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How To Stock Your Home Bar Cabinets For Winter

Just a few short months ago; we talked about How To Stock Your Bar Room Cabinetry For Summer. And while classic Margaritas and chilled, sparkling white wine are refreshing, with temperatures dropping and December fast approaching, it is time to stock your home bar cabinets for winter. Warm up your spirits and spread holiday cheer with these seasonal suggestions.

Bourbon

This barrel-aged, American spirit has warm and wintery vanilla and honey notes. Perfect for spiking hot chocolate, bourbon can also be used for mixing up a Cranberry Old Fashioned Cocktail or Alpine Manhattan. You can also serve it on the rocks (with ice) — or neat (room temperature) if you’re a true Bourbon aficionado.

Whisky

You’ll often find this aromatic, distilled spirit in hot beverages, such as a Hot Toddy or Irish coffee. There are several types of Whisky, made from a variety of grains, and each has a uniquely complex flavor with hints of toffee, caramel, and sometimes even mint.

Vodka

This clear spirit is ideal for classic winter cocktails, like a creamy White Russian or a spicy Moscow Mule. It’s also necessary for making a big batch of Holiday Glögg (mulled wine) for your Christmas or New Year’s Eve party. On it’s own, Vodka doesn’t have a lot of flavor, but it’s a must have for mixed drinks.

Rum

Rum made our summer list for being the main ingredient in a frozen Daquiri, but you should also add Rum to your bar cabinets during the winter months. Not only is this sweet as molasses distilled spirit used in cold-weather cocktails like Eggnog (alongside the aforementioned Bourbon) and Hot Buttered Rum, but also it’s needed for baking Rum Cake, a classic holiday dessert!

Brandy

Produced by distilling wine, Brandy is typically used as an after-dinner digestif, especially after a heavy holiday meal. It’s also found in favorite cocktails like the Brandy Alexander (essentially grown-up chocolate milk), the Sidecar, and the Metropolitan.

Champagne

New Year’s Eve isn’t quite the same without a celebratory glass of Champagne. For an extra bit of sparkle, impress your holiday guests with a classic and festive Champagne Cocktail, or perhaps Champagne Mojitos with fresh springs of mint.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen, home office, home bar, laundry room, TV room, or bath of your dreams with our 100% free room design tool. We offer solid wood cabinetry, fully assembled and delivered for free. Plus all the accessories you need to complete your remodel. Visit our website to see our products today!

TV Room Tips For Decorating Around A Fireplace

When you have both your television and fireplace in the same space, you have to get a little creative with your décor and design. You want the room to be a relaxing place where you can cuddle up and gather around the fire, but also allow for family-friendly fun and entertainment. Here, we’re sharing some of our top tips for decorating around a fireplace in a TV room.

Install TV room cabinetry to frame both your fireplace and television.

On its own, a television may look out of place when hung above or beside a fireplace. Installing solid wood cabinetry around these two focal points can frame the space and create a more cohesive look overall. Take this design using Willow Lane Cabinetry’s Urban White cabinets for example. The cabinets form columns on both sides, transforming the wall into an entertainment center that incorporates both the television and fireplace perfectly.

Use recessed shelving to create dimension and balance with a fireplace.

A fireplace is a recessed structure, so when a television is placed on the same wall, it can make the wall seem off balanced or top heavy. Adding recessed shelving, either alone or as part of a solid wood cabinetry set, can counteract this imbalance and create harmony throughout the wall.

Open shelving or glass door cabinets can establish symmetry on a wall with a fireplace and television.

Another way to establish symmetry is with open shelving or glass door cabinets. When you have a wall with a fireplace, the most natural place to put the TV is directly above the fireplace. This creates a clean, vertical line but it also can make the wall feel unsymmetrical.

When you have open shelving or glass door cabinets within your TV room cabinetry, you can then arrange items on the shelves to complement the fireplace and television. The example pictured above features the Midtown Walnut Shaker cabinets and shows how you can use glass door cabinets to create additional focal points around the fireplace.

