Go white.

Many, though certainly not all, cottage kitchens are built around white cabinets. White is traditional, looks fresh and clean, and gives you maximum flexibility for changing up accessories either seasonally or whenever the fancy strikes.

Details matter.

Plate racks, glass doors or open cabinets and shelves that show off bright dishes and heirloom treasures add color and a sense of history. Cabinets are often accented with corbels and crown molding, and hardware is more likely to be door pulls rather than knobs.

Gather around.

Even the tiniest cottage kitchens often have a breakfast nook or a couple of stools pulled up to an island or peninsula, because cottage style is all about welcoming friends and family.

Incorporate nature.

Because cottages are on the small side, cottage life often extends to the outdoors with patios and flower and vegetable gardens. Bring the outdoors in with fresh flowers, houseplants, dried herb bouquets or bowls of fruit.

Layer comfort.

Rag rugs or other floor coverings add color and warmth, as do curtains or Roman shades. Top chairs and barstools with cushions, and prop a pillow in the breakfast nook or windowseat.

That’s all it takes to start your cottage kitchen makeover! Leave a comment and let us know what you love about cottage style.

Merillat cabinetry is sold through a nationwide network of dedicated cabinetry professionals and builders. Among the factors critical to the success of a pleasing design and a flawless installation are proper measurements, detailed mechanical specifications, and construction know-how. That’s why we sell our cabinets through professionals who have the skills and tools to design, order and install cabinetry with the utmost of accuracy. They are dedicated to helping you find the right solution for your home, whether you are remodeling an entire kitchen or replacing a few parts.

So instead of selling cabinetry online, our website is dedicated to providing (free) product brochures you can download and planning tools and photo galleries that will get you thinking about what goes into a successful kitchen or bathroom remodel.

That said, we do sell a limited number of accessories online that you can use to retrofit your existing cabinetry. Our drawer organizer kit, cutting board kit, spice tray insert, Lazy Susan revolving shelf kit, vanity hamper rollout, touch-up kits, and hardware are among the items available in the Shop section of our website.

For the rest, we encourage you to use our handy Find a Dealer tool to contact a skilled professional. Thanks for asking, and keep sending the great questions our way!

Peg dividers for drawers can be customized so you can fit your pots and pans however you like.

If cooking is a hassle for you, it may be time to do some reorganizing. Curtis Stone, star of the reality cooking show “Take Home Chef,” thinks that a beautiful, well-organized kitchen can make a world of difference to home cooks.

Chef Curtis Stone

“When I was doing ‘Take Home Chef’ and cooking in all these different houses,” says Stone, “I was thinking, why is it so difficult to cook in people’s homes? It was so easy in a professional kitchen. Well, one of the main differences between a professional kitchen and residential kitchen is organization. But with the right organizational features, cooking can be fun and relaxing.”

Get in the Zone

According to Paul Radoy, manager of design services for Merillat, the best way to approach kitchen organization and storage is to look at the room in sections. “All kitchens have a cooking zone and a cleanup zone,” he says. “And some kitchens may have an island or pantry. Each of these areas lends themselves to various storage opportunities.”

The Cooking Zone

Food preparation and cooking are the primary functions of a kitchen, which is why keeping cooking items organized and within easy reach is key. The National Association of Professional Organizers recommends observing the flow of activity in your kitchen and organizing around it. Stone agrees, saying, “I believe the kitchen should be designed for the way you live.” Whether you’re installing new cabinets or working with your existing units, try to optimize your space by creating specified storage areas.

• Group objects by purpose and dedicate specific storage areas for them. Having all the bakeware together  or all the pots and pans together lets you get to what you need quickly and efficiently.
• Store pots and pans as close to the stove as possible.
• Keep utensils where you can reach them easily while cooking. A utensil hanging system on the backsplash,  or a pull-down knife rack under the wall cabinet next to the cooktop keeps you from digging through  drawers.

“Now I know almost everyone has a pots and pans cabinet, and most of them are a mess,” says Stone. “Well, Merillat has come up with an ingen- ious solution. Peg dividers for drawers can be customized to neatly fit all your pots and pans as you like them. It’s not one-size-fits-all, so it can be nicely organized.”

Awkward items can be stored on a Lazy Susan or a swing-out base cabinet, both of which take advantage of a tricky blind corner situation. The swing-out base cabinet allows full access to the entire cabinet with its two adjustable roll-out trays.

