Think about the busiest spot in your home – it’s likely the kitchen. But more than just a place for cooking, a kitchen is the communal heart where family and friends come together. From busy meal preps to coffee chats, it’s a space where everyone can share their experiences and enjoy each other’s company.
As a key focus in home renovations, kitchens are often prioritized for home design and decor. And while there are a number of popular kitchen styles available, one trend has been popular for many years now – the farmhouse kitchen. This style offers a unique blend of comfort, charm, and functionality, making it a top choice for those looking to make their homes more cozy but still stylish.
“The farmhouse style design philosophy is centered around creating a kitchen space that’s as welcoming as it is functional, finding the perfect balance between form and utility.”
The farmhouse style design philosophy is centered around creating a kitchen space that’s as welcoming as it is functional, finding the perfect balance between form and utility.
By embracing the beauty of nature, farmhouse decor is characterized by using organic materials like wood and stone, complemented by delicate colors and earthy tones. It’s common in farmhouse kitchens to see a touch of history in the mix, with antique or handcrafted pieces adding a layer of rustic charm.
If you think about how a real farm’s kitchen might look, it is often portrayed as very spacious with a generous sink, open shelving, wall paneling, and large windows. Modern farmhouse kitchens take this design and give it a more contemporary twist, with updated fixtures and finishes, but still staying true to the overall farmhouse aesthetic.
What are Some Effective Ways to Design a Farmhouse-Style kitchen?
Although a farmhouse-style kitchen can include various elements, there are some key features you should consider that will really bring the overall look together.
Create an Inviting Island
In a farmhouse-style kitchen, the island is often the central feature. Instead of just a meal prep area, it becomes a much more social area.
To truly embody the rustic appeal of farmhouse design, you should consider using natural materials like reclaimed wood or butcher block for your kitchen island’s countertop. These elements infuse a much more organic and authentic feel into the space.
You should also incorporate seating into your island design. Bar stools with a distressed finish or chairs upholstered in gingham or plaid fabric can complement the overall aesthetic. Pendant lights above the island can also provide functional lighting and an eye-catching design element.
A signature element of farmhouse kitchen design is the inclusion of classic white cabinets. They provide a sense of cleanliness and brightness, making your kitchen appear more spacious. Shaker-style cabinets are an ideal choice for a blend of simplicity and elegance. Recognized by their five-piece doors with flat recessed panels, they add a subtle, stylish touch to the kitchen.
Feel free to experiment by combining different cabinet styles. Ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets are particularly well-suited for farmhouse kitchens. They come in various types and offer customization flexibility to meet your specific requirements.
If you’re looking to introduce some warmth and contrast, rustic brown RTA cabinets can break the monotony of too much white. However, shaker white RTA cabinets can still be a great choice to keep the kitchen bright and airy.
For the hardware, go for knobs and pulls with a vintage or antique finish. Consider using bin pulls for drawers and knobs for doors. These small details can make a big difference in highlighting the farmhouse vibe in your kitchen.
Add a Pop of Color
While neutral tones are often associated with farmhouse-style kitchens, adding a pop of color can really bring the space to life. Use muted shades like sage green, soft blue, or dusty rose on your kitchen island or backsplash for a subtle yet impactful statement.
Alternatively, you can paint your lower cabinets in your chosen color, keeping the upper cabinets white for a balanced look. This technique adds visual interest and breaks up the monotony of an all-white kitchen.
A vintage-style refrigerator in a vibrant color or a set of colorful enamel cookware is another way to add a pop of color to your farmhouse kitchen. These small accents can bring personality and character to the space while maintaining the overall look.
Farmhouse-style kitchens are known for their charming decor that tells a story. When choosing decor items, think of different pieces that have a vintage or rustic feel. Think distressed wood signs, antique clocks, or mason jar vases filled with fresh flowers.
Open shelving is another great way to showcase your decor. Display your collection of vintage dishes, glassware, or cookbooks for a personal touch.
Another staple of farmhouse decor is the use of natural elements. Incorporate materials like wicker, rattan, or galvanized metal in your storage baskets, light fixtures, or bar stools.
