Save or spend: Spend
Cabinets that cost less than $150 a linear foot may look fine when you install them, but it won't take long for them to seem tired."The doors will get out of whack and the drawers will fall apart," says kitchen designer Kathy Marshall of South Hamilton, Mass.
In order to offer low prices, manufacturers use pressed board instead of solid wood, plastic drawer glides instead of metal ones.
You'll pay a lot more for the hardwood and handcrafting of cabinets by the likes of Plain & Fancy. But if these start fading - in 20-some years - they'll be sturdy enough that they can easily be refreshed with a coat of paint.
