Today we explore one of our newest displays by Plato Woodwork.

Plato Woodwork is a full custom cabinetry line, a truly personalized product with endless options to tailor to your taste, style and needs. Manufactured in Plato, MN for 125 years, this is one of our top tier brands. The sky’s the limit when you design a kitchen with Plato Woodwork. While the Plato factory currently boasts the longest lead times of all our cabinet brands,  the finished product is well worth the wait.

This kitchen makes a grand statement with an elegant curved hood and brushed brass accents. Dark teal “Marine” grounds the base cabinets while the wall cabinets in “Essential White” lift the eye and make the tall ceilings appear even more impressive. A straight Shaker door with clean lines is a popular choice for its understated simplicity.

Favorite features include: 

Square Corner Wall Cabinet with clear glass. Bi-fold doors allow maximum visibility of the cabinet interior. We feel it far surpasses the diagonal corner cabinets of the past in terms of function and style. Interior cabinet lighting makes our décor pop, but this cabinet can be done without glass to maximize your storage.

Schaub Hardware in Fonce mixes not only finish, but sizes and style. We love to help clients source hardware collections with options that compliment every cabinet. Here, we used a mix of knobs and pulls in various sizes to maintain appealing proportions.

The Brizo Faucet combines Matte Black and Brushed Brass in one fixture. That’s speaks to the longevity of mixed metals style

Often people feel they need to match all metallic finishes in a home. While that is totally acceptable, we encourage clients to think outside the box if their taste dictates otherwise. We used Matte Black, Brushed Brass and Stainless Steel Appliances in this space and the result is balanced and visually appealing. When mixing metals is done thoughtfully, creates a more custom look.

L-Shaped Island: “Sand” Stain on Quartersawn Oak warms the space and showcases the workmanship of the beautifully crafted Inset Cabinetry. The Banquette creates a seating area and provides secret storage with drawers in the bench.

Dekton Countertops in “Laurent” have a distinctly natural look and texture while being one of the most durable options on the market  

We hope this inspires you to dream about your own kitchen renovation. Please let us know what you think of our latest display. What is your favorite feature? What would you like to see in future displays? Please share your thoughts!

There is so much more to see in our showroom, we would love to show you in person. If you are inspired by this post, please contact us to make a showroom appointment.

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I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. I walked out into my mother’s garage, which I had turned into a cabinet shop, stared at the new tools that I had set up and thought to myself, “wow, is it clean in here”. Not sure why that thought came to me first, but it did. My second thought was, “where am I going to get my wood from?” It’s one of those business thoughts that make the pit of your stomach ache. I had orders already to fill and didn’t have a clue where I would find a place that sold wood at a wholesale rate.

Thank God I had someone who would guide me.  I called my old carpentry teacher, Mr. Plante, and he referred me to a couple of places. Pine was the most popular wood for kitchens back then, but an occasional cherry or oak kitchen popped up here and there.

I don’t think many people knew at the time that I was also making van furniture for B&M Van World, which specialized in custom vans. Vans were the rave at that time, and they kept me busy making the furniture that went into them, everything from hutches to snack trays. I had run their small cabinet shop a year earlier. They shut the shop down and started buying the furniture from me. I look back at all of the different kinds of projects that we worked on back then and smile. Being a small shop, we were able to take on a variety of projects.

When we moved from my mother’s yard in November of 1985, we were able to add more and larger machines. That is when we became more of a production shop, producing two kitchens a week, on average, with only four people in the shop.

As I look back over the past 42 years, there were definitely ups and downs. The construction trade has a way of keeping someone humble. Recessions were always the hardest, but I evolved over time and accepted the lessons that they taught me.

I am thankful for those lessons, and for all of you, our clients. The friendships that we have all made will last a lifetime. I think as we all age, we cherish relationships more and more. Our main focus here at Wood Palace has always been to make sure that we take care of each and every client, and hopefully make their lives at home that much more special. We hope that we have accomplished that with all of you!

I want to thank you all for your many years of patronage, and hope that we made it the time of your lives. You surely have done that for all of us here.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! Keep making those family memories!

Tim (Food A Holick)

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For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup ForA vegan butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Misfits Market canned pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dairy free milk

Note: The recipe works really well with regular butter if you’re not vegan.

This recipe is from Misfit Market

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We’ve been wanting to remodel our kitchen since we moved in five years ago. And yet, here we are with the same tired cabinetry after all this time. 

I have come to realize that our lack of action is mostly due to fear of the unknown. How much will it cost?  How long will it take?  Will we like the results?  Will the improvement be worth the cost? Can we get what we want given the limited space?

The unfortunate thing is that now we’re getting desperate to make a change, and the cost of materials has gone sky high. But I decided that it’s time to bite the bullet and get the information that we need so that we can make informed decisions about next steps.

It’s Time to Change the Way I’m Thinking About This!

As most of us know, fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Getting the facts about what we can and can’t do to change our kitchen, and what costs are involved, will eliminate that fear. Knowledge is power.  Then, even if we can’t do the renovations right now, we will have a goal to move toward and know that it will get done at a certain point in time, instead of putting it off indefinitely.

