how much of this space will be butcher block? the full countertop?

could we see the rest of the kitchen ?

maple doesn't take dark stains very well. has a tendency to blotch.

what you have on there now is darker than provencial. maybe a dark walnut or espresso mix.

If you want to get closer to the floor tones, lighten it up.

this would work

they used minwax Special Walnut for the color.

they also used Waterlox to seal.

for sealant, look into Waterlox. it's non toxic and made for butcher block.

Never put a poly or other type of varnish on butcher block

Wood counters shouild not be sealed as wood has properties that kill bactria . I like butchen left natural then no issues with reoling or even if a burn happens or a stain all you do is sand and oil

If you want darker BB tops use walnut in place of maple.

Wonder too about choosing a different species - we just installed a black walnut island top, ordered it from etsy (gels well with the lighter wood floors in the home)

fwiw open shelving is brutal to live with, I had it for a few years in a tiny cottage kitchen