Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island
Lightly spalted and ambrosia maple make a uniquely pleasing end grain chopping surface in any size. Spalted maple is affordable, presents amazing possibilities and subtlety of grain pattern, and is just as durable and safe as plain old maple if built and cared for properly. By far the most character for your money, very generally-speaking I typically charge approximately $35-40/BF for ambrosia maple in END GRAIN construction, where one board foot is 12" x 12" x 1" thick. (By comparison, a mass-produced plain and generic-looking butcher block top sold at Lowes or Home Depot generally costs around $35/BF, and is built from smaller pieces more likely to come apart, and with far less careful and personal attention, needless to say.) Western North Carolina is a uniquely rich area for woodworking, often associated with such titles as "the cradle of forestry" and "furniture capital of the world." From my workshop in West Asheville, I have ready access to abundant local maple, cherry, and walnut (just to name a few), although I readily use sustainably harvested foreign species as well. I can craft your custom block or island top using any one of a variety of grain construction methods, although end grain is by far superior when it comes to a daily working surface. Self-healing, non-scarring, and far gentler on your good knives than any other, end grain is a true pleasure to use and will endure for decades or even generations with proper, basic care. End grain tops are both beautiful and exceptionally functional, and are one of the most rewarding investments that can be made for any kitchen. Treat yourself to the warmth, sophistication and elegance of real wood. Edge and face grain surfaces may be significantly less expensive than the end grains pictured here, as they are far less labor-intensive. Any size, shape and detail/routing work is possible. Please don't hesitate to start a conversation to discuss what options may be best for you. After more than a decade of experimenting, I now season and treat any active food prep surface with my own handmade natural wood conditioner, containing locally-sourced beeswax. Non-chopping surfaces I prefer to treat with 100% pure tung oil or a quality, thinned tung oil product such as Waterlox. When you hire me, I am the person who selects the rough lumber, mills it, joins and carefully finishes it. I enjoy working with each customer to personally create a hand-crafted wood surface to perfectly complement their home in any style, contemporary or traditional, and am glad to provide process photographs as desired. The result of quality craftsmanship and collaboration is a piece of which we can both be proud.
Long-time member
A Maker who has been a valued part of this community for several years.
Fast shipper
Customers say that this Maker ships promptly after completing a project.
Great service
This Maker has consistently demonstrated excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
I specialize in custom furniture from salvaged trees, unique and heirloom quality end grain surfaces, butcher blocks, tables, and islands all sizes.
We work with responsible local arborists and sawyers to perform the modern art of urban wood salvage around the greater Asheville area, preserving large trees of a wide variety of species in beautiful slab form that would otherwise be ground up at the mulch yard and turning them into custom-designed furniture and–for lack of a more humble word–art.
- CM
Christine McLennan
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0I worked with Matt Christie on my project. Matt listened carefully to what I had in mind and offered very useful professional advice. Matt’s expert craftsmanship and attention to detail was evident in the excellent end product. Matt was very easy to communicate with and prompt with his email responses. I received my completed project ahead of schedule and am delighted with it. Definitely good value for money.
AWAaron Wippold
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Incredible result with masterful craftsmanship. Absolutely recommend doing business with them!
- DA
David Ayala
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Awesome service and indestructible board. Iva had it for over a year now and it looks as good as the day I got it.
- CE
Catherine Emanuel
For Hickory End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Matt created a magnificent gift for my son and daughter-in-law. It was a pleasure working with Matt, he made the process so easy and customer friendly. His work is stunning and I will not hesitate to spread the word to my friends and colleagues. Thank you Matt.
- AL
Ashley Lindquist
For Oak End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0I gave this custom cutting board to my mother-in-law for Xmas. She really loved it - so much so that she wants to use it as an art piece and not use it for chopping veggies. Matt was very responsive and easy to work with. I really liked the range of work examples he has on his profile. I chose the type of wood I liked best, the size and the final product was just beautiful. I'd definitely recommend this service to anyone else who is looking for something special.
- DP
Derek Peets
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island4.7Beautiful cutting board from Matt. Matt was very good communicating with me in getting what I wanted. Highly recommended.
- DI
Duane Inlow
For Oak End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island4.8Very nice final result. The end-grain cutting board is just what I expected. Most important the communication I had with Matt was easy, fast, and he was very helpful in designing what I wanted.
