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SOLID WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS BLOG

When Are We Open Over the Easter Weekend?

Posted by admin on March 29, 2018 at 4:22 pm. Filed under: General
Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets logo on a glass door

Easter is the perfect time to upgrade your kitchen, and Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets will be open over the bank holiday weekend. Our opening times are different, but you will still be able to visit or phone us on Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday.

On Friday 30thMarch (Good Friday), we will be open between 10am and 2pm. The change of opening times extends to all our showrooms and phone lines. Our premises and customer services department will be closed outside of these times. We are also operating these opening hours on Monday 2nd April (Easter Monday).

We are open as usual on Saturday, March 31st, so you can contact us between 9am and 5pm. The showrooms are all open during these hours except our Camden showroom, which welcomes visitors between 9.30am and 6pm.

Saturday is also the last day of our fantastic spring offer, and you can save a generous £200 on all orders of £2,000 or more. For full terms and conditions for this promotion, please visit our current offers page. Hurry – there is not long left to take advantage of this saving!

Stay up to date with our opening times, latest news and much more by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Only 5 Days Left to Save In Our Spring Offer!

Posted by admin on March 26, 2018 at 10:04 am. Filed under: General

There are only five days left in our spring offer, which runs until Saturday, March 31st. You can save a generous £200 when you spend £2,000 or more on our kitchen cabinets, worktops and accessories.

It is very easy to take advantage of this fantastic saving. Simply add the products you are after to your online shopping cart and enter the discount code SAVE200 at the checkout. You can also place your order over the telephone, via email or at one of our UK showrooms – you will need to quote the code to the staff member taking your order.

Please be aware that this offer does not include delivery charges, and you can only use the SAVE200 code once per each account.

Remember, you only have until 23:59 on Saturday, March 31st 2018 to complete your purchase, so buy your new cabinets and worktops today! For full terms and conditions, please visit our current offers page, and keep up to date with our latest promotions on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

 

The Best Colour Pairings for Gold Kitchen Hardware

Posted by admin on March 23, 2018 at 3:04 pm. Filed under: General

Brass and gold tones are currently enjoying a revival, with designers and homeowners using them in everything from quick revamps to complete redesigns. Many still consider gold to be a brave choice, as it can be overpowering and chintzy if not . With the right colour pairings, however, gold kitchen hardware can look opulent and feel stunning.



A modern kitchen with black cabinets, gold hardware and a wooden worktop

Credit : Pinterest

Black and Grey

Dark, neutral colours are a classic combination with gold. The brighter colour of the gold provides a beautiful contrast and makes it a focal point in any kitchen. This pairing suits both modern and traditional settings, providing a timeless and elegant style. Putting these colours together can cultivate a nature-inspired theme – gold is an organic material and is surrounded by sombre-coloured rocks and soil. Use potted plants or other green touches to bring the outside in.

Recreate the kitchen shown here by choosing our shaker cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings or Manor House Gray, our wonderful walnut or iroko worktops, and one of our many different handles.

A clean white kitchen with a wooden herringbone floor, a marble worktop and gold handles

Credit : Décor Apartment

White and Off-white

Choosing to pair gold kitchen hardware with a crisp white shade will produce an ultra-modern aesthetic. A white kitchen is timeless and clean, and is given warmth with brass-toned touches like handles and lights. Only using gold on small parts of the cook space means it is easier and more affordable to replace. Off-white shades will pair with gold equally well, introducing additional texture and character.

You can achieve a similar look to this kitchen by opting for our cabinets, handles and either our marble effect or concrete effect laminate worktops.

A kitchen with blue base cabinets, white wall cabinets and gold handles

Credit : Pinterest

Complimentary Colours

Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel are guaranteed to pair successfully. Gold is complemented very well by blue and dark purple shades. Blue is a time-honoured accompaniment to gold hardware, imbuing a refined yet laidback quality to family kitchens. These dark shades allow gold touches to take centre stage, just like the black and grey colours above. Paint our cabinets in Farrow & Ball’s Drawing Room Blue or Stiffkey Blue to recreate this style in your kitchen.

A red and gold China tea cup and saucer

Credit : Pinterest

Analogous Colours

Gold is one of the few colours to pair well with the colours around it, so red and orange shades can be considered. This pairing is fantastic for creating a regal, opulent look, evoking an Oriental ambience in your kitchen. However, this combination is commonly used at Christmastime, which may suggest why red and gold is not as popular.