Plaid curtains, gingham tablecloths, or burlap placemats can also add a cozy and homely feel to your kitchen. Consider incorporating these patterns into your decor while also keeping them functional for everyday use.
Give Your Kitchen the Attention It Deserves
For years, National Kitchen and Bath Cabinetry has been helping homeowners bring their vision of a beautiful farmhouse kitchen to life. Our extensive selection of all-wood RTA cabinets caters to every taste, ranging from full-scale renovations to simple upgrades, all tailored to align with your design goals and budget considerations.
Ready to start your farmhouse kitchen project? Contact us, and our seasoned professionals will guide you in choosing the suitable materials, styles, and finishes to create your dream kitchen.
Garages are functional rooms in the home, but they are a repository for everything from seasonal items to athletic gear to tools and supplies. Though most people use their garage for storage, most garages are disorganized and lack visual appeal.
A few DIY shelves don’t help a garage’s storage capacity, nor do they add to a room’s aesthetic. Garage storage cabinets can upgrade functionality and visual presentation to make your life more organized and keep your garage looking its best.
“Though you may not see it every day, a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing garage can be a source of pride in your home.”
Why Install Cabinets in the Garage?
A functional garage cabinet system creates additional storage space, keeps your stuff safe and organized, and maximizes the space’s potential to make your home more functional and efficient.
When your storage space is cluttered, it makes it much more difficult to find what you need and adds to your stress level. Cluttered spaces have a certain level of disorientation that’s simply unpleasant to look at.
With organization, you can group your tools, supplies, and seasonal items to make the space more functional and ensure you have access to what you need when you need it. For example, storing your gardening supplies together prepares you for the spring season without digging through a lot of clutter to find what you need.
In addition, proper organization keeps your stored items safe. If you have younger family members, there’s a risk of children getting into the garage and injuring themselves by playing with dangerous objects that aren’t toys. They may also break or damage the items you have in storage. With a garage storage system, you can store anything valuable or dangerous out of the way.
Create a Garage Workshop
Do you use your garage for carpentry, crafts, or other handiwork? Garage cabinets in your garage workshop can uplevel your projects and keep you organized while tackling DIY tasks.
One of the most important features of a garage workshop is the tools you have, which need storage and organization. Toolboxes can help, but garage cabinets on the wall can store all your equipment and supplies for easy access to parts and supplies when you need them.
Store Tools and Equipment
Most garages are home to tools and equipment, such as screwdrivers, wrenches, handsaws, power tools, and automotive tools. People also keep extra paint, glue, spackle, and other supplies in their garage.
If you don’t have an organization system, it’s easy for all your tools and supplies to become a haphazard pile. Small tools and supplies, such as nuts and bolts, nails, and screws, can get lost easily, leaving you without what you need during a household project. Using garage cabinets ensures that all your tools and supplies are in your garage.
Tuck Away Extra Items
The garage is a common spot for extra items you can’t find a place for in the house, such as seasonal decorations or athletic equipment like bikes, helmets, basketballs, weights, fishing gear, and more. It’s also common for homeowners to put their gardening gear and outdoor décor in the garage.
Garage storage cabinets are ideal for storing everything you don’t want to keep in the house. You can keep them together, organized, safe, and clean, so they’re ready and accessible when you need them.
Use Large Cabinets as Closets
Whether you want to store seasonal clothing in vacuum-sealed bags or need large storage space, ample cabinets can double as closets. Instead of cluttering your bedroom or hall closet, you can store seasonal or special occasion clothing in a garage closet to keep it out of sight and protected.
This is also an excellent space to store things like ice skates, skis, cleats, fishing waders, muck boots, or any other item you don’t want to keep in your everyday-use closets. Family heirlooms, such as quilts or preserved wedding gowns, can also be stored in the garage closet to save space.
Get More Visual Appeal
Though you may not see it every day, a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing garage can be a source of pride in your home. Whether you want to park your car in the garage or complete projects in a decluttered space, entering a clean and organized garage is a positive experience.
Custom Cabinetry from National K&B Cabinetry
Whether you want RTA gray cabinets in Austin or you’re looking for custom cabinetry,National K&B Cabinetry is here for all your cabinetry needs. As the premier luxury cabinet manufacturer in Austin, we offer the best RTA cabinets in Austin and a range of options for custom cabinetry that will suit your needs and goals. Contact us today to learn more.
