A: When possible, include any free standing or unfitted piece of furniture into the design no matter what theme you are trying to create. It adds character to the room and also gives the design an open and airy effect, because not every cabinet is built-in and mounted to every wall in the room.

If you are to purchase that "special" piece of furniture, here are a few suggestions:

• Ask yourself: How will this furniture piece work in my design? Will it be an accent piece? Will it be part of the functional aspect of the design? Will it be for both function and display?
• Start looking early, especially during the design phase of your kitchen remodel. If you have an idea of the theme or style that you want to do in the room, finding the right piece should be fairly easy.
• You'll want to have an idea of the size of the furniture piece. It's a good idea to take measurements of the width, height, depths and any door swings or pull-out drawers that may need clearances to open.
• If you find the right piece that you want in your design, have your designer go and physically see the furniture piece so that they also have a vision of how you would like that furniture piece to fit into your design. If you are planning to have this piece of furniture built for you with your custom cabinet order or have it included with your manufactured cabinets, here are some helpful tips:
• Have a design idea ready with exact specifications about the piece that you want.
• Get competitive bids from both local shops and from the manufactured cabinet company. Price will vary depending on your choice.
• The local shop may be more flexible in providing you with a "real furniture piece" to match your cabinets or as an accent piece, but the price may be higher due to the craftsmanship.
• Manufactured cabinets, on the other hand, offer furniture pieces designed to match their cabinet lines. This can be quite a savings if you decide to purchase both from the same manufacturer.
• You may also consider mixing both custom and manufactured cabinets that complement each other's style.

At any rate, whichever route you decide, compare the three options to see which will fit both your budget and design idea.

by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com