Designing A Kitchen For Entertaining

The kitchen is a common hub for entertaining guests — and for good reason. It’s as close to the food and drinks as you can get, has tons of countertop space for setting up appetizers, and is typically right next door to the dining and living room. But a kitchen doesn’t become a great place for entertaining on its own. The evolution starts with the floor plan and ends with what you do when your guests arrive.

Create Your Kitchen

A good kitchen design will of course be the foundation of your space and the key indicator to whether or not your kitchen is built for a party. Use Willow Lane Cabinetry’s free kitchen design service to help you create a floor plan that will fulfill your daily needs, and be the ideal design for entertaining your family and friends.

Give Your Guests Somewhere To Sit

While standing and chatting is all well and good, some guests will prefer to take a seat, and you won’t want them to have to leave the room to get comfortable. Tall bar stools are the perfect solution to position on the exterior of your countertop (if you have an open concept floor plan), or around your kitchen island. A breakfast table can also be transformed into a cozy corner with a tablecloth, some candles, and a plate full of treats.

Splurge On Technology

Don’t stop at those stainless steel appliances — there are so many more additions that will make your party the talk of the town. A wine cooler is obviously a must for keeping vino at just the right temperature (anyone who has had a slightly chilled glass of Cabernet knows what we’re talking about). Refrigerator drawers offer extra storage space for keeping food cool, and also help you organize dishes that are ready to be served. Likewise warming drawers make sure no appetizer or entrée is ever served cold again. Stop juggling between what’s in the oven, what’s on the stove, and what’s in the refrigerator. Refrigerator and warming drawers let you take your time organizing every course, and put you at ease knowing everything will be served as it should be.

Fall Back On Portable

You don’t need to have a huge kitchen to have a good party. All you need is a few portable fixtures to extend your countertop space or build a bar area. A portable kitchen island, wine cart or bar, are all great accessories to have on hand when you’re hosting extra guests. They can be stowed away on regular days and brought out when you need them.

Set The Mood

Don’t assume that your guests will automatically have a good time just because you decide to throw a party. Make sure there is entertainment ready, whether it’s a flat screen TV mounted on the wall and playing the big game or a wireless speaker system streaming music. Having games on hand also never hurts, and can be a lifesaver if conversation takes a nasty political turn or two guests clearly aren’t getting along. Part of hosting a party is being a host; so remember to do everything possible to make sure each guest is having a good time.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. Plus all the accessories you need to complete your new kitchen. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today!

Written by Korrie. Korrie Martinez is a self proclaimed DIY pro with an eye for design and a craft for finding simple solutions to homeowner’s common concerns. Her articles offer tips and trends to help The RTA Store’s customers achieve the home of their dreams on a balanced budget. Follow Korrie on Instagram and Twitter @kokonez or visit her website www.korriemartinez.com.

How To Mix And Match Countertop Styles

Mixing and matching countertop styles is a popular trend with designers and homeowners alike. And for good reason! Choosing different countertop surfaces adds visual interest and that desirable custom touch to your kitchen. And it’s simple to do — with a little know-how, of course. Just like mixing and matching colors, fabrics, and textures in your decor, and cabinet styles and finishes, you want to follow the rules of good design to strike the perfect balance in your space.

The Rule of Threes

When it comes to decorating, three is the magic number. Odd numbered items are always visually more appealing, and anything more than three will just be overkill. With that said, when it comes to large items like your countertop surface, you may want to go with the less is more approach. If you want to be adventurous, go with three different surface materials but stick to a common hue, or at least a color that compliments your scheme. Or take the more conservative approach and select two completely different surfaces that enhance the overall look of your kitchen. For example, dark granite countertops below your cabinets, paired with a butcher-block top, in a natural finish, on a built-in kitchen island. Whatever you choose, they should be placed apart, but connect visually.

Practicality and Placement

In addition to good design, consider practicality and how your surfaces will function. Opt for durable, stain-and-moisture-resistant materials like stainless steel, quartz or granite next to the cooktop or sink, and accent with marble, wood, or tile in areas where you will be baking, or housing canisters and small appliances like your toaster or stand mixer. Kitchen islands are a great focal point in a kitchen, and the perfect place to showcase your style. A raised bar top with extra seating is also a great place to transition between countertop styles.

Color Consideration

Always consider the color of your cabinets and floors first, and choose countertops that compliment both, and tie the two together. When using two separate surfaces, contrast is key. For a balanced look, pair dark perimeter countertops with a neutral or light island, or vice versa. For example, if you have white cabinets, you could opt for black granite with little variation, paired with a veiny white marble. And if you have dark cabinets, you could go with mottled quartz in light tones of brown, and pair that with a charcoal gray stainless steel. If you decide to go for three separate surfaces, keep two tone-on tone, and contrast with the third. For example, cool gray granite and stainless steel, paired with warm wood.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today!

