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With the trend towards "old world" kitchens, larger pieces of furniture mixed with beautiful cabinetry are gaining popularity.
It started with kitchen islands stealing the spotlight. Designers would choose a contrasting color and even a different variety of granite for the island which made the kitchen look less matchy-matchy. Next comes cabinets that look less cookie-cutter. Mixing in antique elements gives the kitchen a more individualized look. China cabinets, once a staple of every home's dining room, lost their place for a while. Perhaps this change was due to the shift towards open floorplans. China cabinets are now reappearing in the kitchen.
The china cabinet doesn't need to match your other cabinets.
Many of the china cabinets now showing up in kitchens are free-standing while others are built-in.
With good planning, china cabinets are a creative way to add character to your kitchen.