SOLID WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS BLOG

Trying to imagine what your new kitchen might look like prior to installation can be difficult. Styling your kitchen online using our tool is a great way to help you visualise combinations of colours and materials before you buy. In this blog post, we discuss the benefits of using our online design tool.

There are several reasons why you should consider using our kitchen style tool. Firstly, it has been intuitively designed for easy use – there are no complex menu choices, everything you need is clearly labelled and easy to access.

The picture of the kitchen you see features actual images of our products, so what you see is exactly what you are getting. Our tool can help reaffirm decisions you have made but also allows you to experiment with different colour schemes that you might not have considered. There are hundreds of different combinations to help you to create a unique kitchen that you have been dreaming of. Its features include:

• • Traditional and Shaker doors, each in 22 different finishes.
• • A range of knobs and handles.
• • A selection of worktops.
• • Complementary flooring.
• • 16 wall colours.

How to Style Your Kitchen Using Our Kitchen Style Tool?

In a previous information guide, we have discussed How To Use Our Kitchen Style Tool To Design Oak Kitchens.

This concise and detailed guide is valuable if you are looking for information about using the tool. As mentioned above you have the option to change features. Do so by selecting the relevant tab and then choose from one of the options presented to you.

Next Steps

Buying a kitchen can be a big investment so it is worth sleeping on your design to make sure you are 100% happy. Why not share your design on Facebook to get feedback from your friends and family? You can do this simply by clicking the relevant button.

Once you are happy with your choice, you will have to calculate how many cabinets, doors or lengths of worktop you need. Clicking the green ‘Buy Now’ buttons next to your selections will take you through to your chosen range pages. All that is left for you to do is add the quantity you require for each, add them to your cart and follow the onscreen instructions to complete your order. This convenience is one of the main reasons why you should consider styling your kitchen online using our tool.

Have you ever wanted to style your kitchen online? Perhaps you’ve used our tool before. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest for even more great inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and information about new products, special offers and competitions.

Of all the design styles over the years, there is one that has stood the test of time. Open plan kitchen design has been around since the 70s but has this popular kitchen layout finally run its course? In this blog post, we explore this question.

As the way that people use kitchens changed as did the layout and design. Open plan kitchens went from strength to strength with many homeowners opening up their cooking spaces to other rooms such as dining and living rooms. One of the reasons for this was that people desired a more sociable environment that allowed friends and family to congregate. The open plan design accommodated multiple activities such as homework, conversation and watching television, instead of just cooking – this appealed to the masses.

Credit : House to home

But domesticity evolves and it seems that many are reverting back to a closed design. A separate kitchen does have its appeal with cooking smells, visible dirty dishes and noise being restricted to a single room. Aside from this, there seems to be a movement back to the past and many people desire the “more interesting” multiple room layout of older houses. The desire for a large kitchen is still prevalent though, something that is apparent when you consider the country kitchen trend with large farmhouse dining tables at their centre.

It seems that many people love the aesthetic and sociable aspects of an open plan kitchen but feel that the disadvantages can prove to much of a hurdle to cross. One option which offers the best of both worlds is to open up, but keep the living room separate. An L-shape kitchen is perfect for this, especially in terms of a kitchen diner. Cabinets organised along just two walls gives you space for a dining table and as a result instantly creates a more social area for people to sit and talk to you whilst you cook.

So, is open plan kitchen design over? No, probably not for a long time yet. However alternative styles are becoming increasingly popular. Let us explore some examples of both open plan design and some alternatives.

Credit : Pinterest

This kitchen has an open plan design with plenty of space for a dining table and sofa.

Credit : House to home

A seating area is incorporated into this L-shaped kitchen.

Credit : Ideal Home

This light and airy open plan kitchen has been designed with a blue and white colour scheme.

Credit : visual resistance

This kitchen is a great alternative to open plan design and separates the living room from the kitchen diner.

What style of kitchen do you have? Leave your comments below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest for even more great inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and information about new products, special offers and competitions.

The internet is a great place for kitchen design ideas and here at Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets, we post inspirational content regularly. However, if you need a little extra inspiration here are some of the best kitchen design blogs to read.

These are the best kitchen design blogs that we have found on the web. Do you read any of these or have we missed off your favourite? Leave your comments below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest for even more great inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and information about new products, special offers and competitions.

