Do you have champagne wishes and caviar dreams for your kitchen design, but a soda-pop-and-chips budget? Don't fret—you can still make your kitchen look like it belongs on an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous (Robin Leach not included).

"In this day and age, luxury is people walking in and feeling like the kitchen is an extension of the rest of your home," said design expert Kristan Cunningham, known for making less into more as former host and lead designer of HGTV's Design on a Dime. According to Cunningham, if you start with "good bones" and add your own special layer on top, any kitchen can be a showstopper without spending a fortune.

In fact, Cunningham, who recently released the Weekend Project Featuring Kristan Cunningham software with Punch! Software—which includes step-by-step instructions for a variety of projects, as well as eco-friendly tips specific to your project—and who is a regular contributor to the Rachael Ray Show, recently remodeled the kitchen in her Venice Beach, CA, rental home for less than $1,000. She took a lifeless, cookie-cutter design, complete with shellacked oak cabinets with cathedral-arch-inset doors, and transformed it into a modern, unique and highly personalized space. All it took was some paint, paneling, accessories and a few custom touches. "It's one of my favorite makeovers, and it's now our favorite room in the house," she said. (For photos of the remodel, check out the Los Angeles Times' article and photo gallery and Ladies' Home Journal's profile.

Ready to create the perfect space to pop open a bottle of Veuve and a tin of Beluga? Check out Cunningham's luxury-for-less secrets and go from ho-hum to high style in no time.


1. Start with good bones.

No one wants to take on a kitchen remodel three or four times in his life, said Cunningham, so start with good bones. "There are a ton of really affordable classic elements," she said. "Don't try to get wacky with structural elements and hard surfaces. You can take something that is quite 'spec' and put your special layer on top."

Cunningham suggests spending less on classic elements, such as basic white subway tiles—no brand name needed—or butcher-block countertops from IKEA. "There is no bigger bang for your buck," she said. "They look exactly the same as expensive ones."



























_{"Subway tile from floor to ceiling on an entire wall helps this small kitchen feel larger," said Cunningham. "We framed an approximately 4-ft. x 6-ft. area with wood and painted drywall with chalkboard paint. This saved a ton of money, but we still got the look of an entire wall of calcutta tile without actually covering one of the biggest areas." (Photo courtesy of Kristan Cunningham.)}



Cunningham encourages spending money on the details that will be more noticeable. "I believe in 'fab in front, budget in the back' where you put an expensive fabric on the front of a pillow and use an inexpensive piece on the back," she said. "It's the same with kitchen cabinets: Buy cabinet boxes from IKEA and spend more money on the doors themselves or the hardware."


2. Customize key elements.

Creating a luxurious feel in the kitchen requires shaking up cookie-cutter designs. "Everyone struggles with having tons of cabinetry and how to make it more special," said Cunningham.  On one small wall of her kitchen, Cunningham replaced the upper cabinets with two teak-plank shelves and attractive brackets from Rejuvenation. "I use them to display all of my white dishes and wood serving pieces," she said.

Whether stone, wood or laminate countertops, Cunningham suggests beefing up your edge detail. "Even if you only have a 3/4-in. slab, you can make your edge detail 3 in., so the effect is that you have a 3-in. slab," she said. "The difference in cost for edge details is really minimal."

One mistake Cunningham urges homeowners to avoid? Granite tile. "The goal is to spend less and get the money look, but granite tile actually does the reverse," she said. "You don't get the same aesthetic, and you're doing yourself a disservice in that regard. You're better off doing a material you can afford in a more effective way."
























_{"V-groove material put up horizontally suggests an updated farm feel and was a cost-effective alternative to installing a tile backsplash,"  said Cunningham of this kitchen makeover she recently completed for a client. "Art lighting over black-and-white photographs printed on canvas was an inexpensive way to give a fine art feel and add an unkitcheny element." (Photo courtesy of Marilyn Mayberry.)}



3. Invest your time instead of your money.

Of course, Cunningham agrees with the common wisdom that investing your own elbow grease can significantly lower the cost of any kitchen remodel. "If something takes you six weekends of work, but it means having your dream kitchen today instead of in 10 years, that's a great bargain," she said.

