Our Custom Wood Countertops Blog features the industry’s most talented and innovative designers throughout the United States and abroad. This featured kitchen includes Stained Ash Wood Counters designed by Paul Bentham of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath.

Paul Bentham of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath
About the Designer: Paul began his design career as a qualified precision engineer for Armitage Shanks Bathrooms in his native U.K. Later, he moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands where he designed bathrooms and discovered his passion for general interior design. Subsequently, he became a qualified designer and extended his expertise to encompass all aspects of a home’s livable space, specializing in kitchens and bathrooms.
A Tip from Paul: Hiding the working parts of the kitchen was our biggest challenge, along with finding a way to provide adequate storage without having wall cabinets. We were able to solve both of these issues by installing a quartet of pantries along the sole supporting interior wall, and outfitting them with retractable doors. The tall doors open and slide into the sides of the cabinets, out of the way. Open, they reveal a wide expanse, almost 18 linear feet, of workspace with Absolute Black granite countertops.

Stained Ash Wood Counters designed by Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath
Design Details
Cabinet Manufacturer: Premier Custom Cabinetry
Countertops: Absolute Black Granite Countertops; Grothouse Ash Waterfall Wood Countertops finished in Ebony stain and sealed with Durata® Waterproof Permanent Finish in matte sheen
Sink: The Galley IWS-4-S-BL Workstation 4
Other Appliances: Miele KM5753 30″ Induction Cooktop, K1803VI 30″ RH Hinged Fully Intergrated Refrigerator, F1413VI 18″ LH Hinged Fully Intergrated Freezer, H6880BP 30″ Pureline M Touch Speed Oven, H6800 BM 24″ Pureline Speed Oven Trim Kit
Additional Comments and Advice: With no interior walls, we had to come up with innovative storage solutions. The concrete floors and support columns lent a coldness to the space so it was critical to bring in wood tones to add warmth and establish places to gather. The appliances and island cabinetry complement the walnut inlays in the floor. The dark ebony finish on the large islands’ Ash wood counters and on the columns surrounding the cabinetry grounds the two-story space in a dramatic fashion.

Stained Ash Wood Counters designed by Paul Bentham

Stained Ash Wood Counters with a Galley sink workstation

Stained Ash Waterfall Wood Counters designed by Paul Bentham of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath

Custom Stained Ash Waterfall Wood Counters designed by Paul Bentham

Custom Stained Ash Wood Counter for a kitchen island

Custom Stained Ash Wood Counter designed by Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath
View additional designs by Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath on their website, Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, and Instagram. To see more designs including Stained Ash Wood Counters, visit the Grothouse Countertop Image Library. Stay up to date with Grothouse news and announcements by liking our page on Facebook.
Photography by Steven Paul Whitsitt Photography.
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