28 Ways to Customize Your Kitchen for Less

7. High plate rail: A deep shelf with decorative wood brackets turns the dead zone along a soffit into an attention-grabber. Painted white against a white wall, it's an ideal display space for colorful collections. Make your own with the Real Organized kit containing a 48-inch-long, white-painted MDF shelf and two brackets, about $20; Lowes

8. Made-to-order cabinetry: Wood lattice gives stock stile-and-rail doors a designer touch. Build your own by removing the solid center panels and replacing them with checkerboard-pattern grilles, about $65 for an 18-by-24-inch grille in paint- or stain-ready red oak; Van Dyke's Restorers