If you have a collection of recipe books but do not know what to do with them, keep reading. Displaying cookbooks in your kitchen not only looks great but also comes in useful when you are planning your meals – mainly because they are on hand in the place that has all of your ingredients. In this guide, we take a look at three ways you can show off your cookbooks in your kitchen.

Floating Shelves

Nothing says beauty and charm more than solid wood floating shelves. Useful as storage for your cookbooks in both contemporary and traditional kitchens, they can also be installed where space is at a premium. By positioning one shelf above another you can create a bookcase effect – this works particularly well in an alcove. To aid in finding the perfect style for your kitchen, our range includes a variety of timber in a selection of widths from 300mm up to 1500mm. These floating shelves are 200mm deep and so offer plenty of space to store your collection of recipe books. Alternatively, our regular oak kitchen shelves, also offer a solution for displaying cookbooks.

Curved Base and Wall Cabinets

Curved base and wall cabinets are wonderful features to include at the end of a run of cabinets or on the corners of a kitchen island. By installing them without door fronts you can use them for displaying cookbooks. With a radius of 190mm as standard, they include two shelves that have been manufactured from durable 18mm thick solid European oak to ensure the highest quality possible. Curved cabinets can be incorporated with other open cabinets to create even more storage.

Open cabinets

As the foundation to many kitchen islands, open cabinets are an invaluable solution to storage. As such, they are perfect for organising your cookbooks and, due to the depth of the individual shelves, larger books can be displayed with ease. In this example, an open cabinet has been used in an island and as you can see there is space for plenty of books even on a single shelf. One of the advantages of this option is that you can arrange seating around it. Combine this with your recipe book storage and you have a convenient place to write down ingredients for your weekly meals.

These are our suggestions for displaying cookbooks in kitchens – how do you arrange yours? Leave your comments below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest for even more great inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and information about new products, special offers and competitions.

As the heart of any home, a kitchen needs to be not only functional but beautiful too. One way of putting your stamp on a room is by displaying pictures and with that in mind, we offer you some kitchen art ideas as inspiration.

Pantone Colour Fruit Prints

Credit : Missing Pixels

These Pantone colour fruit prints by Missing Pixels are ideal for anyone who loves colour and design. Featuring real still life photography of fruit set against vivid Pantone colour swatches, they will undoubtedly add vibrancy to your kitchen. Display all five of them like this or one at a time, changing them as you please to add even more interest throughout the year.

Gin Cocktails Print

Credit : Everlong Print Co.

If you consider yourself a bit of a gin connoisseur, this gin cocktails print by Everlong Print Co will fit perfectly into your kitchen. From a classic gin and tonic to a vesper, the 18 stylised illustrations of cocktails are captioned with their recipes – nice to look at and informative too. If gin is not your drink of choice, Everlong Print Co also have a range of other cocktails including rum, vodka, whisky and even champagne.

Coffee and Tea Plant Prints

Credit : Daves Office

If you prefer your drinks alcohol free, these coffee and tea botanical prints by Daves Office might be more suitable for your kitchen. They are available in a variety of paper colours including parchment, light parchment, ivory and vintage white. Botanical prints, especially those linked to the culinary world, will fit perfectly into any traditional kitchen.

Fruit and Vegetables Print

Credit : Latte Design

Another ideal print for a kitchen is this fruit and vegetables print by Latte Design. The style of the picture makes it well suited to contemporary kitchens as in this example. The vibrant colours stand out beautifully against the dark walls and wall cabinets, plus the white background and frame ties in nicely with the white marble effect worktop.

Handmade Moroccan Encaustic Tiles

Credit : Moroccan Tiles Shop

Although not pictures, these handmade Moroccan tiles by Moroccan Tiles Shop are definitely a work of art. As they are individually made in Marrakech by artisans, they add originality to your kitchen and create a talking point. These are encaustic tiles so the patterns are produced using different coloured clay rather than glaze. There are many styles to choose from each adding their own special charm. They are also functional and can double up as kitchen splashbacks.

Would you display any of these kitchen art ideas in your home? Let us know which in the comments below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on kitchens, trends, offers and more.

