A great kitchen has many important elements, including cool appliances, hardworking countertops, and an attractive yet durable floor to withstand abuse. But don't kid yourself: All of these things come second to the element that really anchors the kitchen—the cabinets.
It's the thing consumers care most about, says Jim Potthast, marketing services manager for Adrian, Mich.–based cabinet manufacturer Merillat Industries. “When observed in a research study conducted by Merillat, ‘Model Behavior: How People Act, Think and Shop a Model Home (2004),' cabinetry was the No. 1 feature that defines a quality kitchen,” he says.
Few people would argue with that. No matter what kind of high-end appliances and countertops you put in a kitchen, if the cabinets aren't right the space will look incomplete. “The kitchen and master bath are generally the No. 1 purchasing decision,” says Angela O'Neill, director of marketing for Wellborn Cabinets in Ashland, Ala. “Cabinets are the blueprint of the kitchen and even [the] home. They can set the style of the entire home.”
TREND WATCHGiven the importance of cabinets, it is important that you select products that are likely to catch your buyers' attention. This is relatively hard to do because people have different tastes. But several emerging trends have been particularly strong with buyers.
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