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SOLID WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS BLOG

Colours of the Month: Soft Spring Shades for Solid Wood kitchens

Posted by admin on April 27, 2016 at 4:10 pm. Filed under: General

The best weather of the season is almost upon us and – with May Bank Holiday on the horizon – a spot of DIY might be on the cards for many. Inspired by the fresh florals that are now beginning to emerge in gardens across the country, we have assembled our top three ‘Colours of the Month’ from acclaimed paint manufacturers, Farrow & Ball. With no further ado, here’s our perfect palette for sprucing up solid wood kitchens this month:

Farrow & Ball's Cinder Rose is the perfect paint for evoking spring florals
Vert de Terre by Farrow & Ball is a fresh and organic shade for solid wood kitchens
Farrow & Ball's Dayroom Yellow is a bright and sunny paint colour, reminiscent of daffodils

Using Cinder Rose for detailing on woodwork or feature walls is a brilliant way to embrace the blush of spring blossoms in oak kitchens. This shade is perfect for creating a soft and romantic look, and is the ideal complement for Vert de Terre. By removing much of the yellow pigment used in other shades of pink, Farrow & Ball have eliminated a ‘bubblegum’ hue and created a colour that is gentle and feminine.

Cool and fresh Vert de Terre is a fantastic colour for oak cabinets and panelling. Its botanical shade is easy-on-the-eye and perfect for solid wood kitchens. Just like Cinder Rose, Vert de Terre contains blue pigments, which is why the two paint colours marry together so well. Less intense than richer green shades like Olive or Calke Green, this is a tone that is pleasing to all and provides an undemanding background to your culinary adventures.

Echoing the warming rays of spring sunshine, Dayroom Yellow is refreshingly bright and is ideal for cheering up kitchens that get little natural light, and looks fantastic with clean whites such as Farrow & Ball’s All White. A splendid complement to a seasonal bouquet of daffodils, Dayroom Yellow ensures springtime freshness – all year round!

If you think these shades are the perfect choice for brightening up solid wood kitchens, why not order one of our painted oak cabinet frontal samples? Available in either a Shaker or Traditional style, this is a great way to experience the high quality and superior finish of our kitchen cupboard doors before committing to purchase. Even better, the cost of samples can be discounted from your order total. To discuss your kitchen requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0345 22 22 990, or email .

 

Trend Watch: Subway Tiles for Oak Kitchens

Posted by admin on April 20, 2016 at 2:19 pm. Filed under: General
White subway tiles look clean and fresh oak kitchens.

This year, high-shine subway tiles – also known as metro tiles – are a firm favourite with interior designers, home decoration bloggers and kitchen enthusiasts alike. Having re-entered the psyche of the design collective in 2014, this year’s interpretation conveys a clean, modern and super-shiny aesthetic. These timeless rectangular tiles also serve to protect walls and reflect light back into your kitchen. Subway tiles are an excellent addition for oak kitchens, creating a mixture of textures that both adds cosiness and demonstrates adept design savvy.

Subway tiling comes in all colours of the spectrum, and can be mounted in a variety of ways. Among our favourites are pure white tiles, which can give a plain white wall added interest, as well as safeguarding pale paint against sauce splashes! The tiles can even be used specifically above stoves to provide an alternative solution to glass and steel splashbacks.

Although it may not be something you will initially consider, opting for different colours of grouting can dramatically affect the impact of your tiles. Particularly with white tiles, matching white grouting will give a pure white appearance that is very simple and understated, whereas grey grouting gives tiles a little added definition. Dark grey grouting gives a much more distinctive look, making pale tiles stand out, and it is more effective at disguising the – unfortunately inevitable – slight discoloration of the grout over time.

Subway tiles can be set in a variety of arrangements, according to your preference. Set out like bricks, the formation is known as a ‘running bond’ and is popularly laid out horizontally. Other may prefer tiles that are laid in vertical lines; this look elongates the wall to create the illusion of extra height in rooms with low ceilings. Similarly, linear patterns can also be achieved with ‘stacked’ tiles, which take on a more modern feel.

