People take their kitchen cabinets seriously. In fact, kitchen cabinets are often the most prized components of a kitchen floor plan . And the kitchen cabinet design and aesthetics can make or break the entire room's overall appearance.
Consumers have become more educated about everything related to their homes, and their kitchen cabinets are no different. While they may not know how to install kitchen cabinets, they know what they want. Trends leaning toward furniture-grade kitchen cabinets and counters have replaced kitchen cabinet remodeling projects that included simple kitchen cabinet refacing and kitchen cabinet resurfacing. Consumers, instead, want their kitchen cabinets to be high end and include particular features like slide-out towel bars and pull-down shelves.
Another kitchen cabinet trend has grown from the consumer's demand for professional-grade appliances. But instead of seeing those appliances all the time, consumers want them blend in seamlessly with their kitchen cabinets and kitchen cabinet hardware. Glass-front kitchen cabinets are also in demand, and appliance garages that house microwaves, blenders and other countertop appliances help keep the room looking neat and clean.
According to a 2002 survey conducted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, wood finished cabinets represent about 80 percent of all cabinets purchased. And even though consumers want kitchen cabinets that have furniture-quality styling, they are opting for a more casual appearance overall. Many of these have multi-step finishes and glazes to make them look like antiques that have weathered generations of use.
Maple and cherry are still the most popular wood species, but a lot of people are taking advantage of the new choices out there as well. Woods like alder and beech are also growing in popularity. But so have some more unusual species like lyptus, which comes from a quickly renewable tree, so it is considered a green product.
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