The Pantry Zone

If you’re tired of hunting through a dozen canned goods to find the one you really need, or if you end up buying items you didn’t know you already had, then it’s time to reorganize the pantry.

Turn a tight fit into plenty of storage with a swing-out system.

Group similar food items together, the way you see them on grocery store shelves. Keep canned goods on one shelf, breakfast foods on another, baking ingredients on another. If you don’t have a lot of built-in storage space, look for ways to maximize what you do have.

• Individual turntables are great for organizing and storing spices and  smaller pantry items. They can be put inside cabinets or on your  counter to give you easy access.
• Stacking platforms can go in taller shelf spaces to eliminate wasted  space.
• Pullout shelves or baskets can utilize even more space in a  cupboard.

The Cleanup Zone

Stone says that organizing the cleanup zone can minimize clutter and make cleanup easier. From the location of the sink and dishwasher to various organizational accessories, any cleanup zone can shine. Things like a tilt-out sink tray, which keeps soaps and sponges out of sight, an under sink tote and a base waste basket help keep things well organized. Also, a cutting board kit close to the sink makes for easy cleanup during food prep.

“From a chef’s perspective, and from a home cook’s perspective,” says Stone, “when you’re working in a kitchen that makes sense, it makes the whole cooking experience much easier — and more fun.”

For more on the latest kitchen storage solutions, visit www.merillat.com.

Countertops today are available in more colors and materials than ever before, and can be used in almost every room of the house. This may make selecting the perfect countertop seem like a daunting task, but we’ve made it easy to combine function with beauty in almost any room.

The first step in countertop selection is to determine the function of that space and countertop. Will the countertop be used for food preparation, for a gathering space (such as a kitchen island area) or for a hard-working utility room or other workspace?

DeNova™ countertops provide a range of styles and colors that fit any work or visual requirement:

• Looking for a hard-working, food preparation countertop? Natural quartz is a beautiful, hard working surface that’s perfect in a food prep setting. Because it is completely non-porous, natural quartz is highly stain, mold, mildew and bacteria resistant. It doesn’t require regular resealing and resists chips, cracks and heat. It’s available in a wide range of colors and patterns that will match any cabinetry and other surfaces you’re using in the space.
• For a dramatic statement, combined with a hard-working surface, select natural granite. Because each slab has its own distinctive character and tonal qualities, natural granite is a beautiful addition to any room. It’s also heat and scratch resistant, so it can be used for a variety of food service duties. Natural granite should be periodically resealed to maintain its appearance, and you should limit exposure to highly acidic foods and other staining substances.
• How about a custom countertop or work surface? Choosing a solid surface countertop will give you a range of color choices and the option of building in unique molded features, such as sinks, backsplashes and drain boards. A solid surface countertop offers extremely consistent color and high durability in a non-porous surface that is resistant to bacteria and stains and easy to keep clean.
  

DeNova countertops work beautifully together in a single setting. In the kitchen at the Danny Lipford Kuppersmith project house, for example, we used Tuscan Gray natural quartz countertops and a natural granite island in DeNova Golden Hill. Not only do the surfaces complement each other, but the colors are a natural highlight to the Merillat cabinets chosen for the room.

The DeNova collection offers complementary colors and styles in multiple surfaces that can be combined with a wide range of cabinetry choices so homeowners have the best of both worlds – function and beauty! To learn more, visit the DeNova website.

Casual Wine Storage

If you don’t go through a lot of wine, a corner of your dining room buffet or an accent table might be the perfect space for your stash. Avoid a cluttered look by arranging several bottles together on a silver platter or other decorative tray. For added flair, group this with a few wine glasses or a pretty bowl of corks.

Built-in Storage

If your collection is larger, Merillat offers a number of built-in wine storage options for kitchen cabinets and dining room sideboards. Built-in options are ideal since they are the most stable, can be designed for areas that would otherwise be wasted space, and blend in to surrounding cabinetry.

Freestanding Storage

But if a remodel isn’t in your near future, a freestanding wine rack may serve well temporarily. Wine racks come in a huge range of sizes and styles and can be tucked into dining room corners, set atop bookcases, or stowed inside a cabinet. The best locations will be areas out of direct light and with the most stable temperature. Avoid the top and either side of a refrigerator or other sources of heat. Laying the bottles on their sides, as most wine racks are designed to do, keeps the corks from drying out and letting air in.

