“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 countertops 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 countertop, it’s possible to produce five thick veneer countertops.
KARLBY Countertop, walnut/veneer, 188x3.8 cm (74x1 1/2 ")
Price $ 269.00
How to get it
Available services
Key features
25 year limited warranty
Thick veneer countertops 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 Number503.352.08
Product details
25-year Limited Warranty. Read about the terms in the Limited Warranty brochure.
The countertop 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 countertop to the length you want and cover the edges with the included edging strip.
Countertop with a thick walnut veneer, a durable natural material that can be sanded and surface treated when required.
Layer construction adds stability and makes the countertop less sensitive to humidity, thus, less likely to bend, split or crack than solid wood.
For quick installation and easy maintenance the countertop is pre-treated with hard wax oil.
The countertop 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
Walnut is a straight-grained hardwood with good stability and strength properties. It gets lighter as it ages – from the dark brown to a rich honey color that appears through the grain.
Not suitable for use in damp rooms.
Please note that the actual colours of our products may vary slightly from the colours shown online.
Not suitable for outdoor use.
Every countertop is unique, with varying grain pattern and natural color shifts that are part of the charm of wood.
Materials and care
Material
- Top/ Edge:
- Thick walnut veneer, Oil-acrylic
- Back side:
- Laminate
- Main parts:
- Particleboard
Care
Areas where the countertop may dry out, such as edges and areas around the sink and cooktop, require frequent treatment.
The countertop 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 countertop 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 countertop.
Safety and compliance
Supporting legs are required when an overhang exceeds 10". The maximum distance between these legs should not be more than 32".
Assembly and documents
Assembly instructions
KARLBY Countertop503.352.08Measurements
- Thickness, veneer: 3 mm (1/8 ")
- Length: 188 cm (74 ")
- Depth: 65 cm (25 5/8 ")
- Thickness: 3.8 cm (1 1/2 ")
Packaging
KARLBY
Article Number503.352.08- Width: 66 cm (26 ")
- Height: 5 cm (1 ¾ ")
- Length: 195 cm (76 ¾ ")
- Weight: 30.45 kg (67 lb 2 oz)
- Package(s): 1
Ratings and reviews
Not Durable. Dents and gouges. AmyWe purchased a home with the Oak finish counter installed on the kitchen island. I believe it has been installed for about 5 years. The area is used for the slide in range. The heat from the range has warped the counter around the unfinished/cut areas and it looks as though there was some kind of finishing strip installed but has since broken away or fallen off. We have installed Ikea's solid butcher block in our previous kitchen and it was a far superior product. If you want butcher block go for solid wood. Sad that this will goto the landfill whereas our true butcher block will be in use for many decades to come.
Used as Kitchen counters for 1 year - Still OKLonnyI installed 24 ft of Karlby counters a year ago around the sink and stove in my new Kitchen, and they’ve held up very well for our busy family of 4.
No swelling, warping, or finish wear so far — just a few light scratches that aren’t noticeable. We always wipe up water right away, and I’d recommend doing the same.
The only downside is the stick-on end strips; the adhesive doesn’t hold well, so use them only on hidden edges if possible. I’ll be trying to reattach mine with wood glue for a stronger fix.
We get compliments on them all the time. They look great and would recommend if you can take care of them.
Would give zero stars if possible. JamieI've already reviewed this and for some reason it was rejected. This is not a counter top. It's unfinished so it will swell and stain very easy. They should be refunding everyone for this.
Not good for KitchenNazWithin a short period of use a brand new kitchen counter got scratches on the grain. The area 6" away from the sink begins to bubble up. This looks very beautiful but should NOT be advertised as a kitchen countertop. It should be sold as a table top. It is absolutely NOT durable for Kitchen, not even a year. It is very sensitive to water damage and warranty is a joke. They offered me $50 free shipping for a new kitchen countertop. Strange how IKEA sells a Kitchen counter top which can't tolerate water? Should we use air in the kitchen counter? Extremely disappointed in IKEA kitchen product. Also super disappointing warranty service - their 25 years warranty is fine joke.
Not for kitchen use! MichelleWithin 10 days of use in a brand new kitchen there are scratches on the grain and an area bubbling up. I've used this product as a desk top for years and it has held up well, but this should NOT be advertised as a kitchen countertop. It is not durable, is very sensitive to water and will not hold up for any length of time. Super disappointing.
