by Laura Luykx

Created on: February 16, 2010

The key to making a low-budget kitchen renovation work is impact.  Since you can't afford to redo everything, look to see where you can get the most bang for your $500, and be prepared to roll up your sleeves.  Cabinets, counter-tops, window treatments and accessories are at the top of the list, but if something in the kitchen is cracked, damaged or seriously outdated, you may want to address that first.  When we moved into our house, the kitchen was in OK shape, except for the white Formica counter tops with peeling edges and a hole in the middle of the island where the previous owner's tv used to sit.  Replacing the counter tops outright was not possible so we bought $60 worth of peel and stick vinyl floor tiles that had a faux marble look.  Since our counter tops were the standard, 24 inches deep, it was easy to put down 2 12x12 tiles.  We used a vinyl cutting tool to shape pieces around the sink and then caulked that area with clear caulk to keep water from getting under the tiles.  It looked great and was really durable because we used heavy duty commercial grade tile.  

If your cabinets aren't too bad, but could do with some sprucing up, consider giving them a good cleaning to remove old grease and grime and then adding new pulls or handles.  Painting the cabinets is another great option for giving your kitchen a whole new look.  It takes some time and effort, but you also have an almost unlimited range of possibilities to give your kitchen a bit of personality and Wow-factor.  One of the secrets of dress-makers and interior designers alike is to draw the eye from less desirable attributes and to accentuate the best features.  Our cabinets had external hinges and a strange shape cut into the upper doors.  To distract from this, we painted the upper cabinets and hinges a vibrant paprika.  The lower cabinets are a greenish taupe called Bittersweet.  Now when you walk in to the kitchen, you notice this up-market coffee-house look rather than the other not-so-great features.  

We selected the paprika for the cabinets to work with an existing tile floor that was a bit too pink.  The warm undertones made the pinkish tile look a lot more terra cotta.   Although you can find beautiful ceramic tile off the shelf at your local big box home improvement store, it is labor-intensive (and therefore costly) to remove old tile and install the new.  If this is something

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