A green kitchen with gold toned lights and accessories

Credit : Coco Lapine Design

Green and Teal

Gold can pair with almost any colour – even green and turquoise tones. Opting for a darker shade such as emerald will create a sophisticated and luxurious feel. Dark green will enhance the gold kitchen hardware in a similar way to dark blue, grey and black. Lighter green and teal shades add playfulness and intrigue, inviting you and your guests to spend longer in the kitchen. In the kitchen shown here, the matt green cabinets contrast with the polished brass accessories, which are very eye-catching.

There are different colour options if you are pairing with gold kitchenware. All of these pairings allow the gold to be the prominent colour without being too intense. Would you choose gold for your kitchen? Comment below, or start a conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Is Open Shelving Right for Your Kitchen?

Posted by admin on March 19, 2018 at 11:20 am. Filed under: General

Open shelving has become more popular recently as many people are moving away from wall cabinets. Displaying items on shelving offers a modern, minimalistic aesthetic, and prevents a kitchen lacking personality. Whilst it looks fantastic on Instagram and Pinterest, will it work in your kitchen?


Storage

One of the main benefits of open shelving is that your crockery is on show. Dedicate your space to your favourite or most stylish pieces, or have your most-used items close by and conveniently located. Shelves are also useful for filling spaces that are too small for cabinets.

However, shelving may offer less storage space than a similarly sized cabinet. The usability of these shelves – and what you will put on them – needs to be considered before you decide if they are a practical addition to your home.

Adding Space

Opting for open shelving can make your kitchen feel airier and larger than it would with wall cabinets. The breezy feel is especially true for smaller cooking areas – your space can be made brighter and more appealing by replacing cabinets with shelves. Not only will you notice the difference, but your kitchen will feel more open and welcoming for guests too. Shelves imbue a relaxed kitchen style, and guests will not need to ask where your mugs or crockery are kept.

More Affordable

You may be thinking of switching to open shelves for a more practical reason. Shelves are a great choice if you are upgrading on a budget, as they are usually more affordable than whole cabinets. Our wooden kitchen shelves start from just £9.50 each, and our stylish floating shelves begin at just £20 each. We stock a range of sizes to allow these products to be suitable for your kitchen.

All of our shelves are supplied with sufficient fixings and supports. Before you decide whether open shelves are suitable for your kitchen, you will need to ensure that the wall can support enough weight. If you currently have cabinets on the wall, it is more than likely that you will be able to put shelves up instead.

Try It Before Committing

See if open shelves work in your kitchen by removing your cabinet doors. As a good halfway step, it will help you decide whether to choose cabinetry or shelves. Should you choose to leave the cabinets in place and the doors off, the back of the cabinet will provide a place to add a splash of colour or pattern.

Open shelves are worth considering if you want to display your items on show. Would you choose shelves in your kitchen? Let us know below, or on Twitter and Facebook!

 

Ultra Violet in the Kitchen: How to Incorporate Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2018 in Your Cook Space

Posted by admin on March 16, 2018 at 11:14 am. Filed under: General

Pantone is a world-renowned authority on colour, and every year it chooses a paint shade as the Colour of the Year for the upcoming 12 months. In 2018, Pantone’s colour is the aptly named Ultra Violet which – it says – is complex, contemplative and suggests the mysteries of the cosmos. It is a beautiful deep purple colour that is a brave choice, and it may appear to be too intense for a kitchen. A few small touches of this hue will add texture and vibrancy to your cooking area, imbuing a contemporary and up-to-the-minute feel.


Four contemporary purple chairs with chromed metal legs

Credit : Wayfair

Chairs

Chairs are sometimes overlooked in a kitchen diner, but they can provide an eye-catching pop of colour – especially as they may well be one of the most-used items in your eating area. There are an almost unlimited number of styles available and options to fit all budgets, so chairs are one of the easiest ways to brighten up your space.

These purple dining chairs offer a simple, contemporary design that will make an eye-catching statement in an otherwise neutral kitchen. Alternatively, a purple fabric chair will be very easy to update when Pantone releases Colour of the Year 2019.

A modern kitchen with wooden cabinets and a purple feature wall

Credit : Ideal Home

Paint

Creating a feature wall is another way to draw attention to your kitchen and introduce colour without it being overwhelming. A vivid shade can modernise a cooking area without any other changes, or why not echo your cooking – and the purpose of the kitchen – by opting for an enigmatic colour that inspires exploration? A benefit of painting or wallpapering a feature wall is that you will not need to replace the cabinets and worktops when you decide to update.