A floating wall shelf can create a clear divide between the television and fireplace.

Another great takeaway from the photo above is the floating shelf that has been installed below the television. This simple addition creates a clear divide between the the television and the fireplace and allows them to each shine individually.

A floating shelf also gives you another opportunity to decorate, and can help you carry a theme from your TV room cabinetry over to the fireplace. Whether it’s a cherished collection or seasonal items, whatever is on display in your cabinets can now be complemented by the décor above your fireplace.

Out of sight out of mind means hide the television behind cabinet doors.

Despite all of your decorating attempts, if you just don’t love the look of a television above your fireplace, that’s completely understandable. Luckily, you can customize your solid wood cabinetry to include a space for your TV. When the television is off or you have guests over, simply close the cabinet doors and no one will ever be the wiser.

How To Plan A Fun Family Movie Night During The Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The house is getting decked for the festivities, Thanksgiving feasts are being planned, and soon the kids will be home on holiday with visions of sugarplums (and presents) dancing in their heads! Make the most of the fall and winter breaks from school by starting a new holiday tradition — Family Movie Night!

Set the scene.

Set the scene for Family Movie Night by stocking your TV Room Cabinetry with holiday classics and new favorites on Blue-Ray or DVD. Helpful sites like Common Sense Media offer reviews and age recommendations, so you can make an informed decision as to what would be appropriate for your children. With that said, here are a few of our favorites:

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Rugrats Chanukah (1996)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Elf (2003)
Free Birds (2013)
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Home Alone (1990)
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town (1970)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Polar Express (2004)
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Year Without A Santa Clause (1974)

Load the sofa with cozy throw blankets and pillows for cuddling, and keep the lights low for an authentic movie theatre at home experience. For a holiday glow, light a fire in the fireplace or turn on those fun and festive twinkling lights. And make sure everyone is wearing their comfy holiday pajamas!

Don’t forget the snacks.

No movie is complete without something to munch on. Create a snack station on a coffee table or using a portable cart. Load it up with bowls of popcorn and Reindeer Food, trays of holiday cookies, chocolate nonpareils, and peppermint candy canes. Or create a buffet on the countertop of your open concept kitchen island with festive, kid-friendly finger food like homemade Pepperoni Pizza Rolls or mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent dough. And don’t forget the hot chocolate with marshmallows!

Quintessentially Autumn Decorating Tips For An Open Concept Kitchen

An open concept kitchen is tailor made for holiday entertaining. Because it opens to the living and dining room, it creates a seamless space for gathering with family and friends, whether it’s sharing a meal (or Thanksgiving feast) in the dining area, socializing on the sofa with football on the TV, or congregating around the kitchen island for a slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of spiced cider.

While your kitchen is a place for cooking and baking during the holiday season, it should also be a festive space that welcomes guests. As the temperature drops and the leaves start to fall, celebrate the season with these quintessentially autumn decorating tips for an open concept kitchen.

Pumpkins Aren’t Just For Pie

From carved Jack-O-Lanterns on your front porch to pies on your Thanksgiving table, these lovely gourds are extremely versatile, and perfect for creating uniquely seasonal holiday décor. With a little paint and creativity, you can turn a plain orange pumpkin into an adorable faux bunt cake to display on your kitchen island, or simply add an elegant monogram or large letter to a white or blue heirloom pumpkin for personalization. You could even make a one-of-a-kind centerpiece with fresh flowers and colorful fall foliage. The more pumpkins the better!

Have Fun With Fall Foliage

Is there anything more spectacular than colorful autumn leaves in rich shades of red, orange, purple and gold? You could bring a touch of nature indoors by simply placing colorful branches of fall leaves in a clear vase, or get crafty by stringing an autumn garland of preserved leaves. You could also frame leaf rubbings or press leaves dipped in gold and silver paint as artwork.

