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A butcher block table can help make your kitchen much more efficient: Built to take a beating, butcher block doubles as a functional chopping surface as well as an eating or serving table. Butcher block is made of hard maple, a dense, strong wood that doesn't add flavor to what you're chopping on it. It's cut across the grain so it will wear evenly without warping. Just keep it clean and oil it occasionally; it will last for years.

Bob and Ryley install a butcher-block countertop in the kitchen, and the decorator shows Bob how to make a "crackle" finish.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Countertops are such a big part of any major kitchen remodel and there are so many new options, deciding on the best choice can seem a little daunting. Starting with the budget can make the decision easier. Countertop materials range widely in price, anywhere from $11 to $200 per square foot installed. Generally speaking, while high-end countertops can boost your kitchen s look, you don t want them too far out of sync with the price point of your cabinets and appliances. Heavier materials like concrete and natural stone can also require added support, so cabinet and countertop quality should be consistent. Once you ve decided what you can spend, you can narrow your countertop options. For smaller budgets, get creative with ceramic tile at $11 to $30 per square foot. Or, check out some of the new high-tech options in laminate, which can be fabricated and installed at $36 to $45 per linear foot. Solid surface countertops offer lots of creative color options from $40 to $60 per square foot installed, and an integral solid surface sink is a great easy-care feature. In the $50 to $100 range, there are many choices. Among them are wood and butcher block with its warm beauty and natural antimicrobial properties; natural stone like slate, soapstone, marble, travertine and granite with all the quirks of nature built in; and engineered quartz countertops with a wide color range and more consistent patterns. Stainless-steel and concrete countertops are generally the most expensive at around $100 on up per square foot. But they can also be fabricated with integral sinks and they re great if you re going for that restaurant or industrial look. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Bob meets with Joe Adams and Ralph McGrath, in the media room of the Elm Court Cottage in the Berkshires. They are installing a sound attenuation, grid-ceiling system from Owens Corning�s QuietZone Acoustyle Wood Coffered Ceiling collection. A standard T-bar steel framing system used commonly in drop ceilings is used as the substructure for the engineered panels. The panels anchor to the grid and using carbonized steel expansion clips. The solid and perforated wood panels allow the sound to be absorbed through the ceiling and into the black acoustic board adhered to the ceiling above the suspended ceiling. QuietZone systems control sound waves in four ways: they absorb, block, break and isolate. By managing the energy of the sound wave, Owens Corning redefines ambient noise. The panels can be ordered in natural materials like Walnut or other fine woods.

Mary Lou Pace from Circle Redmont joins Bob to watch the installation of the monolithic glass block floor panel system custom manufactured for this project. The panel, which is completely structural, is constructed using an extruded aluminum framework to support the hollow annealed glass blocks. Annealed glass is a very strong double-sided, double-faced form of glass. The glass has a sandblasted finish on the walking surface to make it slip resistant. The flooring is rated 60 pounds per square foot or higher � significantly more than traditional residential flooring. The cost runs approximately $100 per square foot. The panels each weight about 250 pounds. To install them Charlie has put 3/16 shims behind the 3/16 by 1-1/2 inch L-shaped angle iron in the opening and drilled out for the 5/16 by 3-inch bolts. This will give him the necessary inch of bearing on all four sides. Charlie and Matt carry the glass block panel up the stairs and slide it into position on three 2x4's placed over the opening. While Charlie raises the panel from below, Matt slides out the 2x4's and drops the panel into place. When finished the wood floor will come right up to the edge of the panel. Circle Redmont also makes window panels and skylights.