Take a look around your kitchen. If you had to pick, what's the one feature that defines the room? Chances are you answered: the kitchen cabinets, and you're definitely not alone in that response. In fact, King Features Syndicate recently ran a question and answer session by the title of “Cabinets will set the tone for kitchen.” So if you're in the market for new kitchen cabinets, make sure you're making an informed purchase before you set down any cash.

Let's take a look at a couple of the kitchen cabinet dilemmas readers posed of the King Features Syndicate. The advice they received just might ensure your new cabinetry sets the desired tone in your own kitchen.

Homeowner #1 wanted to know what color cabinets she should consider to “take the clinical edge off the shiny steel” of her stainless steel appliances. She prefaced the question with the admission that she had “a small, rectangular kitchen that is open to the eating area.”

The expert's advice? “Considering the expense of the cabinetry, counters and appliances, the kitchen décor most likely will outlast the color choices [throughout the rest of the room and home]. Think about the overall mood you would like to convey in your home, and then look to a palette of colors that enhances that feeling. You can go all wood for a country or formal style; dark green, blue or red if you want to create some drama; or acid greens and yellows for edgy appeal.”

Fortunately for homeowners, leading manufacturers of kitchen cabinets proudly present cabinetry finishes that heighten the beauty of wood's organic characteristics and showcase its natural beauty. Each finish technique creates a unique, furniture look, while hands-on craftsmanship gives each piece of kitchen cabinetry its own distinctive style, thereby expressing your individuality. Select a kitchen cabinet door style by wood species, door finish and/or wood finish to set precisely the tone you're seeking.

Homeowner #2 wanted to know what “kitchen cabinets … would go with the” oak dining room set she inherited from her grandmother and loved. She feared that more oak on the kitchen cabinets would “be too much.”

The expert advised, “There are no rules—simply choose what makes you happy. Select a traditional door style that will complement your dining-room set, and a heritage color—berry-blue or blood-red paint or stain. Another option is to go with wood, left natural or painted white, but mix the cabinet doors so that some uppers have glass inserts.”

With more than 100 door styles, six wood species and 34 furniture finishes, a leading kitchen cabinet manufacturer can help you set exactly the tone you're seeking in your kitchen. Its decorative glass door insert options further enable you to showcase your best china or let the morning light reflect off your fabulous stemware or other treasured collection. With a variety of mullion doors and glass inserts, including stained glass, camed glass and textured glass, to choose from, you can put the spotlight on what's really important to you—including your heirloom dining set.