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"      Karyn and Scott Mrosek wanted to give their kitchen an all-new look without making a major investment. Fifteen years after moving into a new two-story house in a Chicago suburb, the couple decided to upgrade what the builder had done and also add their own personal touches. With a young son and two daughters, Karyn runs a busy household. She wanted a more efficient, no-frills kitchen that nonetheless had style. New appliances and plumbing were top priorities; then came some improvements that, through inspired improvisation, Karyn achieved for just under $11,000. &amp;quot;The biggest saving came from the fact that I acted as my own general contractor,&amp;quot; she says. See the Kitchen.     Cost-Cutting Ideas Karyn wanted her kitchen&amp;#039;s crown molding and baseboards to be more prominent but didn&amp;#039;t want to break the budget. Here are ways she saved:  Added two trim strips to the existing crown molding for a more finished look Kept the original baseboards but mounted a strip of quarter-round molding about 3 inches above them Painted the baseboards, quarter-round molding and the wall space between them, creating the illusion of baseboards with greater heft and style      Surfaces were her focus, as the walls of her kitchen were mostly obscured by cabinets. &amp;quot;The cabinet boxes were okay,&amp;quot; she recalls, &amp;quot;but the doors and drawers were yellowed and peeling.&amp;quot; To redress the shabbiness, she found a firm that sells replacement doors; her carpenter measured the existing units\u2014all had inside hinges, she points out\u2014and she picked the style and finish. &amp;quot;I chose laminate,&amp;quot; she says, &amp;quot;because that&amp;#039;s what the cabinet boxes were made of.&amp;quot; She also shopped tirelessly for new hardware until she found the graceful style and rustic iron finish she liked. She and Scott painted the kitchen walls a rich golden amber, which set off the cabinets beautifully and created a neat contrast to the crisp white trim. New lighting brought out the decorating details and made Karen&amp;#039;s kitchen glow. &amp;quot;I wanted undercabinet lighting,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;but didn&amp;#039;t want it to show. My carpenter suggested adding a strip of wood as a valance, but I thought that would look homemade. The man who fabricated the backsplash\u2014laminate with a brushed-steel finish\u2014came to my rescue.&amp;quot; He suggested setting the valance back a bit and fusing strips of laminate to it. Now you can see the light, but not see where it comes from. Similarly, you enter what feels like a brand-new kitchen without realizing just how little was actually changed. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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