Rough finishes, rich textures, and vintage accessories are the staples of a rustic design that exudes character and style. If you’re curious about the design trend, the bathroom is a great place to get a feel for the style and see how it fits into your home.
Restyling your bathroom doesn’t have to break the bank or take all of your time. Here are some ways to add rustic touches to your bathroom and create a new look.
“Rustic bathrooms often feature wooden accents such as distressed metal vanity hardware and drawer pulls, vintage metal dishes, and mason jar bathroom sets.”
Bring on the Wood
Wood is a must for a rustic look. Shutters made from wood have a romantic charm, but you can also get rustic bathroom furniture in teak, maroon-hued mahogany, or rich walnut. Upgrade your current cabinets with rustic brown RTA cabinets, or add an RTA bathroom vanity cabinet.
Farmhouse storage solutions like boxy wooden crates also add to the country appeal of the space while giving you functional storage. If you’re crafty, you can upcycle old farm crates on your own.
Match Your Appliances
Wood is the first step, but it’s not enough to create a rustic look. You should match your tubs, showers, and sinks to the rustic look. A copper sink on a wooden frame is ideal. You could replace your shower and sink with a trough to offset the wood. Vintage claw tubs work well in rustic bathrooms.
If that’s a big undertaking, consider adding smaller details like replacing your mirror with a rattan mirror, vintage mirrors, or vintage paintings. Small changes like this can transform the look of the space.
Add Some Greenery
Nature is a big part of the rustic aesthetic. Bring greenery into the bathroom with tall potted plants or hanging plants with creeping ivy. Potted plants make great accent pieces for your sink, tub edge, or on storage shelves. Also, if your bathroom is mostly earth tones, the greenery will add a nice pop to the space.
Consider Accent Pieces
Don’t neglect your accent pieces for a country look. Rustic bathrooms often feature wooden accents such as distressed metal vanity hardware and drawer pulls, vintage metal dishes, and mason jar bathroom sets.
Farmhouse towel rods and toilet paper holders are a great addition to farmhouse design. These pieces look like part of a barn door with weathered wood, galvanized metal, and traditional barn door handles.
Upgrade Your Lighting
Rustic bathroom lighting should be “less is more.” This trend pays homage to the natural world, so you want softer light that’s not artificial-looking. Swap out your harsh, cool lighting for a soft glow with warm bulbs.
Not all rustic looks are strictly country, however. A beaded chandelier can elevate your design and create pearl-like silhouettes.
Consider a Natural Color Scheme
Natural environments inspire the best color schemes for a rustic design. Distressed wood, soft light, and greenery work best with earth tones like beige, tan, brown, gray, and peach. If you prefer a little more color, rich touches of dusty blue, plum, slate blue, olive green, and burnt orange are nice.
Add a Sliding Barn Door
A sliding barn door with black handles automatically turns your space into a country haven. Barn doors are highly functional and add warmth to a primarily white space. There are a range of options for barn doors, including unfinished wood that resembles an actual barn door, to more upscale and modern options with striking hardware.
Explore Raw Materials
If you’re doing a complete upgrade, replace your current bathroom with raw materials like a stone basin with raw edges, polished plaster walls, and rough terracotta tiles. A ridged ceiling also has a country vibe, especially with brick or stone walls and borders.
Experiment with Shiplap
Shiplap isn’t the most popular design anymore, but it has contemporary upgrades for the new year that can be great in your bathroom. If it suits your home’s architecture, consider adding a shiplap accent wall or on your ceilings. You could also space the shiplap between boards for a more modern look. Board and batten or horizontal slat walls are similar options if they better suit your bathroom.
Mix Modern and Rustic
You don’t have to change your entire bathroom to a matching rustic design. You don’t want your bathroom to look too much like the living space of a cabin. Combining some elements of modern and rustic décor gives the room a farmhouse feel, just an updated one. Consider options like natural wood vanities, a black metal mirror, or lighter wood finishes with white tiles and walls.
Looking to Change Up Your Bathroom?
