Little Ways to Save Big on a Remodel

Add Detail With Paint

Chris's formal dining room came with nice top rails and battens on the walls. However, before the remodel, the trim was finished in a dark stain and just looked like applied molding on the white walls. By painting the moldings white and the spaces in between them a coordinating warm beige—different from the pale-blue field above the rail—the bottom half of the wall looks more like it's actually paneled. Real wood or even MDF paneling for the room would have run as much as $4,000. The paint job was a mere $700.

What They Saved: $3,300

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• Gallery: The Austin Project: Before
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