I’ve known Tim Holick and Wood Palace Kitchens for a long time. I know about Tim’s “Dream First” philosophy.  Yet I never thought to apply it to my own dreams.  I never even asked my husband what his dream is for the kitchen. Duh!

With all of this in mind, I now feel that we have a plan of action. Sit down and decide what we want, then do the research with Tim and get the answers that we need.  I finally feel like I have overcome my kitchen remodel fears and we’ll actually get our new kitchen – sooner rather than later!

Read Tim’s Dream First Book

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 (1 lb) pkg 93% lean ground beef
• 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1 (24 oz) jar Nature’s Promise® Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken into large pieces
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp jarred pesto
• Fresh basil, to garnish (optional)

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This Mandarin Orange Salad is refreshing and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

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A Refresh Kitchen Design is Easier Than a Remodel

When it comes to refreshing a kitchen area where appliances stay where they are, it’s important to add your taste to the colors and features to make it different. Building in the fridge, adding an apron farmhouse sink, mixing colors and counters, become important features to a client. I find it adds their personality to the kitchen. In here, they mixed the colors of the cabinets where they went with a taupe color on the main L-Shape area and a bright blue for the island. They chose Omega Cabinetry in their Magnolia and Lapis Blue Opaque paints. They topped it off with beautiful Carrara Marble on the L-Shape and an oiled natural butcher block top on the island. I personally have a piece of butcher block at the end of my island and I do everything on that from rolling dough to cutting. It’s a nice surface for those things.

They added some older, worn hardware for the doors and drawers which really added to the farmhouse look that they were going for. We always say that the hardware is the jewelry of cabinetry. He also continued his mosaic tile from the sink to the fridge and above the window, completing the look of the splash. Their personality reflected this space perfectly.

Dream First!

The Dream First concept really shines with clients like this who have a dream and need help putting it all together. We love picking their brains and coming up with ideas that match not only their taste but the function and looks of the kitchen.

It’s fun working with passionate clients who want to transform their kitchen space and it’s great to hear them gush with pride and happiness when the project is complete. Their comment to me in the beginning was that it’s a real small space that wasn’t a big deal, but every kitchen is a big deal when it comes to refreshing and changing the scenery and cooking space in the heart of the home.

Bon Appetit!
Tim (Food A Holick)

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Ingredients

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When working with a tight space with a lot of windows, it is imperative to utilize every inch of space, while maximizing efficiency to fit in everything that a client wishes for. The first step was to take down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and open the space up.

Two windows in the corner were lower than the height of the countertop, which we wanted to extend under the windows. To avoid further construction, we decided to keep them the way they were. Now that corner became the perfect candidate for a baking center.

A peninsula bar with seating replaced the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. I find that families love to congregate at a bar, while it serves double-duty as a divider between the two rooms.

The cabinets chosen were JSI’s Trenton door style in a Tan White painted finish. The counter selected was a warm Giallo series granite. The beautiful subway tile in a greyish/green tone really accents the counter and cabinets well. She waited until after the counter went in and took her time to find exactly what she wanted. She had waited over 35 years for her dream space, so it was nothing to wait another two months. I have never believed in rushing a project, and I’m happy that she took her time.

The end result of this kitchen renovation was a very functional cooking space with an open feel. These older homes have such small rooms and today’s families want an open concept in their hectic lives. I walk into the space today feeling like we added another ten feet of space, when all we did was take a wall out. Change is tough for so many people, but when you trust in your designer’s listening skills and expertise, the results will always take your breath away. I enjoyed my time on this project and hope you enjoy the results.

Bon Appetit!

Tim (Food A Holick)

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Homemade Pasta Ingredients

• 2 cups of pasta flour or all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• water as needed and additional flour

Preparation:

On a clean surface or large bowl, create a well in the middle and add the pasta ingredients. Using a fork, start to gently scramble the eggs and add the flour and continue to mix until you can form a ball of dough.

Knead the dough on the work surface until the dough is soft and smooth. Let the dough rest for approximately 30 minutes. If you don’t have time for the dough to rest it will still work.

Seafood Lasagna Ingredients:

• Fresh pasta sheets
• 1 onion minced or small dice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp tarragon, optional
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth or stock
• 1 bottle good quality clam juice, optional can substitute chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or rose
• 1 lb sea scallops cut in half
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 can fresh crabmeat, optional
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1 cup shredded parmesan or Romano

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt the butter, add the oil, and sauté the onions until tender. Add the broth, wine, and clam juice and bring to a boil.

Add the scallops and shrimp, cook until both are cooked then turn off the heat.  Remove the shrimp and scallops to a bowl using a slotted spoon and reserve cooking liquid.

In a saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup butter with the flour and cook until forms a paste and add the reserved cooking liquid and milk and continue to cook until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the cream and half of the cheese. Add half of the white sauce to the cooked seafood and add crab meat, if using. Reserve other half of the white sauce for putting the lasagna together.

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13×9 inch baking dish. Roll out the fresh pasta into large square sheets, very thin. Layer pasta sheets, add seafood mixture, spread evenly, add white sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and continue to layer. (3 layers)

Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Allow an additional 15 minutes to cool and set before serving.

Courtesy of F/V Isabel and Lilee X Chef Michele Grillo

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