Even if you only have $1000 to spend, you might be surprised how much of a difference that can make in your kitchen. True, it won't get your granite countertops or a major rehaul but it can make your kitchen look better than you'd ever expect.
        On a rock bottom budget, our kitchen went from dark and dingy to light, bright and appealing.
       How'd we do it? How can you achieve equally nice results, even if your budget is tight?
Here's what we did and if you want to know the actual STEP-BY-STEP process and costs,  you can scroll down below the basic changes we made.
We got an idea of what look we wanted by looking at magazines

We decided on a focal point - if you don't have one, make one. Suggestions: An attractive cabinet display, a set of paintings, a window treatment that draws eyes to a great view, even something as simple as a bowl of fruit and some candles on your kitchen table.

We hired a home stager to suggest paint colors and trim for walls and cabinet as well as an inexpensive window treatment

We cleared off all the cabinets so we could see what our kitchen REALLY looked like. Any nicks, scratches or outdated furniture and accessories stood out like a sore thumb

We replaced the outdated flooring with laminate
We replaced the faucet

We put up new blinds on the windows.

We repainted the walls and cabinets, changing the cabinets from a dark brown to a light white. This made our kitchen look a thousand times brighter.

HERE'S THE TIMELINE AND COST BREAKDOWN:
STEP ONE: We looked at a ton of magazines to see what we liked and how much it cost. You can get current issues of magazines on Ebay, in lots, for a fraction of the retail price. Cost: less than $10.00, thanks to some we purchased and some we got from friends after they'd finished looking at them. The publc library is another free place to peruse magazines.

STEP TWO: We paid a Home Stager (someone who looks at your home and suggest updates for those on a budget, often using what you already have). $50.00 to suggest paint colors to replace the outdated wall covering and cabinets. She even gave us actual paint chips and color names and told us how to rearrange our kitchen furniture, replace lighting and direct attention to the window and view of the woods outside (a major focal point). Cost: $50.00 and worth every dollar.

STEP THREE: If you don't have a focal point in your kitchen, decided on one. Maybe it will be a great window view or simply an arrangement of paintings on the wall. But every room needs a focal point. The good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune to get one. A few inexpensive paintings or prints on Ebay arranged artfully on a wall across from your kitchen table can be a good start. Or an attractive window treatment that draws attention to your window view. Cost to decide on focal point: $0

STEP FOUR: Clear off all the shelves and get rid of all the clutter, if only "temporarily". You can't see the actual "bones" of your kitchen. Cost: our time.

STEP FIVE: We replaced our sink with a new sparkling one: Cost : 190.00

STEP  SIX - We stripped the wallpaper and painted the walls and cabinets ourselves: Cost: less than $100.00 Bought wallpaper on sale, got paint on sale too. Yes, our time is worth money but we donated that to the cause :) But allow time for this. It took an entire weekend, from Friday night to Sunday evening.

STEP SEVEN: Laminate flooring - $300.00

STEP EIGHT: New accessories, but only a few. Candles, artwork, getting rid of old, outdated accessories. COST: Less than $50.00. We used what we had, mostly. We discovered that a plant and a bowl of fruit are very attractive in any room, including the kitchen.

STEP NINE: We changed our habits.  This means, NO clutter remains for more than 24 hours (yes, that is hard to do). We keep the table set because it is pretty hard to pile up clutter on a kitchen table that is always set for meals. Plus, it simplifies things at dinner time. If you don't like the idea of having your plates sitting around all day, turn them face down till dinner time. No dust, no dirt to worry about.