2018 saw popular design features such as warm neutrals, mixed metals and concrete effects. As the new year sets in, we take a look at the most anticipated kitchen trends for 2019. Which will you be trying?

Raw Materials

As the number of people who are trying to find a connection with nature increases, the use of raw materials in kitchens is set to grow. Stone and wood are just two natural materials that will be big in 2019 and using them in their unprocessed state within kitchens will become more popular as the year progresses.

Wood

Wood is an excellent material for creating a calm and welcoming environment. Here at Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets, we love it for its versatility and timeless value. As well as our solid oak cabinets, we offer a range of wooden worktops in a selection of timbers, from traditional to exotic.

Coloured Cabinets

Already popular, coloured cabinet will continue to lead the way in kitchen design. Our striking bespoke accent colours are one way to introduce this trend into your kitchen. We have chosen Farrow & Ball as our exclusive paint partner, so if you have a specific colour in mind why not use our bespoke service?

Green

Credit : ideal Home

Of all the colours to paint your cabinets this year, green will be the most popular – specifically, Hunters or Olive Green. Farrow & Ball have a range of green tones which are suitable. Studio Green is the darkest shade that they offer and is perfect for all types of light.

Tall Splashbacks

Tall splashbacks will be popular this year and we expect that marble, as a raw material, will be the prevalent choice for this kitchen feature. Unfortunately, it is expensive. Installing marble effect kitchen splashbacks is a great low-cost alternative.

Matt Finishes

Credit : House Beautiful

Matt finishes will lead the way in 2019. This design style can be applied to cabinets, as in this example, or to countertops. A non-shiny work surface, such as our grey slate effect worktop not only works perfectly in contemporary kitchens, but also recreates the look of real stone.

Wooden Drawer Pulls

Natural raw materials will make an appearance in the form of wooden drawer pulls. The simplistic design of our oak bow handles makes them ideal for both contemporary and traditional kitchen styles plus they perfectly complement solid oak cabinetry and worktops.

These are our predicted kitchen trends for 2019. How do they compare to your kitchen at the moment? Which would you most like to see in your own kitchen? Let us know by commenting below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on kitchens, trends, offers and more.

“An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.”

Credit : Pantone

The Pantone colour of the year 2019 has been announced as Living Coral – a vibrant, warm and nourishing shade of orange/pink. In this blog post, we take a look at how you can use Pantone’s Living Coral in your kitchen.

Living Coral was created as a response to the overuse of social media and digital technology and how it has irrevocably embedded itself into our daily life. Pantone developed this colour to enable connection and intimacy by providing an authentic and immersive experience. By engaging the natural tones of Living Coral, this welcoming and light-hearted tone conjures up our need to express our playful sociable and spirited nature.

How to use the Living Coral in Your Kitchen

Although vibrant, Living Coral offers a mellowness and so works particularly well with white. By using a muted palette alongside the colour of the year 2019, a dramatic effect is easily achieved, allowing it to take centre stage and intensify its warmth. In this example, Living Coral has been applied to the Shaker doors.

Credit : i.pinimg

Not just a touch of colour for a monochrome scheme, Living Coral can be combined with other colours too. Turquoise, which is also calming, is a perfect complementary colour and has been paired with black drawers, worktops and upstands for even more impact.

Credit : Apartment Therapy / Pinterest

Credit : Apartment Therapy / Pinterest

Instead of painting whole walls or cabinet doors with the Pantone colour of the year 2019, you could use it sparingly like in these examples. Chairs or stools are an effective source of colour, and provide an ideal option for those who want to introduce a pop of colour without it dominating the room. Accessories too, such as these bowls and plates, are great for adding a temporary pop of colour and are perfect for complementing a wider colour scheme or for adding interest at meal times.

Credit : i.pinimg

Credit : The Pioneer Woman

You could add an appliance in a complementary colour such as this turquoise toaster. Set this against a Living Coral wall and it will lift the welcoming and light-hearted tones and add to the oceanic theme of the colour of the year. The metal front panel of this toaster will pick up the coral hues of your kitchen and add further interest.

Credit : Dualit

What are your thoughts on the Pantone colour of the year 2019? Would you add it to your kitchen and if so which of our ideas would you consider? Let us know by commenting below. Do not forget to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for inspiration or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on kitchens, trends, offers and more.