Regarding appearance, you could paint the blocks to give a finished look. I think it could look good. But of course fit the blocks beforehand to see if you like them. Good luck.
concrete (cinder) block tower with wood chopping block for turntable stand
Any suggestions from users who have done, or contemplate doing this. I looked at concrete blocks at Lowes last night. I made two stacks of 3 side by side, plus a solid block (without the center openings) as the top block. This gave me about 34" in height. Then the thought is either a Walnut or Bamboo chopping board for a top shelf. I would use four cork or cork/rubber sandwich (2"X 2") squares to couple the wood chopping block to the concrete tower. I am also considering an Isoacoustics platform as a more expensive alternative. Fire away....?