A Cheerful Kitchen Makeover for $935

In some spaces, surface changes can make a huge impact. When Michelle Marburger bought her 1935 bungalow in Durham, North Carolina, she loved the size of the kitchen. "But otherwise," she says, "it was just dirty, disgusting, and dated."

With no budget for a complete redo, the interior designer decided to use simple, low-cost touches to give the room a new look and highlight original details, such as hardwood floors and the scalloped wood valance above the sink window.

"I felt like I needed to maintain the integrity of the house," she says. Keep reading to see how she did just that—for less.

Shown: While all the cabinets and appliances are the same, new paint, fabric panels, and nickel-finished hardware give the room a colorful new look.