More Autumn Decorating Tips For An Open Concept Kitchen

Scented candles can help add ambiance with a welcoming fragrance and soft glow. Opt for fall scents, such as pumpkin spice, cinnamon stick, and apple pie.

When planning a sit-down meal, make handmade place cards for guests with names, or inspirational words like “Thankful,” “Grateful,” and “Blessed,” printed on natural brown cardstock.

You could also print inspirational words stacked in the center of natural brown cardstock. Cut the words into long strips horizontally, and staple or glue the ends together to make handmade napkin rings for your Thanksgiving table.

Place colorful gourds in a basket or on a platter with realistic battery-operated candles as a centerpiece.

Place your centerpiece atop a beautiful burlap table runner, or set your table with woven placemats and galvanized metal chargers.

Bring a touch of nature indoors by filling decorative glass jars with small seasonal items like pinecones and acorns collected from your yard.

Add a basket of mums to your kitchen for seasonal color.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen, home office, bar room, laundry room, TV room, or bath of your dreams with our 100% free room design tool. We offer all wood, semi-custom cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free. Plus all the accessories you need to complete your remodel. Visit our website to see our products today!

How To Design A Modern Farmhouse Kitchen With Cold Weather Comfort In Mind

The Modern Farmhouse movement features a blend of classic elements and contemporary accents, and it’s easy to understand its immense popularity. Filled with chic character and clean lines, it is truly the best blend of recent interior design trends. As the temperature drops, we can’t think of a better way to warm up your kitchen. From crisp white cabinets to stylish industrial finishes, we’ll show you how to design a Modern Farmhouse kitchen with cold weather comfort in mind.

White Shaker Cabinets

Trends come and go, but some interior design choices remain timeless. White cabinets stand the test of time and fit perfectly in the Modern Farmhouse theme, especially in a Shaker style. Shaker solid wood cabinetry has simple recessed panel doors for a clean, minimalist look. Adding glass panel doors and rustic cup pulls to your kitchen design can create a true Farmhouse feel in the heart of the home.

Wood (Or Wood Look) Flooring

Hardwood floors were a must in Farmhouse kitchens of the past, but there are so many more options today. Wood look ceramic tile flooring comes in a variety of gorgeous styles, from Carolina Timber to Driftwood, and gives homeowners the warmth of natural hardwood in a durable, low maintenance, water resistant material — perfect for those snowy winter days!

Large Kitchen Island

A Farmhouse kitchen wouldn’t be complete without a large kitchen island for baking pies and cookies and prepping home-cooked holiday meals. When designing a Modern Farmhouse kitchen, give your space a contemporary twist by opting for a dark finish on your kitchen island, such as black or gray, paired with a natural butcher block countertop.

More Modern Farmhouse Design Elements For the Kitchen

Barn Doors
Antique Farmhouse Tables
Weathered Wood Chairs and Benches With Caned Seats
Metal Barstools
Anything Galvanized Steel/Oil Rubbed Bronze/Wrought Iron
Rustic Light Fixtures With Edison Bulbs
Shiplap Accent Walls
Whitewashed Brick
Board And Batten Wainscoting
Neutral Wall Paint With White Trim
Apron Front Sinks
Exposed Beams
Natural Fiber Area Rugs
Tartan Plaid Placemats
Burlap Table Runners
Industrial Hardware
Open Shelving
Natural Stone Countertops
Pottery Canisters
Woven Baskets

3 Fabulous Fall Color Schemes For The Home

If the changing of the leaves in autumn inspires you, you might want to consider a fall color scheme for your home. Featuring reds, oranges, and yellows, these warm tones come together to create a perfect pumpkin spiced setting behind your front doors. Keep reading for a few fabulous fall color schemes that will look beautiful in your home this season.

Subtly achieve an autumn-inspired color palette in a modern room.

If your home is filled with modern features like gray kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances, there is still room for an autumn-inspired color palette. You just need to be strategic when incorporating warm tones into a room with a cool foundation.

