Old World Look for a New World Condo

"You can't find this chunky, Old World look at Home Depot," says Connie, adding that you don't want to skimp on the cabinets if you're going for dramatic, heavy molding. You can, however, balance the budget on other points, including substituting more modest cream-colored tiles for the Jerusalem stone and using Silestone in place of the granite counters. "That could cut your price by as much as $10,000," she says.

Get inspired, but keep it real: "More (today) than at any time, you can see so many beautiful kitchens on television and in magazines," she says. "But be realistic about how much those things might cost — even when they quote a budget, it might cost much more in your area. You just have to be prepared to balance what is most important to you with what you can do without."