Written by Tiffany. Tiffany honed her skills as a writer and editor working in the fast-paced newspaper, magazine, and television industries. Tiffany is also an award winning graphic designer, with extensive experience in the worlds of mass media, publishing, and advertising. As a designer, she also has a strong eye for interior decorating and color. Tiffany has a BA in Communications and a minor in Fine Art. She is a natural cook just like her mother, and rarely uses a recipe. She also enjoys reading, photography, painting—and most of all, spending time with her husband (a skilled DIY’er) and two sons.

How To Make The Most Of A Galley Kitchen

You say small, we say cozy! The galley kitchen, which earned its name after the tiny quarters where food is prepared on a ship, may have once been a hindrance to a home but today that is no longer the case. Transforming a snug kitchen into a free flowing galley design is a popular and functional way to make the most of skimpy square footage. Follow these tips and find out why homeowners with small kitchens are going for the galley.

Keep Things Straight

A galley kitchen is traditionally narrow and runs vertically. The floor plan consists of two rows of countertop with the walkway in between. Appliances are typically installed following a triangular design so that the range, refrigerator and sink are all centralized. Kitchen cabinets can run on both sides or just one, depending if your kitchen opens up to a living or dining room, or if it is enclosed.

Get Creative to Create Space

Just because your kitchen is small doesn’t mean it has to look that way. There are tons of “design hacks” to make a room feel and appear much larger than it actually is. Start with your color scheme, which should be light and bright. Dark colors can confine a room, while light colors open it up. From the paint on your walls and your cabinet finish to the counter tops and backsplash, choose pale shades to give the illusion of more space. Another easy hack is mirrors. If your kitchen is too crowded to hang mirrors, try a reflective or metallic tile instead. The reflective surface will have a similar effect, and tiles can be placed anywhere — walls, backsplashes, floors and countertops.

Let The Light In

Replace the blinds in your kitchen with semi-sheer curtains to allow more natural light to peak in. If you’re remodeling your entire kitchen, ask your contractor if putting in a skylight is an option. Any way that you can increase the natural light in the room will enhance a galley kitchen design. If a lack of windows or red tape is standing in your way, artificial light will have to suffice. Go with bright white bulbs to mimic sunlight as closely as possible, and consider installing under cabinet lighting for extra glow.

Color Outside The Lines

There’s nothing wrong with straying away from the traditional galley design. Depending on your home, your family and your needs, you may need to make some adjustments to make the galley kitchen work for you. If you can only afford one strip of counter top, a kitchen island might be a close second to achieving the corridor floor plan. Extending to an L-shaped design is okay, too.

Achieve Your Galley Kitchen

Whenever setting out to achieve a specific kitchen style, design is key. Take advantage of Willow Lane Cabinetry’s free kitchen design service, which will get you a custom layout based on your measurements, budget, and style. You will also receive photorealistic renderings so that rather than imagine what your new kitchen will look like, you can see it right before your eyes.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today!

6 Metallic Accents To Incorporate Into Your Kitchen

Metallic finishes are one of the top home design trends for 2016, and there are tons of interesting and eye-catching ways to add this stylish element to your kitchen. Here are a few of our favorite ways:

Metallic Backsplashes

A metallic backsplash is definitely a top pick, as well as the easiest way to incorporate this trend into your kitchen. Depending on the layout of your kitchen and how much of a wow-factor you’re trying to achieve, you could tile anything from the small space above your oven to the entire area between your kitchen cabinets and countertops. You will be able to find a wide selection of metallic tiles to achieve the look you want, and can go with either a subtle metallic infused color to complement your current color scheme or a true silver, copper or gold.

Metallic Tile Flooring

There is something incredibly alluring about metallic tile, and it can look amazing when used as flooring within a modern, contemporary, or even traditional kitchen. If you’ve had your mind set on new flooring for a while, consider this unique avenue and choose a tile in a rich color and metallic finish to update your kitchen floors.

Metallic Countertops

If you’re all about stainless steel everything and love industrial kitchen design, go crazy and install a stainless steel countertop. This popular metal is strong, heat and stain resistant, nonporous and hygienic. Plus the sleek look will blend in seamlessly with stainless steel appliances and create an ultra contemporary feel. The monotone color scheme will also leave room for some exciting accessorizing, paint choices, or flooring options. Other metal countertop materials include copper, pewter, and bronze.

Metallic Knobs and Pulls

Replacing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets is a simple upgrade, and a great opportunity to incorporate metallic accents into your kitchen. Cabinet pulls and knobs come in finishes like polished brass, brushed antique brass, satin nickel, oil rubbed bronze, pewter, gun metal, matte black, brushed chrome, and more, so there is a style and color to suit every kitchen.

Metallic Pendant Lights and Seating

Metallic pendant lights can illuminate your kitchen, and come in a large selection of styles and finishes to complement your look. Add industrial metal chairs to a wooden table, or stylish barstools with wooden seats and a metal base to your breakfast bar.

Metallic Hoods and Sinks

A metallic sink is an excellent choice to complete your kitchen. Strong and easy to clean, stainless steel sinks are one of the most popular options today, but copper sinks are a unique alternative that can warm up your kitchen. Although it serves a purpose, adding a stainless steel hood to your kitchen can also give your space an amazing, finished look.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today!

