Steal Ideas From Our Best Kitchen Transformations

With kitchens, simple does not necessarily equal streamlined. For homeowners Eduardo Perez and Moo Sirikittisup, the kitchen that came with their Atlanta condo fell short on both frills and function. Builder- grade cabinets and white laminate counters set a cheerless, monotonous tone in an open space that can be seen from the front door. And washing dishes meant looking at a worn wood cabinet, as the window didn't line up over the sink. Opening the dishwasher blocked the oven door and vice versa. "It was a sad-looking space," says Eduardo. But some warm-brown cabinet paint, a vibrant glass-tile mosaic backsplash, and new fixtures changed all that.

See how they did it all for less than a thousand dollars in The $967 Kitchen Remodel.