Whether you want a rustic look for your bathroom or a few accents, National K&B Cabinetry covers you. We offer all-wood RTA cabinets and RTA bathroom vanity cabinets to enhance your space andcustom cabinetry to make your dream rustic bathroom a reality. Contact us today to discuss your home renovation project!
“If maintained properly, wood RTA cabinets can last you a lifetime.”
Why Install Wood Cabinets?
The top reasons for wood cabinet kitchen design are cost, durability, and versatility. You could buy metal cabinets, but those are expensive and make you feel like you are living in an episode of Hell’s Kitchen rather than your home.
You could buy laminate cabinets, but those are irreparable if scratched. You could purchase thermofoil cabinets, but those need a heat shield if they are near the oven or stove.
However, authentic, solid wood RTA (ready-to-assemble) cabinets exude high-quality design for a fraction of the cost. They add a nice, soft finish to the color and texture scheme you have in your kitchen.
All wood RTA cabinets are much more easily repaired than other cabinets. All you need is a little wood stain, and off to the races. You can even repaint or restore them in a few years to shake things up. If appropriately maintained, wood RTA cabinets can last you a lifetime.
But, there are some safety precautions you have to take with all wood RTA cabinets. Namely, you need to be cautious about heat or steam. Over time, heat and steam can damage your wood RTA cabinets.
How does heat affect wood cabinets?
First, a bit of science. Everything is made up of atoms. When atoms vibrate, they produce heat. Even if something like a piece of wood looks stationary, it has some molecular movement. Let’s use water as another example.
If water achieves a temperature below 32°Fahrenheit, it would have limited molecular movement and be solid ice. Room temperature water would reach a temperature of 72°Fahrenheit and would be liquid. If the water were heated to +212°Fahrenheit, its molecules would vibrate faster than they would at room temperature and be steam.
While this transition is easy to see in water, it’s not so easy with wood. But it’s there all the same. Wood comprises molecules, some of which are water, and heat can cause the wood in your RTA cabinets to expand.
Expansion doesn’t sound bad, but they might not rotate appropriately on their hinges or even fully close if they expand enough. Just getting exposed once to heat won’t do it. Consistent fluctuations between hot and cold can lead to warping or cracking.
How does steam affect wood cabinets?
If steam interacts with wood RTA cabinets, it can also cause expansion. But, there is another issue. When moisture is hot, it floats through the air. When it hits the cool surface of your wood cabinets, it will condense back into liquid water.
If you wipe down your wood RTA cabinets after using the stove or consistently use a vent hood, your wood RTA cabinets will last for many years.
But, if the water is not cleaned up and sits on the cabinets, it could collect mold or mildew spores floating through the air. If allowed to go untreated long enough, molds or mildew could colonize the wood RTA cabinets.
They could be sanitized, but the molds and mildew will leave a stain. This would have to be re-primed and painted to be repaired.
Tips to Keep Your Wood Cabinets Looking Beautiful
Dry heat can come from your oven or stovetop. The wood RTA cabinets surrounding your oven need to be able to withstand the kind of heat it throws. The best way to ensure heat doesn’t damage your cabinets is to make sure they are sealed or painted.
Also, cover your oven or stove with a heat shield. Don’t use the “self-cleaning” function too often because this gets much hotter than usual and can warp your wood faster.
Moisture leaves wood 10x faster through the ends than any other surface. Make sure you seal your end grains specifically for this reason.
If you own wood RTA cabinets, use the vent hood when building liquids on the stovetop. This will keep the steam from collecting on the cabinetry. Also, don’t drape wet towels over the cabinets and dry-wipe down the cabinets every time you see condensation.
Buy a dehumidifier and place it in your kitchen. It can help keep your cabinetry at a consistent humidity level. If your humidity level swings too wildly, make sure any doors or windows to the outside are closed, as this is where humidity emerges.
Buy High-Quality RTA Cabinets
We have thousands of high-quality RTA wood cabinets ready for delivery.
Here at National K&B, we have high-quality wood RTA cabinets that are made to last. We are Austin’s #1 Wholesale Cabinet Dealer and are proud of it.
We are committed to working with dealers, builders, contractors, investors, designers, and realtors–anyone in the construction industry. We have a vast selection of custom cabinetry in Austin in our 30,000 sq ft warehouse and showroom.
