is not Hickory? It looks a lot like my walnut counter, before it was oiled. If you got hickory and it is not the same species as the example...that could explain the difference in variation?

Sadley, Hickory can have LESS variation (like the counter top that was produced for you) than what is shown in photos. It can be very subdued. The 50%-50% that your inspiration photo shows is a beautiful...and very specific look.

It is possible the manufacturer used the "hickory" that arrived at their shop and they tried the best the could with what they received. This is not an excuse....but it is a reasonable explaination as to why this would be the result you received.

I would ask what the RESPONSE WAS to your emails? Did the person say, "Yes. I can see lots of sap wood and heart wood here. That's pretty much 50%-50%. I'll have to special order "X" and "Y" to get the mix you want...but I can manage that. I can definitely do that for you"? Or did they say, "Hickory. Yep. No problem"?

I'm sorry this has happened. I don't know what the next step is other than sending it BACK and having a LONG CONVERSATION (followed up in writing) about what you expect to receive when ordering a Hickory counter top.

Cancork Floor...We had been discussing edge grain as opposed to planks, and the vendor had sent me a quote. During that email discussion, after I had received the quote, I sent them the picture above and said: " This is what I want my countertop to look like. Will mine have the varied colors like this one?" And the vendor's answer was: "Yep, this is the same as what your quote calls for. However, both the quote and the photo are edge grain. If it were plank the individual boards would be wider and random width. Wood is so different from one piece to another that it will be completely unique but this is the look we're going for." That indicated to me that I was going to get something similar to the picture with the same amount of variance and color. The vendor has been very nice but sounding like they don't want to allow return or exchange, saying they feel the piece looks washed out in the photos because of the lighting. Here's another picture taken yesterday in less lighting. What do you guys think? Thanks everyone, I am so appreciating your input, and may have to refer the vendor to this thread if things go badly. I'm feeling better about my negative reaction to this butcher block, as I don't think its just me and my lying eyes!

Stephmal...The web site had different photos of wood under different topics like Hickory, Walnut, Maple, etc. The photo I picked from was in the pictures of "Hickory". We had also discussed walnut early on, but I felt it was too expensive, so went with hickory instead. The vendor never said anything about the picture I sent being anything other than hickory. I'd have to find the email, but I do have the discussion about walnut as opposed to hickory, and my decision to go with hickory because I thought that hickory piece in that picture was so beautiful. Everyone, let's just hope the vendor can be fair and we can come to an equitable solution. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

Sophie Wheeler...I asked the vendor if the butcher block in the photo on their site had some sort of finish that mine didn't have. The response was: "There is nothing applied to the tops pictured on the web site that isn't on yours nor was the lighting manipulated to change the color." They both have the same finish. I've been wondering if mine was made by an apprentice and got out the door without being seen by the craftsman. I know how those things can happen.

Send it back, huge difference.

I didn't even finish scrolling through the first pic of the block you received and immediately thought "oh no..."

Don't accept it, it'll bother you every time you look at it.

As an architect, I wouldn't accept it on behalf of my clients if the information regarding what you wanted was presented in a clear and efficient manner. Don't be afraid of hurting someone's feelings . . . if it's not what you wanted, and you were clear about what you expected, then send it back. Good luck!

Just a quick update. I emailed the vendor and explained all of my thoughts and concerns, and also referred them to this thread. I am happy to follow up with a positive report. The vendor has agreed to produce a new butcher block for me at no charge, and I have agreed to pay the shipping and handling. I feel this is a fair and equitable solution for both of us. I offered to return the original, but he said we should keep it, and as my husband had suggested, use it for a bar b que table. I also took the good advice of Cancork Floor and K.O.H. Construction and have requested that he send photos once the wood is cut but the piece has not yet been constructed so I can be certain that what I have in mind is what I will receive. Thank you all for your input, I am sure your comments had a great deal of influence on the outcome of this situation.

Wow. Outstanding result. The professional you are working with is just that: a professional! How many times we hear the "They won't return my calls"!

I am duly impressed with both the professional's response and the result you have achieved. Please keep us updated with the photos you will receive....so that we can make sure you are getting what you want.

Has it been oiled??

No Kayla, it has not been oiled that I know of.

Thank you, Cancork Floor. So true, these folks sincerely pleasantly surprised me. The owner of the company contacted me personally by email and made the offer I noted above to resolve the issue. A few weeks ago I would not have recommended this company, but today I most certainly would.. Needless to say, I'm quite impressed by the concern they have shown and their dedication to customer satisfaction, which, unfortunately, with so many companies today has gone by the wayside. The owner said: "we do want our customers to truly like/love the products they receive". And then he proved it by making the offer he did. All I can say is Cancork, I second your "WOW". I'll keep you guys posted.

Give him a good recommedation, pointing out what he did for you when you were unhappy. Great outcome!

Great news and my hat is of to the supplier for responding. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project.

Will do, Tooky58, he has definitely earned my trust and support. I'm looking forward to seeing it as well, K.O.H. Construction Corporation. I truly believe, now that I have communicated with the owner directly, that I will receive the beautiful butcher block I had envisioned.

Update: I am very pleased to share this update with all of the folks here who's opinions truly made a difference for me. The new butcher block has arrived and here is a picture. It is lovely, and is exactly what I was hoping for from the beginning. Thanks to all for your kindness, suggestions and support. And thanks to the vendor, who turned a bad situation into a good experience for a very thankful customer.

I was following along - thank you for posting the update! I glad to hear that you are happy with it, and that your vendor knows and appreciates great customer service!

I love hickory for just this look. Enjoy your new countertop.

That's truly beautiful! Good for you, and from what I can see, love the rest of your kitchen as well :)

Betty, that looks awesome!! I noticed that you have white shaker cabinets along with a honed/leather granite countertop and white subway tile. Is that correct? Are the subway tiles matte or gloss? And what color white are your cabinets? Thank you?

Wyeastlady...the cabinet color is Sherwin Williams 7021. It is a lovely creamy white. Countertops are soapstone with a matte finish, and creamy white veining, ordered from M Texeiria online. I ordered from the Denver store and they did a fabulous job at a better price than I could get at any of our local fabricator's stores. If you would like any more info, just lmk. Thanks for the kind comments!

Oops almost forgot, the Subway tiles are gloss finish, black trim above range is black matte.