Not durable for kitchens AnnaThought we’d save some money by purchasing these countertops to add to the kitchen of our new home. 3 years later and they are falling apart. Even with careful oiling and maintenance, the water penetration around the sink is impossible to avoid and the edges are lifting. They are easily damaged by putting down utensils or plates. Would not recommended for a kitchen.
Not a durable surfaceKevinLike many I thought I could save a few dollars by buying this surface marketed as a worktop/countertop. But it's just a cheap veneer on top of particleboard. The veneer surface dents and chips with the slightest use (e.g. putting down a plate or accidentally dropping a spoon - normal kitchen things). Save yourself the headache of trying to replace an entire kitchen countertop or repair by just buying a real butcher block top for a hundred more.
Good quality affordable price Anonymous reviewerGood quality affordable price
Great as office desk MarzenaLooks so sleek and modern as a desk , would highly recommend
Would not recommend for high use or water areaSarahWould not recommend these counter tops for areas where there will be high use, water or if you will need to cut the edge and it will be exposed. The edges that are cut would be fine if against the wall but if exposed there is a veneer sticker they give you to cover that looks terrible and will eventually fall off. We put these counters in our kitchen about 4 years ago and are now having to replace. I’ve tried oiling the worn and damaged areas, but no luck. Will be replacing our counters with solid wood butcher block. It’s comparable price and you can sand it/stain it and cut it wuthout having an ugly edge.
Not appropriate for a Kitchen SarenI've had this installed for a couple months now and there are wood grains rising up around the sink. I try to be very careful about wiping up water. I'm sure this is fine for desks or counters that don't get wet. I wish there was more of a warning about this because I never would have bought it for a kitchen.
Not good qualityAmeliaOur two countertops arrived with minor imperfections, so there was a good side and a bad side for each each one. When we tried cutting them to size, cutting. properly and using tape and a new sharp blade the veneer, shredded and splintered. My husband is a redhead carpenter, so this is not a case of DIY being too much for us to handle. We are very disappointed. That said if you don’t need to cut it at all, It’s very nice looking. It does feel rough and needs to sand despite the fact that is supposed to be finished and sealed.
Scratches SO easily Anonymous reviewerI’m super disappointed at the quality of this, even the lightest use causes scratches. My kitchen hadn’t even finished been installed yet and it was covered in marks. It’s less than a month old and looks ready to be replaced - I do not recommend it at all.
The edge strips shrink and stick poorlyJeffIf you need to cut the counter top, make sure that you don't need to use the included edge veneer. The veneer shrinks after application. Also, the included veneer is "end" veneer, so if you have a long edge cut, it's not really suitable. Plus, I can't stress this enough, it shrinks. So leave it on for a day or two before trying to sand. As well, it's not sticking as well as it should.
Strips for edges break and/or fall offJoanWe have a few long, cut edges and the supplied strips haven't been much use.
End strips don’t stickMargoEnd strips provided don’t stick after a few weeks.
Good price decent quality PaulWorks well for budget friendly kitchen
Super solidSeanWorked perfectly for my new built-in desktop - very heavy and solid. Would definitely recommend you get a helper if you are running it through a table saw!
Great counter topRandyGreat counter top
Awesome countertop!DavidExcellent countertop. Unlike other countertop suppliers it comes with finished ends as well as 2 ends to cover up a cut.
Customer reviews
3.8Average rating
648Reviews
SustainabilityPeople and planet
Sustainable life at home
Better countertops with fewer trees
At IKEA we have a tradition of trying to utilize materials in the best possible way. For our countertops in thick veneer it means that we combine old craftsmanship with modern manufacturing methods. It makes the countertops easier to install, more stable and more resistant to humidity compared to solid countertops. And since we use the whole tree – even the crooked branches and the small twigs – we can save natural resources too.
Story
Better countertops 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 countertops in thick wood veneer.
“At IKEA we have a tradition of trying to utilize the materials we have in the best possible way,” says Johnny Rietz, who’s been involved in developing the kitchen countertops 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 countertop 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 countertops. 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 countertops should meet your highest demands when it comes to design and performance, without compromise. That’s why we test our countertops, 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 with our 25 year limited warranty.