“After some trials and errors, we came up with the solution. A core of particleboard and a layer of solid wood on the outside – or thick veneer,” says Johnny. “It’s a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern manufacturing methods. Paper-thin veneer has been used in fine, decorative furniture making for centuries, but for our worktops we’re using a much thicker layer of wood.” The thick veneer makes the surface hardwearing, and it saves raw material – a lot of it. From the same amount of wood needed to make one solid worktop, it’s possible to produce five thick veneer worktops.
Product features
25 year guarantee
Thick veneer worktops combines the best of solid wood and veneer. With efficient use of natural resources, it offers a unique pattern and a durable surface that can be sanded. Available to take home today.
Article Number503.351.90
Product details
25 year guarantee. Read about the terms in the guarantee brochure.
The worktop is made of particle board covered with a top layer of solid wood. This method allows us to use less wood in production.
You can cut the worktop to the length you want and cover the edges with the included edging strip.
Worktop with a thick oak veneer, a hardwearing natural material that can be sanded and surface treated when required.
Layer construction adds stability and makes the worktop less sensitive to humidity, thus, less likely to bend, split or crack than solid wood.
For quick installation and easy maintenance the worktop is pre-treated with hard wax oil.
The worktop has a narrow stave design that gives it a timeless and versatile look that complements both modern and traditional kitchens.
Designer
IKEA of Sweden
Good to know
Oak is an exceedingly strong and durable hardwood with a prominent grain. It darkens beautifully with age acquiring a golden-brown undertone.
Not suitable for use in wet rooms.
Please note that the actual colours of our products may vary slightly from the colours shown online.
Not suitable for outdoor use.
Every worktop is unique, with varying grain pattern and natural colour shifts that are part of the charm of wood.
Materials and care
Material
- Top/ Edge:
- Thick oak veneer, Oil-acrylic
- Backside:
- Laminate
- Basematerial:
- Particleboard
Care
Areas where the worktop may dry out, such as edges and areas around the sink and hob, require frequent treatment.
The worktop surface is pre-treated at the factory with hard wax oil. Due to the nature of the material, treat the edges and cut-outs with wood treatment oil, prior to installation.
To ensure that your worktop ages gracefully, treat it regularly with wood treatment oil; it gives the surface a beautiful sheen, protects the wood and prolongs the life of the worktop.
Safety and compliance
Supporting legs are required when an overhang exceeds 25 cm. The maximum distance between these legs should not be more than 80 cm.
Assembly and documents
Assembly instructions
KARLBY Worktop503.351.90Measurements
- Thickness, veneer: 3 mm
- Length: 186 cm
- Depth: 63.5 cm
- Thickness: 3.8 cm
Packaging
KARLBY
Article Number503.351.90- Width: 67 cm
- Height: 5 cm
- Length: 193 cm
- Weight: 28.90 kg
- Package(s): 1
Reviews
Benchtop looks good but is not durableKatrinaI got a new kitchen in October 2024. It looks pretty. Already within 6 months there is some discolouration and uneven-ness in the benchtop. The wood has begun to warp. It is not a product fit for a kitchen/wet area. I would NOT recommend
Excellent Product - Longer lengths needed!GrantKarlby bench tops are typically IKEA good. Longer 3.6m lengths would be good. Don’t let water sit on the surface for long periods as it affects the surface finish
Cracks and holes on the walnut timber benchtop Anonymous reviewerWe were so excited when we saw our kitchen finished with this lovely look walnut timber benchtop. It was installed 9 months ago. However, after a few months we have noticed a small cracks where the timber dead knots are. They are partially filled with timber putty and these little pieces slowly start coming out and leaving holes in the timber. Considering the cost of the benchtop, this should not be happening, I guess. We keep the benchtop dry, but of course it gets into contact with water. It is is the kitchen obviously.
I think, soon we will have to replace the whole top, as we don’t like the look of it 😕
Look great! LisaWe used this in our laundry and it looks so expensive! The finish was amazing and it was so easy to fit! Highly recommend!
SolidAndrewI bought this with a couple of other things to build a PC gaming desk for my son. Great quality, solid as a rock.
PerfectDjhoannaComplement my Butcher Pantry
Karl by benchtopDonnaWe purchased these for our kitchen. Works great and looks good. We also bought an extra one and ripped it in half length ways to mount as shelves in our butlers pantry and they look great.
Great benchtopEmanuelleWe put this is our kitchen and it's gorgeous.