Refacing and re-painting kitchen cabinets are great DIY ways to make a major impact. "Adding new cabinet doors can feel like an entire kitchen remodel without the cost," Cunningham said. To reface her 1980s shellacked oak cabinets with cathedral-arch insets, Cunningham bought contractor's packs of baseboard sticks, only spending about $100 to reface every cabinet in the kitchen.


4. Be patient.

Finding the right materials at the right price is possible, but you must be prepared to take the time to really source items. "If you can't afford custom carpentry, you can still get a high-end look, but you have to be willing to wait," she said. For her next house, Cunningham plans to gut a kitchen and replace all cabinetry with freestanding pieces, but it will likely take time to find all the right items. "There's such an opportunity for interest and affordability—industrial pieces, carts, dressers, old cabinets, a carpenter's island," she said. "You can do such interesting things and join them with a common countertop and paint finish."

"Beggars can't be choosers," reminded Cunningham. "The more flexible you are, the better options you'll have on a budget." She suggests combing the shelves—brick-and-mortar or virtual—at outlet stores, Craigslist, eBay, GildGroup.com and salvage yards...anywhere you might find a deal. If you find a great price on cabinet pulls or handles, but there aren't enough for every door in your kitchen, consider mixing and matching as Cunningham did in her kitchen. "These days, Home Depot and Lowe's have great options; there's just no reason to pay $14 a knob," she said.

Appliances, while generally among the priciest kitchen purchases, can also be found at a discount. Cunningham suggests checking a store's "scratch-and-dent" section. "Sometimes the scratches and dents are on the side where you won't see them when the appliance is pushed between cabinets," she said. "Or a $5,000 Viking stove is 15 percent off because it was on display and uncrated." Homeowners might also find a professional range on Craigslist. "If you're willing to be flexible on the brand, there's no reason to pay full price on appliances," she said.


5. Decorate as you would any room of the house.

Adding decorative elements is key to making a kitchen's luxurious look come to life. "It's always disappointing to walk into a beautifully appointed home full of warm things and see it stop at the kitchen," said Cunningham. "Hands down, one of the most inexpensive things you can do is steal a few trinkets, pillows or pieces of art from other rooms. Make your kitchen feel furnished the way the rest of your home does."

Cunningham also suggests adding elements that feel "un-kitchen-y," such as books on a shelf or a framed mirror behind a cooktop. If you have the space, a small seating area can add a lot of style points. "In an eat-in kitchen, a table and chairs can look pedestrian," she said. "Take the spot and make it special, like a room within the kitchen—bookcases can make it like a library."
























_{A shelf full of books and framed art (left) give character to this kitchen designed by Cunningham. "Basic roller shades covered in bird fabric were an inexpensive but impactful option for windows," she said. "They give privacy and light blockage without having to rely on the more expected blind or rattan shades—and were a great way to break up all of the white cabinetry." Art and unique decorative elements (right) "add a warm and playful vibe to a classic kitchen and ensures that anyone who comes in gets the flavor of this family," said Cunningham. (Photos courtesy of Kristan Cunningham.)}



In her own Venice Beach kitchen, Cunningham turned a small nook with bay windows into a cozy seating area with a little loveseat from Goodwill, re-covered in pumpkin linen with charcoal piping, and a small cowhide rug. "It's such an unexpected luxury to have a spot like that in the kitchen," she said. "It's about rethinking the way you use the space, not about spending a lot of money or using expensive materials."

Another minimal investment that can have maximum effect is placing lighting on dimmers. "A mostly savvy DIY-er can do it, or an electrician will do it for minimal cost," Cunningham said. "Much of the time, the kitchen is not straight-up utilitarian, so you don't need functional light all the time. The warm glow creates such a nicer environment, especially if you have an eating area." Plus, it can mute any disliked details in your kitchen, she added.

Window treatments or fresh flowers—or even something more functional—can be the final touch of luxury. "Invest in the details that will make the biggest difference for you," said Cunningham. "If your dream is to have lid organizers, those are the things that are worth the investment. Luxury is what works the best for you."