High-Profile Kitchens

Talk to anyone buying, selling, or thinking about remodeling a home and overwhelmingly you’ll hear that two of the most important rooms in the home are the kitchen and the bath. Many real estate agents will tell you that those rooms can make the difference between selling a home and it sitting on the market unsold, and many buyers will tell you those are the most important areas they consider a factor when purchasing a home.

Mike and Linda Nobles began M&L Cabinets in 1995 in a 600-square-foot showroom with a goal of selling ten kitchens the first year. Mike laughs, “We promised ourselves a vacation if we sold the ten kitchens that year. We sold them well within the first part of opening the showroom and never were able to take that vacation since we were so busy. During that first year, it was the two of us. Linda was in the showroom, and I did the installations.”

What started with just the two of them eleven years ago is now a multimillion-dollar corporation that employs seven people, including their daughter and son-in-law.

Over the last eleven years, M&L Cabinets has risen to become the number one retailer of Kraftmaid Cabinetry™ in Florida and is ranked 18th in the nation. Kraftmaid is the world’s leading manufacturer of built to order cabinets. M&L also carries Dura Supreme Cabinetry™, a custom line, Fairmont Designs™ a vanity collection, and Kentucky Cabinetry™, as well as other manufacturers, giving the client a broad range of door styles and colors at a wide range of price points.

Linda says, “With the homes having open floor plans, the kitchens have become the focal point and people are wanting more detail in their cabinetry.” She continues, “Trends we are seeing include flat fronts, glossy styles and sleek lines. Wood is always popular though, with maple being the most popular. In the bathrooms, we are seeing more free-standing furniture type pieces as opposed to the standard vanity.”

Mike adds, “Lighter wood tones are becoming more and more popular.Exotic woods, such as Lyptus® are becoming popular. Cabinets have now become like furniture for your kitchen.”

With a plethora of choices, it can be daunting to sit down and make a plan and a budget. But M & L Cabinets makes the process a bit easier. They have cabinets and fixtures for all price points, whether you have a small vanity in a bathroom to replace, or a complete kitchen remodel in mind. Linda suggests that you, “write down exactly what you wish you could have and work from there. Sometimes your budget will get you more than you think.”

Mike agrees. “Please don’t be afraid of your budget and please don’t be afraid to share it with us. We work with clients that only want to do a small bathroom remodel to those who have a need for cabinetry in every room of their homes. We’re here to work with you.”

M&L suggests that clients visit the showroom to see what is available so that the staff can sit down and talk with the client and gauge what they have in mind. After that, M&L will go out to the home and take measurements that include not only wall measurements, but where the lighting is positioned and the footprint of the area. They will also determine where the plumbing and electrical fixtures are located.

Mike explains, “There are many details that are all affected. After we have the measurements, we then come back to our showroom and put that information into our computer. We have a computer program that allows us to show the client a visual of what their kitchen will look like before they have to make a decision. At that point, we can work within their ideas and budget. After the client decides what they want, we then place an order which takes anywhere from three to eight weeks to receive, depending on the manufacturer. The day before the cabinets are delivered is usually when the remodel process is started.”

With styles and trends ever changing, M&L Cabinets pride themselves on having the latest styles and trends in their 4,000-square-foot showroom. Their displays are updated frequently to help people visualize what they want, and although some ideas are not always practical for certain situations, M&L Cabinets likes to get people thinking outside the box.

M & L CABINETS
Beachway Plaza
7300 Manatee Avenue,
Bradenton, FL 34209
941 761-8100

Written by Christy Maxwell-Clark