Kitchen cabinets

If you're thinking of updating your kitchen cabinets, now is the time to do it. The recent slump in the housing industry has cabinet-makers competing for your business, and any realtor will tell you that modernizing your kitchen is the single most-important thing you can do to increase the value of your home.

There are hundreds of combinations of styles, designs, materials and colors to choose from. Visit home shows and designer showrooms or browse through catalogs for ideas that appeal to you. If you're handy, refacing or replacing cabinets yourself is labor-intensive, but much less expensive than having it done professionally. If you choose to have a professional do the work, get at least three bids from reputable contractors.

If you choose to go for a total cabinet makeover, there are many new designs today to make your kitchen more user-friendly. Consider adding slide-out drawers in which to store your pots, pans and lids. Slide-out shelving will allow you to easily see and reach items even in the very back of the cupboard. You could install a pantry with baskets and slide-out shelves, or a spice rack that swings out from inside a cupboard that would allow you to see every little jar or can at a glance. You could convert a narrow space between appliances into a pull-out shelving unit, with the contents reachable from either side. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination and, of course, your budget.