To start, choose colors that complement the existing furnishings, cabinets, materials and paint colors of the room. Staying with the example of gray kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances, complementary colors include brick red, burnt orange, and bright yellow. When decorating a modern room, maintain the minimal vibe and add subtle pops of colors rather than oversaturating the naturally neutral space.

Accent natural wood with a touch of nature.

If your room features natural wood cabinets, floors, or furnishings, adding fall is as easy as apple pie. Just think of what you find in nature — or better yet, step outside to seek some inspiration firsthand.

Earthy browns and seasonal foliage as they occur in nature create a pretty perfect color scheme on their own. While its not always visually appealing to replicate these colors indoors, you are able to achieve a very authentic fall theme when the foundation of the room features natural wood.

Golden yellow, vibrant orange, and classic red look right at home against both light and dark shades of wood.

Step outside the norm with an alternative fall color scheme.

While the traditional fall colors are breathtaking, you may not want to incorporate these hues into your home. Not a problem. There are other ways to create a fall color scheme without your standard red, orange, and yellow shades.

Marigold and burgundy is one color combination that is less traditional but fall all the same. These hues can warm up a room and look lovely beside black or beige elements. You could even amp up the black in this color scheme to create a slightly spooky, gothic ambiance that celebrates the season in a different way.

Rich tones like emerald green, deep blue, magenta, sage, and purple are also appropriate for fall and can be paired together to create a vibrant color scheme. You won’t find any of the leaves in your backyard colored cyan or fuchsia, but there’s no rule saying you have to transition from summer the conventional way. There are many rich hues that signal the start of cooler days that aren’t sourced from nature.

Fall can also be embodied by its textures, not just its colors. Think velvet throw pillows and cozy blankets. These types of additions help to change the mood of a room and help your home feel more seasonal.

6 Home Trends To Embrace This Fall And Winter

When it comes to home design, 2018 has been right on point. With spring and summer behind us, and temperatures taking a plunge, it’s time to cuddle by the fireplace and take a look at the six home trends to embrace this fall and winter.

A warm welcome. While mixed metals are still all the rage (including gold, silver and bronze), the warm red sheen of copper makes it the ultimate metallic for fall and winter, especially when paired with black kitchen cabinets. From cabinet hardware and copper kitchen sinks, to appliances and light fixtures, add a trendy touch of copper to your room design.

Go big at home. Make a statement this fall and winter by incorporating a bold print in every room of your home, on area rugs, wallpaper, table linens, drapes, throw pillows, and comforters. Perfect patterns for the colder months include buffalo check, Ikat, large polka dots, abstract geometric shapes, and wide stripes. Or install a tile backsplash in an arabesque or herringbone pattern.

Everything old is new again. The Modern Farmhouse movement has ushered in a resurgence of vintage and industrial accents, such as Edison bulbs, unfinished wood furniture with gorgeous grain, caned chairs, exposed beams, galvanized steel and wrought iron decorative elements, and lush upholstered furniture with nail head trim.

Mad for marble. If you want to impress the neighbors at your holiday Open House or New Year’s Eve bash, marble is a dramatic and elegant choice for the home. Iconic gray swirls and veins highlight the natural beauty of marble flooring, or a marble tile backlash. Or opt for a Quartzite countertop that mimics the appearance of marble, but will not etch while preparing Thanksgiving dinner for your guests.

Embrace the dark side. Pastels are oh so light and airy, but come fall and winter when days grow shorter, deep jewel tones take center stage. In home magazines and on our favorite HGTV shows, designers are leaning towards dark hues for walls, like amethyst, sapphire, onyx, garnet, emerald or charcoal gray, in contemporary and transitional interiors. Other options include black trim and black kitchen cabinets.

The World is your oyster. Whether you did a bit of traveling this year or just had a relaxing stay-cation, global influences are right on trend. From framed maps and postcards to geode bookends on the shelves of your home office cabinetry, showcase the places you love or would love to visit.