Is wine storage a priority in your home? Where do you store wine currently?

The design style of a space is becoming much more important in today’s changing environment as more time is being spent at home cooking meals, entertaining friends and spending time with family. Each kitchen should reflect the type of individual and family you are…. as well as the style of the rest of your home. Discovering your style can seem stressful to most, mainly because most people are worried they will make the wrong decision and be stuck with that cabinetry style, tile color or drawer pull forever. The key is finding the balance between careful consideration and hasty decision making.

We feel an easy way to begin this “style discovery” is by doing your research.  Creating a file of “tear sheets” of kitchens and design styles you gravitate to in magazines and advertisements.  Our IdeaFolio™ is also a good resource where you can collect all your favorite design elements in one convenient place.  An IdeaFolio™ is your own personal space for collecting ideas and products from virtually anywhere on the Merillat site.

You can delve into the limitless offerings of the internet by researching different design eras and developments the kitchen industry has experienced.  Reading blogs, watching design videos and joining social networking groups of kitchen and design enthusiasts will create connections with other design experts of which you can ask questions, look to for advice and learn about the industry.  From this wealth of knowledge you can start deciding, right off the bat, what you do and don’t like. Keep a log or a “look book” of this data, imagery and advice and begin to connect the similar pieces that you like the most… you are well on your way to planning the perfect kitchen.  Let us know what your favorite blog and/or social network are to help get advice and answers on your kitchen design questions!

Considering the personality and preferences of the primary users of the space is important to the planning of a successful kitchen design.  Creating a space that reflects the design style and functional needs of family members spending much of their time in the kitchen will ensure minimal adjustments at a later date.  For example, major decisions, such as cabinetry finish and style, should be taken into serious consideration first, as these are things that are the most expensive to change in the future.  More unique personalities can really shine through on other applications that are relatively inexpensive yet ever-changeable. For instance, a favorite color choice for the walls, using unique materials for your backsplash or an inventive choice of drawer pulls are ways to create a custom, fun experience quickly and at minimal cost.

Choosing the right design style will not only draw entertainment and personality back into the kitchen, but also aid in bringing the element of enjoyment back into cooking and spending real time with family and friends.  The fun of kitchen design begins with style.

With so many flooring choices available, it can be overwhelming to come up with the best fit for your kitchen and your needs. To help you along the way, we have created this handy two-part post describing the advantages (and disadvantages) of various types of flooring on the market today. So take a look and see which floor might work best for you!

Wood Flooring
Popular wood flooring choices include maple, oak, pine, and bamboo. Wood floors are installed before cabinets and often laid out in narrow strips, planks or patterned parquet squares.

Advantages

• Available in a variety of colors, looks and finishes
• Simple to keep clean with broom or vacuum (if the floor is polyurethane-coated)
• Quite durable

Disadvantages

• Fading: must be careful where rugs and mats are laid out.
• Warping and buckling when moisture is contained between boards
• Often expensive
• Needs to be refinished to eliminate major marks and scratches
• Can be slippery

Tile Flooring
Many different styles of tile flooring are available including ceramic, porcelain, mosaic and quarry tile.  These tiles are laid and assembled using grout.

Advantages

• Comes various colors, designs and sizes
• Durability
• Stain resistant (if glazed)
• Suitable for radiant heat

Disadvantages

• Can be hard on the feet
• Slippery and more dangerous to fall on
• Can be pricey
• Individual tiles can crack over time
• Unglazed tile needs to be treated periodically with sealants

Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl is a good budget-conscious alternative. It is scratch resistant and softer than tile or hardwood, easier on the feet and gives dropped dishes a better chance for survival!

Advantages

• Variety of colors and designs
• Less expensive than alternatives
• Soft on feet and dishes
• Requires very little maintenance
• Scratch, scuff and stain resistant

Disadvantages

• Easily dented by furniture, heels and other objects
• Peeling can occur
• Cheaper look and feel than more expensive alternatives

Stone Flooring
The stones that are often used for kitchen floors include slate, marble and granite. They offer an elegant and durable look, but often come with a hefty price tag.

Advantages

• Very durable
• Can be used over a radiant heat system
• Elegant and high quality look and style

Disadvantages

• More expensive
• Slippery and can be dangerous to fall on
• Stones can chip
• Stains and dirt often show on light colored grout between the stones
• Must apply sealants periodically to prevent stains
• Stone can be cold and uncomfortable on the feet

Check out Part 2 of this series for information on additional flooring types!