Love my wood look benchAnonymous reviewerLove my wood look bench top
Excellent benchtopWalterGood quality, waterproofed, easy to install. Looks great!
Excellent productCalebVery solid and beautiful looking table top.
Benchtop not flat.AdrianProduct was not very good
The benchtop was not flat. Issue not discovered until installation was almost complete.
Both ends of the benchtop turned up (curved upwards) making it difficult to join.
Karlby install completedMarkWe wanted to match the Karlby to an older IKEA bench top called the "Numerar", no longer manufactured. Numerar is solid wood vs Karlby, a wood veneer. The match is quite good, although the Karlby is greener in colour. We sanded back the factory finish on it and applied a tung oil product. Now the bench is more golden coloured like the Numerar. Sanding back was no worries, the veneer is 3mm or so thick. Cutting the product to size was also successful. The included instructions for the product are quite good in this regard, likewise for sealing cuts and joins with silicone. To achieve a good cut, use masking tape, a circular saw blade with lots of teeth, and set the saw cutting depth to only slightly more than the thickness of the product to get the best results. In addition to the silicone when joining tops we used bench top joiners to achieve greater strength. Karlby, as a veneer product, is lighter, less solid feeling, but won't split, or so they say. So far, so good.
BenchtopsMargaretLiked the look of these benchtops, and works well with my layout. Did find a few changes in the top color and it with scratch easier, so be a little careful with what you put on the surface. Haven't had this installed long enough to say more. Looks nice.
Looked great.PatLooked great.
Fantastic budget computer deskAndrewI grabbed this and a couple sets of drawers to sit this on, works perfectly as a large computer desk, and looks much better for a lot less cost than a desk of the same size.
Excellent bar counterColinI used the Karby as my bar counter. Came out great!
Good looks but poor performanceJackieInstalled as a kitchen bench top. Fit out hadn’t even been completed and it had dents, scratches and marks on it. Veneer didn’t cut well, even with sharp blade done professionally. Any moisture near it causes strip joins on veneer surface to lift, so really not suited for kitchen use. Will need to be replaced in months rather than years.
Waites for months for thisKateWaites for months for this beautiful piece. My husband has used it for his gaming desk
Very pleased with the resultAlVery pleased with the result
Customer reviews
3.8Average rating
648Reviews
Your home, your style — show it off!
SustainabilityPeople and planet
Sustainable life at home
Better worktops with fewer trees
At IKEA we have a tradition of trying to utilise materials in the best possible way. For our worktops in thick veneer it means that we combine old craftsmanship with modern manufacturing methods. It makes the worktops easier to install, more stable and more resistant to humidity compared to solid worktops. And since we use the whole tree – even the crooked branches and the small twigs – we can save natural resources too.
Story
Better worktops by using wood smartly
Wood is a precious natural resource. Even though it’s a renewable material it needs to be handled responsibly. One way to do it, is to use the wood more efficiently. That’s what we do with our kitchen worktops in thick wood veneer.
“At IKEA we have a tradition of trying to utilise the materials we have in the best possible way,” says Johnny Rietz, who’s been involved in developing the kitchen worktops in thick veneer. The work started in 2008 when IKEA founder, Ingvar Kamprad, visited one of our suppliers and asked a simple question that took some time to answer: ‘How can we make this product using fewer trees?’
Less is more
No wood is wasted
Another advantage with this production technique is that you can use the whole tree; the stem as surface, and scrap bits – curvy, bent branches and small twigs – for the particleboard on the inside. The end result is a worktop that is every bit as genuine as solid wood, only more stable and more resistant to humidity. “Sometimes a small, harmless question can make a big difference. That’s exactly what happened with our kitchen worktops. It started as a challenge to use resources wiser, and proved to have positive effects not only for the environment, but also the quality. I think it’s great when that happens!” says Johnny.
Material
What is veneer?
A veneer is a thin wooden sheet fixed on things like particleboards to add a durable surface and a natural wood look – so we enjoy the many benefits of wood without using solid wood. The most common veneer types are birch, ash, oak and beech and we’ve made a special UV lacquer that helps preserve the wood's natural structure. A benefit with a slightly thicker veneer is how you can repair and sand the surface if it’s damaged to give furniture a longer and more beautiful life.
Quality
Built and tested to last
We believe that our kitchen worktops should meet your highest demands when it comes to design and performance, without compromise. That’s why we test our worktops, and put them up against the everyday challenges they’ll face in your kitchen: liquids, oil, food, steam, heat, bumps and scratches. When they’ve passed our testing, we know they’ll last, and we guarantee it for 25 years.