beautiful budget-friendly kitchens ideas

There's no way around it, kitchens are costly. Appliance purchases can range from $4,500 to $25,000 (and more if you lust for a La Cornu range, Wolf steam oven or a True refrigerator). Cabinetry costs anywhere from $6,000 for a small Ikea kitchen to $50,000 for custom finishes and detailed door and island designs in a larger space. Dare I move on to countertops and lighting!!!

There are ways to manage a kitchen renovation on a budget.

• Assess how much you really have to replace. Can you reuse cabinet boxes? Keep existing locations for plumbing, electrical and gas supplies? Will the addition of an island solve your prep problems? Is the folding glass door essential to your Zen?

• Then, prioritize your list. Is a professional range at the top? Or do you have to replace the ugly formica cabinets? Go through each of the items you want or areas you need to change and assign a value to them.

• Not everything needs to be top of the line. Spend money on big impact items. By big, I mean items that will change the way you can use your kitchen, impact how you prepare and serve food, or add "beauty" (your definition!) and pleasure to your experiences. The big impact/big ticket items often are: the range or cooktop, main sink faucet, island lighting, counters, pantry storage, specialty appliances, and flooring.