Cabinets form the backbone of your kitchen. You can use cabinets to make the most of the space and floor plan, but it can seem overwhelming to start.
Take some inspiration from the professionals at National K&B Cabinetry, your luxury cabinet manufacturers in Austin.
“Designing a kitchen is hard work with a lot of decisions to make. Plus, it’s a big investment that you want to love for years to come.”
Exploring Color in Your Kitchen
Color makes a huge impact in your kitchen. Choosing the right color can make your kitchen look bigger, smaller, more open, cheery, or formal. Cooler, lighter colors make a room feel bigger, while warmer and darker colors make a space smaller or bring a high ceiling closer to the ground.
You should also consider how the textures in your kitchen complement its colors. For example, stainless steel has a sleek look that provides a nice contrast to the natural warmth of wood. A lot of neutrals can be elevated with a splash of bright color with an interesting texture.
Popular Kitchen Cabinet Styles
Shaker-Style Cabinets
Shaker-style cabinets are among the most popular options – for good reason. They have clean, classic lines and work with a range of different aesthetics. If you prefer a more modern look, you can pair shaker-style cabinets with different edge detailing to match the look you want.
The frame of the cabinet also changes the look of the kitchen. Thinner frames have a more modern appeal, while thicker and more ornate frames suit a traditional space. White is commonly used for shaker-style cabinets in farmhouse spaces, but soft colors and neutral tones can work in more modern spaces.
Traditional-Style Cabinets
Traditional-style cabinets are warm and timeless, lending themselves to homey kitchen designs. If you want a more formal look, traditional cabinets are an ideal complement to decorative accents like corbels.
Generally, traditional cabinets are a good choice for a warmer color palette with a lot of wood or antique finishes. You can also get details like curves, arches, or embellishments that add to the aesthetic appeal and give the kitchen a more majestic appearance.
Slab Cabinets
Slab cabinets look brilliant in a sleek, modern kitchen. Also known as flat panel cabinets, these cabinets have a single smooth piece of wood or plywood as a clean backdrop for more striking features of your kitchen, such as lighting or interesting fixtures.
Though slab cabinets are often minimalist, they can be warmed up with different finishes or color choices. For example, dark wood like black walnut adds warmth and interest, while mahogany has a rich look that’s not overpowering in a large, open kitchen.
Beadboard Cabinets
If you like the look of cottages and modern farmhouses, beadboard cabinets are designed after the traditional beadboard that was used on walls. They can fit in homes that are modern or traditional just as well.
They often come in white, but beadboard cabinets can be painted in striking colors that update the cottage core look, such as navy or emerald green. This also helps with cleaning, as all those grooves in the cabinet doors can collect a lot of grime and dirt.
Glass-Front Cabinets
A lot of upscale kitchens have glass-front cabinets. They have a naturally high-end look and break up the heavy appearance of solid doors. You can also display attractive glasses, dishes, or décor, and if your kitchen is smaller, the reflected light from the glass makes it seem larger and brighter.
But if you have a lot of stuff to store in your cabinet space, glass-front cabinets may not be the best choice. You have to be selective about what shows in your cabinets or else your kitchen will look cluttered. That said, mirrored glass doors can obscure the interior of the cabinet without compromising the look you want.
Frame vs. Frameless Cabinets
You have two options for cabinet construction: framed and frameless. The former has an added face frame at the front of the cabinet box where the hinges and doors attach. You can choose from partial or full overlay and inset doors, which affect the way your cabinets look when the doors are closed.
Frameless cabinets started in Europe and grew in popularity in the US. They have full overlay doors that attach directly to the cabinet via hinges on the interior. These cabinets tend to look more contemporary and have more space inside, which is important if you need a lot of kitchen storage.
Let Us Help with Your Kitchen Design
Designing a kitchen is hard work with a lot of decisions to make. Plus, it’s a big investment that you want to love for years to come. Finding the right balance between form and function, elegance and simplicity requires an expert touch like National K&B Cabinetry, your premier kitchen cabinet door manufacturer in Austin. We offer a range of all-wood RTA cabinet options and custom cabinetry in Austin. Contact us to schedule a consultation!
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