A mug in the Pantone colour of the year, Ultra Violet

Credit : Pantone

Crockery

Celebrate Pantone’s Colour of the Year by having Ultra Violet mugs out on display. The dramatic and rich colour will add elegance to a kitchen, despite the mugs’ fairly small size. Pantone mugs are famous for their wide, uninterrupted tonal block. Mugs are usually replaced less frequently than other kitchenware and accessories, and these particular ones are also durable enough to survive many rinses in the dishwasher.

A purple clock with white hands and numbers

Credit : Amazon

Clock

You will never misread the time again with this striking clock from Benefitsheen, which features a purple background and crisp white digits. Clocks are a fantastic way to introduce a brighter colour like Pantone’s Ultra Violet shade because they can create a focal point in the room – and most are affordable too. With large, chunky numbers in a sans-serif font, this particular timepiece will suit modern and contemporary kitchens. Updating your clock would work equally well if it is the only change you make, or when paired with similar coloured accessories.

A person mixing soup with a bright purple spoon

Credit : Amazon

Accessories

Small accessories can be the best way to update your kitchen, as they provide playful splashes of colour without requiring a large spend. Even utensils like cooking spoons, spatulas and knives are sufficient to liven up a cooking space, and the bursts of purple will entice you to use the accessories regularly. Kettles, bread bins and many other items can also be bought in a colour similar to Ultra Violet, should you decide that silicone spoons are not vibrant enough.

Large appliances

Those looking for a more dramatic option may be brave enough to go bold with a statement appliance. Larger, more costly and often requiring specialist installation, large statement appliances are not so easily replaceable, so will need to be researched thoroughly and only considered if you are sure you will love this look for a long time. In the kitchen shown here, the range and extractor hood are purple while the rest of the cook space is kept in neutral tones. The worktop is our beautiful Full Stave Prime Oak surface. Having a feature appliance like this will automatically draw people in and become a talking point, and it suggests that the owner likes to cook frequently.

There are many different ways to incorporate Pantone’s Colour of the Year in your kitchen, and most are easy and affordable to achieve. Would you go Ultra Violet in your cooking area? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter!

 

Eco Kitchen Ideas for Your Home

Posted by admin on March 12, 2018 at 11:49 am. Filed under: General

Kitchens, worktops and appliances are no longer simply chosen for their looks as more people are beginning to consider the environmental implications of their choices. Green credentials are a fare higher priority now, and there are a few different ways to achieve a stunning kitchen without damaging the environment. As more people are choosing to eat fresh and green foods, it makes sense to have a kitchen that matches this Earth-friendly focus.


Worktops

A new worktop will transform your kitchen, and our range of solid wood worktops combines high quality and affordable prices. On top of that, all our worktops are sustainably harvested, and many have FSC or PEFC certification. The most sustainable worktops in our collection are our bamboo or caramel bamboo surfaces.Bamboo grows incredibly quickly and is fully mature much faster than any of the timbers in our range as it is actually a grass. Durable and stylish, bamboo worktops will suit many different kitchen styles.

Upcycling and reusing

If your kitchen is starting to look a bit tired and needs an upgrade, it might only take a new coat of paint or different handles to freshen it up. This is a very affordable way of renovating, and you will not be using any extra products. Alternatively, you could recycle old household products that are no longer used or salvage items that are destined for the scrapheap. Often, there is nothing wrong with many things that are thrown out – the patina that develops on heavily used items or worn paint can work very well in an industrial or rustic style, and some products can be given a fresh lease of life witha quick sand and a coat of paint.

Should you decide you want to replace your kitchen cabinetry or doors, our cabinets and frontals are created from sustainably harvested solid oak and can last for years with the correct treatment and care.

Recycling and saving energy

There are finite natural resources on earth, so using them frugally and economically is becoming more and more important. Recycling as much as possible is one way to reduce your carbon footprint, along with choosing products that use less harmful packaging, and using a food waste or compost bin to ensure that nothing natural goes to landfill.

Modern appliances generally use far less energy than older models, so you could contribute to saving the planet – and your money – by picking an energy-efficient version. Household appliances are usually ranked between A+++ and F, with A+++ offering the highest efficiency, so the least energy is wasted.

Natural fabrics

Fabrics add texture, warmth and personality to a kitchen, and natural ones are available with smaller environmental footprints. Fabric for stools and seats, throws, oven gloves and tea towels can all be made sustainably, so selecting these items will be better for the environment than synthetic, man-made versions. Cloths and tea towels can be used for soaking up spills and wiping dirt off surfaces as a more environmentally friendly option than disposable paper towels. Instead of throwing each one out, the same cloth can be used and washed hundreds of times.