How to Mix Different Cabinet Styles in Your Kitchen

If the thought of incorporating more than one style of cabinets in your kitchen sounds crazy, you may want to think again! This top trend is making its way into homes all over the world, and when you learn a little more about it, you’ll understand why it’s so incredibly popular — and you’ll know how to do it right!

3 Rules To Follow

Mixing and matching cabinets refers to the design concept of using more than one style or finish to make up your cabinet set. There are many ways to go about this, but the goal should always be consistency, simplicity and balance.

Consistency: Choose styles that complement each other, but also meld with the theme of your kitchen. Whenever you’re incorporating a somewhat out-of-the-box design element, it’s important that it doesn’t interfere with the overall vision. Being consistent with every decision in your remodel will ensure you get the results you want. The Free Kitchen Design Service at Willow Lane Cabinetry can help you along the way.

Simplicity: Try not to mix more than three styles (two if you have a smaller kitchen). Overboard means overdone and turns an interesting feature into a questionable choice. Keep it simple and limit your focal points to a few great pieces or additions.

Balance: We’ll get more into this later, but deciding exactly where each cabinet style will go in your design is very important. It will eliminate the possibility of cabinets competing for attention and creating chaos in your kitchen. Take advantage of the Free Kitchen Design Service at Willow Lane Cabinetry to get a solid visual of what your final layout will look like.

When It Works

Using multiple cabinet styles works for almost every kitchen theme, from vintage to contemporary. The key is to mix with purpose so that your cabinetry still looks cohesive, even with the inclusion of different styles or finishes. Best practice is to keep styles separate rather than side-by-side. This would just look disorderly (and about as crazy as you imagined when we first introduced the idea). Instead, plan your layout in sections. For example, if you were going with three cabinet styles you would put one along one wall, one along the other, and the third would be your kitchen island. This way you achieve the dimension and diversity, without the disorder.

How To Choose

Mixing and matching cabinet styles is not an official art but it should be. You need great taste and patience — or at least good guidance! The easiest and most efficient way to mix and match is to pick one style (for example, traditional raised panel cabinetry) and two colors (for example, white and dark cherry). If you want to get more advanced you can mix styles within the same theme (for example, stick to traditional style cabinets but in two different door designs) and then add in your color choices. As a rule of thumb, try not to match two cabinets that are clearly different styles, such as traditional, raised panel with modern, flat panel cabinets.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today!

How To Choose The Best Island For Your Kitchen

An island is a great addition to any kitchen. It adds much needed counter space, extra seating, and discreet storage. While there are many different kitchen island styles, some will better suit your lifestyle and space than others. Read on to determine which kitchen island will be the best fit for you and your home with this easy guide from Willow Lane Cabinetry.

Built-In Islands

If you have a large kitchen with extra floor space, a built-in island can serve as a beautiful focal point and a way to make your kitchen more functional. You can hang pots and pans on a rack above to add charm to a country themed kitchen, or complement with stools to create bar seating when entertaining guests. The possibilities for a built-in island are endless but used in the wrong layout this piece of furniture can appear too dominating. For smaller kitchens, find better options below.

Open Storage Islands

Choose a style with open storage if space is an issue but you like the look of a large island set in the center of a kitchen. This alternative to the typical kitchen island features an open base with minimal shelving so you are still able to see through the structure. You will lose some of that sleek storage space but you’ll still gain many island perks, such as an extended culinary prep space and a place to put kitchen décor.

Island Carts

An island cart gives you the best of both worlds by delivering the same counter space and storage as an island, while also providing portability. You can stow away an island cart on quiet days and whip it out when needed. Baking for a school event? Hosting a large dinner party? Your portable island can be the extra support and space you need. They also make dining outside or entertaining in another room easier. Use your island cart as a serving station or a makeshift bar when you have guests.

Butcher Block Islands

If, in your mind, a kitchen island equals more cooking space, a butcher block island is for you! This clever combination allows your countertop to be the ultimate prep space. You can cut and chop directly on the surface, as the top is designed to be durable and resistant against stains. The wooden surface of the island is also extremely easy to clean, and even safe to cut meats and fish on.

Wine Islands And Carts

Wine aficionados rejoice! The wine island offers the perfect place to keep your collection, and can even serve as a bar. This functional island has many features wrapped into one. You can keep your glasses concealed in the allotted storage area and display wine bottles in the open racks. While storing your wine in the kitchen makes sense, when entertaining it’s more convenient to have it in the same room as your company. A portable wine cart with wheels will allow you to transport your wine bar wherever and whenever you need it.

Welcome to Willow Lane Cabinetry — the #1 place to buy affordable, semi-custom cabinets online! Let us help you create the kitchen of your dreams with our 100% free kitchen design service. We offer all wood, semi-custom kitchen cabinets, fully assembled and delivered for free, with standard features like soft closing doors and drawers, and 6-way adjustable steel hinges. We give you more and save you money! Visit our website to see our beautiful products today, including Kitchen Islands and Carts!