19 Ideas to Help You Stay on Budget
An excerpt from Joan Kohn's It's Your Kitchen
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Shop at home...literally. Bring in accessories and furniture from other rooms or the attic. And shop less by eliminating items you really don’t need, such as window treatments (your kitchen can actually be enhanced by the extra light).Create a single focal point. Focus your investment where it will have the biggest impact. Then balance your design and your budget with more modest selections. A professional-style cooktop can add functional power and great presence to a kitchen, carrying the "weight" of the entire design. Make your design statement once, with one truly beautiful focal point; then allow the rest of the design to do its work with modest simplicity. Once you satisfy the eye’s need for beauty, your mission is accomplished and you can let the other elements recede and take a secondary position. All it takes is a few special tiles on a field of standard tile to make your own personal statement on a backsplash. Use unadorned field tiles in your favorite color. A painted wall also works, and is the least-costly option.
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Found in an old farmhouse, this hutch had lost its doors and was a mess. Hand-painting has transformed a discarded relic into a richly decorative addition to a beautiful kitchen.
Design by Nancy Mullan
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Use salvaged or found materials. This kitchen is a wonderful example of how effective this idea can be. In an old farmhouse, the designer found a hutch that had lost its doors and was a mess. She painted it dark brown, then painted it white, and rubbed it down before applying a decorative motif inspired by tile in the room. Finally, she painted the inside blue and left it without doors. As a result, what might have been a discarded relic has become a richly decorative addition to a beautiful kitchen.Invest in permanence. The money you spend on architecture — space and light — is a lasting choice. You can always upgrade to finer appliances and materials later.Avoid current trends. For example, if you are flexible enough not to go with the current color trends, you can pick up a fine stone countertop at a more affordable price. One contractor I know suggests asking merchants what they "want to get rid of."Choose a style that suits your pocketbook. Some styles themselves suggest ways to economize. A minimalist approach can save you spare change if you really keep it minimal. The shabby chic approach gives you the chance to make the most of salvaged finds and flea-market treasures.
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