“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 Number303.351.91
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 walnut 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
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 colour that appears through the grain.
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.
IKEA of Sweden AB SE-343 81 Älmhult, IKEA.com
Materials and care
Material
- Top/ Edge:
- Thick walnut 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 Worktop303.351.91Weight & measurements
- Thickness, veneer: 3 mm
- Length: 186 cm
- Depth: 63.5 cm
- Thickness: 3.8 cm
Package details
KARLBY
Article Number303.351.91- Width: 65 cm
- Height: 5 cm
- Length: 193 cm
- Weight: 29.65 kg
- Package(s): 1
Reviews
Bending Anonymous reviewerUsed a few of these over the years as a desk. This one has started to warp/bend unfortunately. Usually a great product, so much so we have 3 in our home and the other 2 are perfect.
KarlbyAnonymous reviewerExcellent
Looks great but fragile.Anonymous reviewerUsing as a study desk but scratches and dents are appearing with normal use.
I don't think this would be at all suitable for a kitchen, where the wear will be much greater.
Not goodAnonymous reviewerIts very nice but the fitters made a mess of it when fitting it
Just the TicketAnonymous reviewerBought for a desk top. Fitted the space perfectly. No cutting required. Nice and firm. No flexing. Very good finish. Nothing else to say m
Solid Desk TopAnonymous reviewerUsed to make a desk as working from home. Solid feeling, with lots of surface space.
Very goodAnonymous reviewerVery good
Looks good, great price andAnonymous reviewerLooks good, great price and good quality. I confess to maybe being a bit naïve though as the worktop isn't completely sealed and therefore stains quite easily.
KarlbyAnonymous reviewerNice worktop
Sturdy and looks fantasticAnonymous reviewerSturdy and looks fantastic
Fantastic worktop!Anonymous reviewerWe bought 4 Karlby oak veneer worktops in an IKEA clearance sale 4 years ago .... reduced from over £100 to just £25 each! They were too much of a bargain to pass by, even though my new kitchen was a distant dream. We unwrapped them and stored them in our insulated shed, laid flat on top of another worktop to avoid any possibility of them bending. We finally managed to buy our Bodbyn kitchen from IKEA 2 years ago, and installed the worktops we'd had in storage. They were in perfect condition then, and still are now. We're now extending our kitchen slightly, and I need more worktop to create a breakfast bar, as well as a couple of Bodbyn doors. Ikea Leeds, I'll see you soon!
Not water resistantAnonymous reviewerWater has begun seeping into the veneer through imperfections. This worktop is now rotting less than 6 months after installation. All 3 lengths have the same issue and all rotting areas are far away from the where it was cut to install. Keep well away from water, I now need to buy all new worktops which are water resistant.
Does what it says on the tinAnonymous reviewerBrilliant worktop that looks just like solid wood with an added touch of 'upcycled-ness' because of the core. The upside here is it's pre-oiled and requires less maintenance than a solid equivalent. Absolutely what it says it is: a thick veneer over a chipboard core. The fitters had no issues finishing the ends, as self adhesive cover veneer edges are included: bit of planing, clamping and sanding, and it looks just as if it was a pre-formed edge. Do read what the product is, and actually hold a sample in store, and ask if you are not sure. I love it, thanks IKEA!
PerfectAnonymous reviewerWe needed a wooden worktop and this was the best we had seen. Excellent quality and very good value
Not as advertisedAnonymous reviewerBought as oak worktop didnt realise it was chipboard. Over priced for what you get
Rubbish materialAnonymous reviewerDidnt realise until package opened that it wasnt real timber.
Nearly perfect worktopAnonymous reviewerLooks good. The surface is good and very flat. It was easy to install, though the individual pieces are very heavy for one person. My only criticism is that the edging supplied is a bit cheap and nasty. Luckily I didn’t need to use very much.
Looks great.Anonymous reviewerBought to go with white kitchen units. Gives a great look to the kitchen only wish id bought the solid oak as the cut ends are hard to finish.
GreatAnonymous reviewerI really like it. Nice quality.
Good productAnonymous reviewerBought to go with black kitchen units. Looks great and is strong and durable.
Customer reviews
3.6Average rating
22Reviews
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.