11 Tips for a Budget-Friendly Kitchen Makeover

When I bought my house in Athens, New York, the rental unit off the back smelled of cat urine and was covered tan linoleum. Because I planned to use the apartment as guest quarters, I aimed to redo the unit on a meager budget. So I scoured the local flea markets and—yep—Walmart, and persuaded my carpenter pal, CL contributing editor Ryan McPhail to lend a hand. In the end, we accomplished a minor miracle, if I do say so myself.

Tip 1. Let's start with the obvious: Salvage = industrial chic for a song. My kitchen's tiny island—actually a machine-shop table and a butcher block—set me back a mere $25 at an area junk store. The vintage scale, $35, hails from one of my favorite upstate New York sources, the Coxsackie Antique Center.

Tip 2. White makes big-box right. When the goal is rustic simplicity, there's no need to spend tons on custom cabinetry and granite counters. Paint transformed these oak cabinets, bought off the rack at Lowe's and topped with Ikea's birch slabs. I used the same white semigloss to brighten $20 stools from Walmart. (Cabinets, $218 each; lowes.com for stores. Countertops, $80 each; ikea.com. Valspar's Signature white paint, $34.98 per gallon; lowes.com. Stools, $40 per pair; walmart.com)

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Tip 3. Liberate dry goods from the tyranny of ugly packaging. Classic glass canisters, also Walmart finds, allowed me to forgo upper cabinets. Instead, decanted pantry staples sit on open shelves, crafted by Ryan McPhail from reclaimed lumber. Cute chalkboard labels keep track of the jars' contents. (Jars, $7.44 each; walmart.com. Labels, $9 for 12; shopterrain.com)

Tip 4. The best pro for a job may be just around the corner.
My dry cleaner charged $40 to turn an old $15 tablecloth into a skirt for this farmhouse sink—itself rescued from my next-door neighbor's kitchen redo. (Tablecloth, Leisure Time Flea Market, Ravena, New York; 518-756-8772)

The old kitchen in the rental unit proved especially depressing, with its scant 120 square feet crowded by mismatched cabinetry and an arsenal of window treatments: Valencias, café curtains, and venetian blinds conspired to obscure the Hudson River views.

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Tip 5. Luxury lies in the details.
Like an outfit-changing handbag or belt, Anthro's iron-and-jute drawer pulls trick folk into assuming that everything else is fancy, too. ($12 each; anthropologie.com)

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Tip 6. There's a website for that!
Searching for a skinny stove or diminutive dishwasher? Check out compactappliance.com, where I ordered my slender oven, a space-saving splurge at $500.

Tip 7. Sometimes, form should trump function.
Practical it's not, but this midcentury refrigerator—an $80 gem gleaned from the local Penny Saver circular—scores major points for old-school cool. Besides, it serves the necessary purpose in guest quarters: chilling beer and butter.

Tip 8. Even recycling bins deserve a little soul.
Why live with an unattractive plastic trash can when a crate brings character to the task? I snagged this "combustion chamber" box for $10 during my town's annual yard-sale day. (visithistoricathens.com)

Tip 9. A shortcut can be long on style.
Ripping out the linoleum revealed wide-plank—and cat-pee stains galore. Green porch paint (custom-mixed to match the trading post sign I found at the Country Living Fair) hid the evidence, sans countless sandings.

Tip 10. Eliminate confusion with easy-access cubbies.
Rather than force weekend visitors to hunt for plates and glasses—not to mention booze—I stash all the necessities in plain sight on Pottery Barn units that line the wall opposite the sink. And lest you think visible storage dictates expensive dishes: I purchased my whiteware at Home Goods and stemware at Walmart. (For similar storage unit, $139; ikea.com)