- SB
Susan Baxter
For Serving Board4.5We had a serving tray made by Matt and it turned out terrific - we couldn't be more pleased. Matt was very patient with me as we worked to figure out exactly what I wanted (which I didn't really know at the beginning of the project). He patiently stepped me through some options and possibilities until we landed on just the right design and wood. Just great. Can't say enough.
- IH
Ilene Haber
For Oak End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Just recieved my cutting board from Matt. I am thrilled. His recommendations were wonderful - all of which I took have resulted in a work of art. His communication was fantastic and he answered every question very quickly. I am going to love using this cutting board every day and know I will pass it down within my family. Thank you so much Matt.
KGKathy Gutierrez
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Definitely recommend! Very happy with our product. Matt was diligent and professional in answering all of our questions and knows his products well. Good quality work and delivered product as expected.
- BO
Brian Obro
For Cutting board4.3Awesome. Right on time. Excellent quality. I'd do it again
LCLisa Corcoran
For Spalted Sycamore End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0I absolutely LOVE this sycamore butcher block! Matt communicated timely and I had the block within the time specified. It arrived with a bottle of oil to nurture the block with as well. The grain and craftsmanship put into the block are amazing) Its just beautiful! Highly recommend Greenriverwoods!
- WW
Wendy Woodruff
For Hickory End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0I LOVE the cutting board made by Matt Christie!!! It is just as pictured, just as I expected. Matt was very friendly, patient and timely in communicating with me throughout the planning process. The quality of his workmanship is outstanding. I would definitely hire him again to do wood projects for me. I HIGHLY recommend this fine craftsman.
- JH
Jennifer Hankinson
For Oak End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0The cutting board turned out beautifully! I really appreciate the Bee oil too. Thank you so much for being willing to take my request and ship to arrive for Christmas :)
- SC
shawn cheris
For Ambrosia Maple End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island4.5First thing's first: the cutting board Matt made for me was perfect and I expect to be using it for many years to come. He selected some gorgeous maple ambrosia wood and the color and style and really, everything was spot on. I couldn't be happier with the end product. We had a few bits of miscommunication along the way to the degree that Matt actually built several versions of the board before it matched what I wanted. The main reason I mention this is to highlight that at each step, he went out of his way to make sure I was satisfied with the result. When I wasn't (even though the results were beautiful), Matt was more than happy to try again. I'm sure my experience was atypical (Matt not nailing it on the first try), but it's great to know he cares this much about customer satisfaction. I'll be recommending him to anyone who wants beautiful custom board and wouldn't hesitate to have him make something else for me. Bonus: I wanted to make a matching magnetic wooden knife block and Matt threw in a few beautiful matching pieces of wood for me in the shipment. Thanks, Matt!
- TS
Tom Smallwood
For Oak End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island4.7Beautiful block made to specs. Looks great in our kitchen. This will be a family heirloom, for sure.
- CW
Christopher Wilhelm
For Patchwork Mixed Wood End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0I wanted a custom butcher block to inset over the griddle area of our new gourmet stove/cooktop (we aren't going to use that area at all). I gave Matt very precise measurements so the block would EXACTLY fit into the inset griddle space and at the right height...and it did perfectly. Nice and tight so crumbs and bits won't fall inside the stove. Matt communicated well from the start and turned around the project quickly in time for Thanksgiving. He even supplied some of his custom oil for sealing the butcher block. It looks great and is perfect for our new kitchen. Good job1
- D
Doug
For Mantel Shelf4.5the piece was created as requested. however, it arrived chipped. it may have occurred during shipping. I didn't want to ship back a 45lb mantel to Greenriverwoods so I accepted it as-is. However, had I purchased a similar piece from a major retailer I would have returned it. Upon communicating with Greenriverwoods, he sent me a repair kit, free of charge. It was delivered within a week of our email conversation. All in all, we love the addition to our fireplace. It's unique and fits our home decor perfectly. The shipping experience will make me think twice before using Custom Made again however.
- MS
Marnie Spencer
For Cutting board to by inlayed into our tile countertop5.0I worked with Matt and he was great with communication and giving me something unique that fit within the guidelines I put out there. His work is beautiful and I would definitely use him again for future projects. Thank you Matt for enhancing our new bar area with your art and craftsmanship :)
- MJ
Mike Jadrich
For Patchwork Mixed Wood End Grain Chopping Board, Butcher Block, Island5.0Matt was easy to work with, very collaborative and the board turned out exactly as envisioned. Great workmanship. I'd use Matt for another project in a heartbeat. This is a present for my wife and she will be thrilled when she sees it.
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