Do you have a blog? These pictures look really familiar! I've definitely seen them and I remember thinking, "Wow, what a transformation".

There is an under 20K thread... and one that refers to a $300 facelift. Most projects, though, involve more extensive labor... even painting if it isn't DIY can get pricey.

Thanks for sharing your pictures.

Check out the Finished Kitchens Blog...it has a "Low Budget" category.

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

Wow, what a difference that floor alone made, and it looks so good with your walls. A great idea for people who are "hating" floors still too good to pull up. The best lesson, though, has to be how these minor changes changed your attitude and feelings about your kitchen. Ultimately, liking one's kitchen is the goal, $120 or $120K down the road.

I would have sworn that no one could post a picture of a wallpaper border that I would not detest and despise, but I do like yours. A very nice facelift--it changed the atmosphere of the kitchen completely!

That was a very nice facelift. We did a similar project - inexpensively removing wallpaper, painting, and installing new hardware. I think it was a smart idea to wait, save money, and really think about what sort of remodel we wanted.

Great job. I love that floor.

That's a very smart makeover for the money, and it is much nicer. I've done that a couple of times too. We once "remodeled" a hideous kitchen in a small rental for under $100: We painted the cabinets and walls white, bought new wooden knobs, and a wide laminated pine board. The board gave the appearance of a butcher block counter, and matched the wooden knobs. Voila! Everyone who saw it commented on what a nice kitchen it was.

Thank you for posting this! I am inspired to see what a difference such small changes can make! I am slowly plodding along with my own shoestring kitchen facelift and this is good motivation for me.

Nice work! Amazing what a difference just those few simple changes made. I agree with probookie - the border works beautifully to integrate your changes.

I wish I had pictures of the kitchen in my first apartment. When we rented it the landlords had gotten a bunch of paint, I assume on special, or they just had really BAD taste, and had painted the entire apartment in strange combinations of lavender and peach (no offense to you lavender and peach lovers out there:) I mean EVERYTHING. Walls in the kitchen were purple, cabinets were peach with purple inserts, ceiling was...purple! It was horrible.

We painted the cabs and trim white, the walls and ceiling a nice taupe/beige, replaced all the outdated hardware with super cheapo metal pulls from the dollar store and voila! 100 dollars later I had a kitchen I happily lived in for 5 years. I really miss it now that I'm living in a kitchen with drawer fronts I keep pulling right off the drawers and doors which hang lopsidedly off the cabinets due to broken hinges :)

Thanks folks! But I am hoping for more pictures.... Anyone got anything?
Without sounding bad, sometimes I am shocked by some of the remodeling budgets and the not so bad kitchens that are gutted on this board. I can't help but think when I see some of picures, that a fresh coat of paint and maybe replace/update one item, and the kitchen would feel new again for a fraction of the cost. I'm am not condemning those that want a new kitchen and can afford it, (after all, mine was only built with 10' of counter and free standing range and fridge, and I am dying for a fresh start) but sometimes I think others are convinced that the only way to get their kitchen nice is to gut. And that is not always required. So I am hoping for some beautiful budget inspirations!

Wow! 10 feet! I only had 2 feet of prep space & 4 feet of cleanup space. You have/had more than I did!

Dainaadele, despite you're denial, you do seem to be condemning others...but until you've lived in someone else's "before" kitchen, don't make judgmental statements. Just b/c people try to at least keep their old kitchens looking nice (i.e., neat & clean) doesn't mean (1) they're functional or (2) the cabinets or other components are as nice as you think they are. Cabinets can be falling apart on the inside or have to constantly be fixed to remain functional or maybe someone has to store kitchen things all over the house and in their basement b/c of lack of storage in the kitchen or maybe appliances don't work...there are a myriad of things that could be wrong...you won't know unless someone tells you.

Just b/c someone chooses to do more or spend more than you do on a kitchen does not mean they're in the wrong. Maybe you spend more on clothing or shoes or electronic equipment or tools or cars than they do. The point is, you don't know us other than what you see here...especially if you haven't been around long (I don't know how long you've been here on Kitchens, but you've only recently been posting since late-February.)

Everyone makes choices about how they spend their money...and they do not have to justify it to any of us! This site is to discuss, agonize over, and celebrate kitchen remodels...not criticize others and their life-style or financial choices.

So, by all means...go ahead and ask for budget pictures, but do not be judgmental about what others are doing.

buehl: You misunderstand me, I am also now jumping in on the big budget makeover also (our finances are allowing me that indulgement), but as I have lurked here for over 2 years gathering ideas (this is kind of like my morning coffee read after I get the news), I feel like sometimes it would be nice to focus on ways to help those with minimal budgets get inspiration. To show them that you always do not have to replace the whole kitchen to get a new look.

I have too often seen friends/aquaintances, think their home looks awful, and that the only way to make it look nice is to spend a fortune, and since they can't afford a major remodel, they have to live with things as they are, not realizing that those small fixes can make a world of difference. Why? Because when all they see a gorgeous kitchens that are beautiful because they were designed with expensive materials, they think all beauty is expensive. I AM a bit of a pinch penny, I guess that is a result for growing up very poor and with a mother who just gave up on our home, so when I look at things, I always try to analyze how to fix them first, before I decide to scrap. And if I had started to lurk here 10 years ago, when our finances were tight, I might have felt like a nice kitchen was out of my reach. There is a current thread on the decorator's forum that they can't find any decorating magazines for the basic 1990's home and how they wish they could see pictures of "real" homes where "real" people live. I guess my thought processes are touched off by that thread and a few others. When I reffered to being shocked at some of the budgets, I guess it is because from my financial standpoint, I can't afford a lot of the things done on this board, and compared to many people I spend time with, I am considered wealthy. Forgive me for being verbose, I just thougth I had better clarify myself so I did not offend anyone else.

I'm not sure if you looked for the budget upgrade I mentioned (seems like you did not?)

I any case, this was one of our most active threads.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0117383816018.html

Most people here, though, are doing more complicated renovations that would require more input and advice due to the cost and labor involved. Changing a wall paper border is something a lot of people would do without becoming obsessed and seeking out advice-- that could be why you don't see many of those on here.

I always thought it was nice, though, that so many people take the time to respond when people post and say "I have $300 what should I do?!"