Conversely, tiles may be styled in a herringbone formation, which offers a lovely thatched – or zigzagging – effect. This eye-catching design looks particularly charming in traditional, rustic kitchens.

For a funkier, geometric pattern, rotate this design by 45 degrees so the lines run parallel with the floor.

Bright colours make a bold statement when it comes to subway tiling – particularly if the tiled area follows the wall up to meet the ceiling – and provide a visually-stimulating alternative to paint. Statement colours are the perfect choice for a fabulous contrast with white wood kitchen cabinets. For the more daring, black tiles are a great choice for contemporary kitchens. Just like white subway tiles, black tiles are inexpensive and highly versatile, creating a sense of drama that is perfect for perking up a lacklustre kitchen.

Bold colours on subway tiles can make a dramatic impact oak kitchens.

Whichever design takes your fancy, it looks like the subway tile is here to stay – so opting for this style of tile would be both an affordable and wise investment. Choosing the right colour of tile and grout is very important for creating a look that is cohesive with the rest of your kitchen, so it is certainly worth spending some time deliberating and looking at samples!

If you have found the perfect tiles for your home and want to come and see our oak kitchens to complete the look, why not visit one of our showrooms? To get in touch, please telephone us on 0345 22 22 990 or email .

 

Spotlight on Wicker Baskets for Solid Wood Kitchens

Posted by admin on April 13, 2016 at 9:09 am. Filed under: General

You might be interested to learn we have just added traditional wicker storage baskets to the growing collection of high-quality kitchen accessories for solid wood kitchens. These baskets are the ideal complement for kitchen cabinets in country kitchens, and provide an excellent alternative to drawers or shelving.

Perfect for storing fresh fruit and vegetables (or anything else that takes your fancy!), these baskets offer ample storage capacity and are made of sturdy, hand-woven willow that is painted with a soft cream finish.

Our baskets are provided in a pack of two and come with solid oak surrounds and runners, which are lacquered to blend perfectly with your oak kitchen cabinetry.

These wicker baskets are available for cabinets of a width of either 500mm or 600mm and can be easily mounted on to cabinets using the included runners, which simply attach to any wooden cabinet using the provided screws.

For more information on easy installation, take a look at our handy information guide: ‘How to Install Wicker Baskets in Solid Wood Kitchens’.

 

We Are Pleased To Announce The Winner of Our #KitchenStyle Competition!

Posted by admin on April 6, 2016 at 4:11 pm. Filed under: General

Throughout March we ran our #KitchenStyle competition, in which we asked our creative culinary fans to design their dream oak kitchens using our fabulous Kitchen Style Tool. The online visualisation tool allows visitors to select their favourite solid wood worktops, oak cabinetry, cabinet handles, wall colours and flooring, to style a kitchen of their very own imagining.

We were thrilled to have a fantastic response to the competition, and after receiving thousands of kitchen designs it was certainly a challenge to narrow down all the impressive and unique designs to find a final winner. We are pleased to congratulate our kitchen champion Clare Page, who will receive over £360-worth of amazing kitchen gadgetry, including a KitchenAid Diamond Blender, Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker and a Tefal OptiGrill Health Grill. Well done, Clare!

Clare’s beautiful design won  us over – AND over £360 of cool kitchen gadgets!

Clare’s modern design incorporates pale walls in Farrow & Ball’s Cabbage White with the striking contrast of dark oak flooring. She has combined these features with wonderful walnut worktops which are full of character! The look of this contemporary kitchen is complemented by shaker cabinet frontals in Plummett, finished with smooth cast iron cup handles. The overall aesthetic is sleek and modern, whilst channelling personality and warmth through the contrasting hues of the solid walnut worktop staves.

We would like to thank everyone who entered the competition, and say how overwhelmed we were by the brilliant response and sheer number of inspiring designs shared with us throughout the month! If you missed out on the competition this time – fear not, this won’t be our last!

Don’t forget, you can use the Kitchen Style Tool at any time to help you in the planning process for your brand new solid wood kitchen. Please take a look at the ‘How to use our Kitchen Style Tool to Design Oak Kitchens’ information guide if you need any assistance!