What Your Kitchen Cabinets Say About You

Kitchen cabinetmaker Merillat surveyed new-home buyers and analyzed the results using a statistical clustering program.

Four distinct segments of kitchen users emerged:


* Luxury Leaders. This group wants all the prestige features because social status is important to them and their kitchen is the star of their home. Appealing accoutrements include an adjoining office, morning room, and wine cellar. Luxury Leaders also like appliances that make entertaining convenient.

* Domestic Dwellers. This group sees the kitchen as a family gathering place. They prefer mainstream décor that is low maintenance and able to withstand heavy use.

* Busy Bees. Home owners in this segment spend a great deal of time in their kitchens multi-tasking, doing everything from paying bills to folding laundry and helping with homework. They appreciate products that improve efficiency and cut clutter.

* Career Builders. These are well-educated people who spend more time working than they do at home. They see their home as an investment and they are more concerned about resale value than they are about usability. One feature they do appreciate is a large island, which can function as a landing zone at the end of the day.

— REALTOR® Magazine Online