How To Design The Craft Room You Have Always Craved

Are you a DIY devotee, a fixer of all things, or a lover of the arts? If you take any opportunity to let your creative side out, there’s a good chance you’ve been craving the addition of a craft room in your home.

Whether you have an entire room ready for redecorating or a lonely corner just waiting to be transformed, carving out a space for crafting is a lot easier than you think. Willow Lane Cabinetry offers many different types of cabinets that are perfect for designing a craft station in your home. Our professional design team will even help you by creating a customized layout, photorealistic renderings of your design, and an itemized price list of everything you’ll need. Keep reading for some inspiration on how an everyday office cabinet can help you build the perfect craft room for your home and hobbies.

Sewing Room

With the fall season underway, those with a knack for fashion and sewing are probably contemplating Halloween costume ideas for themselves, children, or pets! A sewing room could give you the space you need to come up with different clothing ideas all year long.

Scrapbooking

The art of scrapbooking may seem silly to some, now with social media taking storm. But there is nothing more magical than printing your memories and being able to cherish them for years to come. With the right types of cabinets and inside cabinet organizers, you can create the perfect station for storing your photos and scrapbooking supplies. With the right tools, you’ll be able to record every event, occasion, and year while really sharpening your scrapbooking skills.

Card Making

Photos also make the most beautiful cards and there is something so special about a handmade greeting card from someone you love. If your creative talents have led you to card making, think about the possibilities with an entire room dedicated to your craft. From beautiful photo front cards to stamps and calligraphy, you could deliver the most heartfelt holiday, birthday and “just because” cards to your closest friends and family.

Jewelry Design

Making your own jewelry for friends or as a business is such a fulfilling pastime. There are so many different avenues to explore from engraving to beading. While jewelry making can be messy, a craft room or station allows you to keep your equipment and supplies all in one spot.

Drawing or Painting Studio

What if behind your office cabinet doors you found paint and brushes? Imagine a room with endless artistic supplies and a large table or easel for you to put your imagination to paper. That dream can easily be your reality with a craft room specifically created for drawing or painting.

Kid’s Art Station

If your kids love art as much as you do, why not set up a general crafting station for everyone in the family to enjoy? You can stock your cabinets will all kinds of art supplies and have endless fun after school and on weekends.

Garage Turned Workspace

It’s not uncommon for a garage to offer some unused space perfect for a setting up a workstation. Whether you like woodworking, engine building, or just tinkering around, by installing cabinets and adding the right furniture you can turn your garage into an actual shop.

How To Seamlessly Mix Vintage Finds With Contemporary Home Decor

With a trend towards transitional design, today’s fashionable homes feature an eclectic blend of contemporary and vintage style. You see it everyday in home magazines and on television, but how do you translate the look into your own home? Mixing old and new isn’t as difficult as you might think, as long as you follow these three rules.

#1. Start with good bones.

Whether your home was recently built or has been standing for quite some time will dictate the choices you make. But if you start with good bones, the rest should fall into place. Older homes have character that some newer homes lack, while new construction features all the modern convinces homeowners desire.

Take advantage of what you have by adding contemporary touches to your older home, such as stainless steel appliances or a glass tile backsplash. When decorating, tone down the traditional by selecting furniture and solid wood cabinetry with clean lines and contemporary finishes, for example, dark espresso cabinets and a modern leather sectional sofa in the TV room.

If your home is not that old or has minimal detailing, add character with vintage-inspired elements. Ideas include crown molding, board and batten wainscoting, shiplap, or wallpaper accent walls. White Shaker kitchen cabinets are classic and timeless, especially when you add charming touches like glass front doors and decorative molding.

For help in creating the perfect space in your unique home, take advantage of Willow Lane Cabinetry’s free room design service.

#2. Decorating, when done well, takes time.

Put care and thought into your décor, especially when mixing contemporary with vintage. Decorating, when done well, takes time. So have fun and be patient. Most of all, find balance. When seamlessly leaning towards the transitional, steer clear of the slick, ultra modern look on one end of the spectrum, or too many fancy embellishments on the other.

