So you're about to hire a contractor or set out on your own to create the kitchen of your dreams. You've decided you want to incorporate a center island and stainless steel appliances. However, you still can't decide what cabinets you want.

Sound familiar? Such struggles are understandable given the vast array of products on the market today driven by the aecletic tastes of consumers. Variables such as design style, materials, finishes and colors are nearly limitless.

Although consumers' options abound, several trends are developing:

Oak vs. Maple
Recently oak, always the good old standby, has fallen into second place with consumers. At the top of the list is maple. In its natural hue, maple provides a lighter touch than the darker oak and walnut versions used over the years. But it's also just as likely to be stained -- wood-tone or colored -- and appreciated for its grain and hardness. The chameleon qualities of maple have also helped establish its reputation as timeless. You can dress it up with stainless-steel appliances and dark stone countertops, or make a comfortably casual kitchen with white appliances and matching laminate or solid-surface countertops.

The Furniture Look
According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) the "Furniture Look" has been popular in North America for the last five years and continues to be a strong influence in the design of kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. The general concept is to incorporate features from heirloom quality furniture into the cabinetry components used in the home.

For example, an island is the perfect place to accentuate the fine details of furniture because it stands in the middle of the kitchen. Key features might include any or all of the following elements:

The NKBA suggests selecting the elements to use in your space so that the end results do not overwhelm the rest of the room, but rather compliments it, is a challenge.

Display Space
For years, beautiful china and heirloom accessories were kept behind closed cabinet doors or out of the kitchen completely. Now, however, displaying these pretty items has become increasingly popular, and manufacturers' varied options make doing so easy. Plate racks, open shelves, and glass-front cabinets get things out in the open and break up otherwise dense rows of cabinet doors and drawer fronts. A few caveats, however: Too much of a good thing can result in display space for collectibles you don't own or items you would prefer to keep hidden. Open areas mean more dusting and chances for breakage. And even if the shelves in glass-front cabinets are adjustable, they always look best lined up with the door's mullions, which may inhibit preferred displays.

Nontraditional Arrangements
Locker-room-style configurations of cabinetry have given way to more interesting arrangements. Instead of lining up units along the top, bottom, and front face, staggered setups are being used to create more eye movement and intrigue. Bumping forward the range, cooktop, or sink area by flanking a deeper base cabinet with two shallower ones gives that area prominence. Stair-stepping upper cabinets creates unusual display areas, gives the illusion of height, and camouflages awkward or asymmetrical window placements. A variation on this theme involves using upper cabinets that rest on the countertop. Often fitted with glass doors for display, countertop cabinets steal some counter space, but they provide an eye-pleasing link between upper and base cabinets and can offer within-reach drawer and shelf space for dinnerware and utensils.

Unsightly Appliances Disappears
Appliances may be more intelligent, efficient, and feature-packed than ever, but that doesn't mean they're grabbing the spotlight in today's kitchen. On the contrary, cabinet manufacturers have made it easy to hide dishwashers, trash compactors, and icemakers behind panels that match adjacent cabinet doors. They're proving it's even possible to hide the kitchen's age-old sore thumb: the refrigerator-freezer. Not only can it be encased in cabinet-matching wood, but it's now more likely to be built in. In the same vein, unobtrusive appliance garages — countertop doors that swing up instead of rolling up — and cabinet inserts are designed to stow everything from mixers to coffeemakers.

Hiring a professional
A professional will undertake as little or as much of a remodeling project as you would like. If you elect a professional to oversee the entire project for you, he or she can provide all the necessary components of the remodeling job, including specifying products, hiring subcontractors, and working with interior designers and architects on material and color selection. Find a home improvement contractor who can tackle your kitchen project!

Even if you hire a home improvement contractor to tackle the bulk of the project there are several aspects of the remodeling job that the homeowner can undertake to reduce the costs and take an active role. Jobs like tearing out existing cabinets, removing trash, painting, and wallpapering easily can be completed by the homeowner.