Merillat Accent Collections were created to help bring high-design and sensibly chic qualities to everyday spaces. The decorator accents can be easily used with any Merillat Classic kitchen, and we’ve made it simple to create endless options with our three distinct style groups.

Tapestry Collection
A remarkably simple way to create a stunning kitchen with a traditional design that includes a breathtaking wave and leaf design.

Estero Collection
A stunning, well-crafted Mission-style collection that can instantly take the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Windmere Collection
An eclectic evolution with an ornate rope design, Windmere is an easy way to transform any kitchen into a decorative statement.

Each of our style groups offer several different sized legs, feet, corbels and crown moldings to help add the finishing touches to make your kitchen really stand out!  Below is a brief description of the various accent pieces you may want to consider.

Crown Molding
Crown molding can add a stunning effect to the look and character of your kitchen. Molding can completely transform your room from traditional to modern, or contemporary to period.

Corbels
Decorative corbels can make any home look more elegant and classical. Kitchen designers often use corbels to add visual definition to a space and soften sharp edges on cabinets, bars, kitchen countertops or islands. Corbels come in different sizes applicable for decorative shelving or countertop support.

Feet and Legs
Furniture-like feet and legs transform ordinary kitchens into one-of-a-kind statements. These different sized accents provide flexibility to use them in areas underneath cabinets, sinks, islands, vanities and more.

Today, homeowners have many options to determine the appropriate kitchen remodel or renovation budget. You might know you want new cabinetry, but are not sure how to budget in the cabinetry with new flooring. Should you spend more on lighting or appliances? What about plumbing and electric? These answers all vary depending on the final goals and functionality you want your new kitchen to serve.

Talk to an Expert

Whether you are doing a complete makeover (floors, cabinets, electric, plumbing, accents and appliances) or starting slowly with a few elements (cabinets and flooring), the best method for determining your budget is to talk to an expert – a certified kitchen design professional who can help you establish your priorities  within the budget you have in mind. This will help you avoid spending an inappropriate amount in one area or on one item, and not having enough to complete the job.

For example, most kitchen design experts would advise that you spend more on cabinetry than you do on flooring. Chosen well, your cabinets can last for decades. Spending money on quality cabinetry construction with thicker, stronger backs and shelves, wood boxes and dovetailed drawers will benefit you in the long run.

Budget Guidelines

Overall, experts advise that your kitchen remodeling budget shouldn’t exceed 15% of your home’s value. Of this budget, at least one half of the cost should be designated for cabinetry. Another 15% can be expected for appliances, flooring and other goods like lighting, plumbing, fixtures, etc. The remaining 35% includes the costs of labor, design, contracting services, permit fees, etc.

Self-Service Tools

Should you prefer to budget your project without the help of an expert, there are a number of kitchen budget tools and calculators available for your use. We particularly like Fine Homebuilding’s new calculator. Here you can estimate your dream kitchen upgrade by selecting from different countertop and cabinetry choices, and mix and match by price and material. Another good source for kitchen remodeling information and tips is The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

Planning is Key

To sum it up, planning ahead is crucial to a successful kitchen remodel. You should know exactly what you want and how much you want to spend before the project begins. Being very specific in your planning is the best way to avoid blowing your budget and enjoy the kitchen of your dreams.

We’ve put together a few tips to help your remodeling go smoothly:

Set up a temporary kitchen. Set up a temporary kitchen in the garage, basement or utility room. You may even keep some of your old cabinets for temporary storage.

Label, Label and Label. Label your commonly used kitchen items in clear plastic storage containers to make it easy to find.

Remove Breakables. Put away breakables and valuables in rooms adjacent to the kitchen. Items in next room may even suffer damage during construction or when work crews are carrying equipment in and out.

Protect your Floors. Map out the path the contractors will take from your door to the kitchen and protect those floors by laying down carpet scraps, old rugs, plastic drop cloths or cardboard.

Pre-plan your Meals. If you’re still going to have a freezer during the remodel, make big meals ahead of time and freeze them in smaller portions. This way you can defrost single-meal portions and reheat them in the microwave.

Remodeling can go smoothly if you plan accordingly.  And in the end, you will have a brand new kitchen that you can enjoy with your family and friends for years to come.