Go green

One of the best ways to have a natural, eco-friendly kitchen is to include plants – growing your own herbs and vegetables is a great cost-saving exercise that also helps to reduce your carbon footprint. Herbs need next to no maintenance, and the greenery will lift your kitchen and make it feel purer and more organic – if you have the space, growing your own vegetables is another great option.

You can create a natural kitchen easily and without making drastic changes. This is a style that will be popular for a long time, because sustainability and eating fresh are becoming more important. Have you got a very nature-focused kitchen? Share it in the comments below, or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

The Best Gold Kitchen Accessories

Posted by admin on March 9, 2018 at 4:43 pm. Filed under: General

Thinking of creating an elegant and opulent look in your kitchen with gold-toned accents which are currently enjoying a revival? Accessories and smaller items are a great way to enhance your cooking area without being overwhelming, and there are many different products available if you are thinking of adding a few gold kitchen touches.



An elegant kitchen area with grey cabinets, dark worktops, large industrial windows and gold handles

Credit: : Mimosa Lane

Gold To The Touch

Updating the handles on your cabinets is a low-cost way to give the heart of your home an upgrade. Handles are an easy, low-risk option for introducing gold into your kitchen – if they work, additional items in the metallic shade could be introduced, but replacement handles are inexpensive if you decide they are not right.

At Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets, we sell a huge range of handles to perfectly complement your cabinets and kitchen, from modern Metropolis bow handles to more traditional oak knobs and ornate twister ‘D’ handles. Our antique brass effect knobs or Edison handles are perfect for achieving a subtle gold look, and our range of handles starts from as little as £2 each!

In this kitchen, brass handles add a luxurious feel to the grey cabinets and wooden worktop. Replicate a similar look to this by choosing our solid oak drawer and door frontals, painted in a colour such as Farrow & Ball’s Plummett, and our solid black American walnut worktops.

A bright white kitchen with marble worktop and gold handles, taps and lights

Credit: Decorista Daydreams

Liquid Gold

If gold handles alone are not enough, consider taking the metallic one step further with brass and gold-effect taps. Taps are often considered as a good pairing to handles, because together they add a touch of elegance without being prohibitively expensive. Gold can be used in a subtle way to lift a neutral kitchen and add eye-catching style – the kitchen shown is a fantastic example of this as the clean, fresh white used is punctuated by gold accents.

Achieve a contemporary kitchen style – like the one pictured here – by opting for our Shaker-style cabinets, Calcutta marble-effect worktop and Rangemaster Classic Belfast Sink with double bowl.

Gold On The Ceiling

Bathe your kitchen in a warming, summery glow with a gold ceiling pendant light, which will look fantastic on its own or as part of a gold colour scheme. Pendant lights can work especially well over an island if used as a statement piece. The kitchen shown here provides a great example of this, featuring our full stave prime oak worktops – the island is lit up by dramatic swirled lamps that are completely different to the spotlights used elsewhere.

A gold cafetiere with gold mugs and teaspoons on a kitchen worktop

Credit: La Cafetiere

Pot of Gold

Small accessories – like this cafetiere – will not only add a spark of gilded colour into your home, but they can be affordable enough to update when trends and styles change. In this respect, they could be the only thing you might ever need to change, provided your kitchen uses otherwise neutral tones. Despite its small size, the cafetiere adds a noticeable zip of colour and elegance, even in a small kitchen.

A set of patterned gold plates from Next

Credit:

Golden touches

For an even more affordable way to introduce gold to your kitchen, choosing gold and brass-toned crockery and kitchenware is easily changeable when the time comes. You could opt for utensils, glasses, plates or a wide range of other products, which are all available in high-street stores.

These gold-coloured patterned kitchenware items, for example, will make every mealtime feel special with their elegant designs.

Gold kitchens are likely to become more popular this year, but would you decorate your home with it? Tell us below, or message us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Take Inspiration From These 70s Kitchen Ideas

Posted by admin on March 6, 2018 at 4:52 pm. Filed under: General

The 1970s may not be remembered as the best decade for interior décor, but styles from the period are slowly taking over our homes. A completely 70s kitchen may be a step too far, but there are a number of ways to evoke the looks of the time without going for a completely retro theme, with influences from the decade brightening up and adding interest to a contemporary kitchen.