Two key elements in transitional design are comfort and function, so keep that in mind when selecting pieces for your home. Contemporary transitional elements could include glass coffee tables or clear plastic, natural stone or solid surface countertops, open shelving with metal brackets, overstuffed upholstered chairs, sectional sofas, and wood-look tile flooring.

Luckily, the recent Industrial and Modern Farmhouse movements have ushered in a resurgence of reproduction vintage items in stores and online, including oil-rubbed bronze and glass light fixtures, apron front sinks, caned barstools, galvanized metal chairs, and barn wood trestle tables. Or spend some time browsing local flea markets, antique stores, and yard sales for that perfect vintage find, including table linens, decorative pottery, and wall art.

#3. Stick with a neutral color palette.

When mixing vintage finds with contemporary home décor, you should start with a neutral background. The key is to create a seamless flow from room to room. Do this by choosing one soothing color that compliments your solid wood cabinetry, or two that are a step apart on a paint swatch, for tone on tone contrast. Sticking with one hue or color family creates cohesion, especially when dealing with an open concept kitchen, TV room, dining area and hallway.

4 Tips For Keeping A Clean And Happy Home For You And Your Pet

If you’re the proud parent of a fur baby, the idea of a clean home may seem more like a far off dream than a possibility. From hair literally everywhere to the inevitable everyday messes, your pet’s presence is always known and usually requires some clean up. Before you drive a wedge between you and your best friend, follow some of these tips for keeping your home clean with pets.

Keep your pet clean.

It may sound obvious but it needs to be mentioned. If there is less dirt on your dog, there will be less dirt in your home. Most pet owners follow the guideline of bringing their dog to be washed and trimmed every month. But many breeds of dogs require special attention outside of traditional grooming.

Cleaning should not start and end with the groomer. If your dog gets dirty on their walks, they should be bathed and brushed much more frequently. Having a pet bath station in your laundry room makes this much easier. Essentially, this station allows you to rinse off your dog after being outdoors without wrecking your bathroom or home. Wall cabinets for laundry room use can also serve as storage for grooming essentials such as shampoo and clippers.

Not only can your pup be comfortably bathed, but the laundry room also provides a safe area for him or her to dry off. If you need help adding a pet bathing station to your laundry room, contact our team for free design services.

Set up a designated play area for your furry companion.

To maintain order in your home, you will need to create boundaries. If you don’t want your pet’s hair all over the couch or bed, they are going to need an equally appealing option to cuddle up on. Carve out some space in your common area where you and your family tend to spend your time. Maybe there’s an idle spot in your open concept kitchen or a cozy corner in the TV room. Transform that area by setting up a bed and toy bin for your furry companion.

Splurge on the special pet vacuum.

In addition to super-strong lint rollers, every pet owner should also have a vacuum specifically designed for pet hair. Standard vacuums tend to leave some hair behind, and also “fling” hair off of surfaces and into the air. Not only does this make clean up twice as hard, but also the brushes on standard vacuums are prone to tangles. Keep things clean and clean up simple by investing in a vacuum with the capabilities and tools for tackling pet hair.

Combat carpet odor with a natural dry cleaner.

Even the cleanest of homes can have lingering odors. Sometimes smells live deep in carpets, and surface cleaning just doesn’t suffice. Dry carpet cleaners are a good solution in these types of situations, as they both clean and add fragrance.

You can find these products sold in stores but you can also make a natural version at home. In a food processor, blend baking soda, cornstarch, cornmeal, Borax, cinnamon, and basil together. Then sprinkle the mixture over carpets and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Afterwards, simply vacuum up the powder and enjoy the clean, fresh fragrance.

While cinnamon and basil are both non-toxic, some ingredients in natural cleaners (like bay leaves) are toxic. If you decide to swap out spices, make sure they are safe for pets.