Pale pink walls contrast with a wooden kitchen worktop and dark cabinets.

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Looking Peachy

A lot of the colours favoured in the 1970s were bold, dramatic shades, but a peach or pink colour can be used to subtly introduce the style for a warm and inviting feel. Pair these pale colours with dark cabinets or worktops to evoke 70s kitchen style. This is a popular way to add colour without it overwhelming a room – consider Farrow & Ball’s Cinder Rose or Setting Plaster to recreate the look in the image shown here. Brighter colours such as Yellowcake or Charlotte’s Locks will suit smaller areas or a feature wall, but could be overpowering if used too liberally.

This white kitchen features a striking gold backsplash, worktop and accessories

Credit: Pinterest

All That Glitters Is Gold

Gold was the metal of choice throughout the 1970s, and was often used in glamorous and decadent-looking fixtures, lighting and accessories. Warm metallics have seen a resurgence in popularity through the last couple of years, and it looks as though gold is back as a firm favourite. Whether you prefer a bolder use, or want to limit its use to just a couple of accessories – like taps, utensils or light fittings – gold is sure to evoke a 70s kitchen feel.

A neutral kitchen with dark wooden worktop and lime coloured accessories

Credit: Ideal Home

Hot lime

If a whole kitchen redesign is out of the question, carefully chosen accessories will really set the style off – and are much easier to replace when trends change. The otherwise neutral scheme pictured here is given a pop of colour with matching lime-coloured accessories and small appliances – combined with their retro style, they give a subtle nod to the 70s kitchen. The dark wooden worktop is also perfect for a 70s kitchen setting so, if you are considering this style, we would recommend choosing a worktop such as our walnut, iroko or wenge surfaces.

Low pendant lights offer a homely and traditional feel in this kitchen

Credit: Dining Room Lighting

Lighting

Lighting is another great way to create a 1970s feel without needing to redesign your entire kitchen. The classic retro pendant lampshade is a perfect choice, and the ones pictured here are painted in different pastel colours and feature a shiny copper element, accentuating the lights and offering a slightly luxurious feel. For more of a 70s feel, clear or frosted glass options would work well.

Can you think of any 70s kitchen styles that deserve to make a comeback which have not bee included in our list? Do you have any of these in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments, or tag us in your pictures on Facebook and Instagram.

 

The ‘Snow’ Must Go On

Posted by admin on March 2, 2018 at 2:55 pm. Filed under: General

You may have seen that we were in the news earlier this week as one of our delivery vans got caught in the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ – otherwise known as Storm Emma – on its way back to our Gloucestershire base.

Delivery van stuck in grassy verge during adverse snowy weather. Credit: Gloucestershire Live

We spoke to our transport team to find out what happened and discovered – most importantly – that our delivery drivers were unharmed, and that a 4×4 kindly towed them to safety. As the van was travelling home along the A40 it was caught by a gust of wind which caused it to slide across the road into the grass verge. Our transport manager explained, “The van was empty, which makes them very light and they do get blown about a lot – combined with the bad weather, our delivery team could not have done anything to prevent what happened.”

The police arrived and were shortly followed by a 4×4 with a rope, which pulled our van back to safety, meaning our drivers were able to get back to our depot and head home. Committed to their work, the drivers have been back on the roads again making deliveries, and in the same van too! Our transport department continues to work hard to ensure the safety of all our delivery drivers, but we hope it goes to show, we are committed to making deliveries to ensure our customers get their orders as scheduled.

 

Spend £2,000 or More and Save £200!

Posted by admin on March 1, 2018 at 10:27 am. Filed under: General

Throughout March, you can save £200 when you purchase our kitchen cabinets and worktops great news if you are planning a kitchen upgrade. If you are planning on spending £2,000 or more, you can save a generous £200 in our spring sale, and this offer includes almost all products on our website.

Getting the discount applied is incredibly simple – all you need to do is add the products you want to your online shopping cart and enter the code SAVE200 in the checkout. If you would prefer to order via telephone, email or in person at one of our showrooms, you can still claim the saving by quoting the discount code to our helpful sales advisors.

This offer is not around for long so do not delay in making your purchase. Orders placed between now and 11:59pm on Saturday, March 31st 2018 are eligible for this generous saving as long as the SAVE200 discount is applied.

Please note that delivery costs are not included in this offer, and the discount code will only be applied once per account. Visit our current offers page for full terms and conditions. You can also keep up to date with our latest offers by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Spend £2,000 or More and Save £200