What do you do when it’s time to replace an old kitchen? Where do you even begin?

I recently faced this challenge. Realizing that my kitchen needed to be replaced was the easy part. Figuring out what I wanted to do proved to be daunting. My current kitchen is a vintage 1970’s no-particular-style kitchen. Not your dream kitchen by any standards.

The cost to gut and completely redo the kitchen was staggering. Literally. I actually staggered around the kitchen when presented with the final estimate. Clearly, putting in a new kitchen was not going to be an option.

Prowling through the library stacks, I struck gold. Our shelves are chock-full of great idea books and among them I discovered the solution to my dilemma.

The before and after photos were inspiring. I marveled at the creativity and ingenuity of do-it-yourselfers who tackled their old kitchens. The books are worth a look just for the pictures of the incredible renovations. The clever uses of space and color were amazing and the costs were reasonable. I began to look at my kitchen in a whole new way.

And what were the solutions? Paint the cabinets. Install new hardware. Put in a new backsplash. New tiles on the floor. A few nights and weekends, a lot of sweat equity and—voila! What looks and feels like a new kitchen.

Need some kitchen inspiration? Try these titles:

Country Living: 500 Kitchen Ideas: Style, Function & Charm from the editors of Country Living Magazine; text by Dominique DeVito

Do it Yourself Kitchens: Stunning Spaces on a Shoestring Budget from Better Homes and Gardens

Kitchen Ideas You Can Use: Inspiring Designs & Clever Solutions for Remodeling Your Kitchen by Chris Peterson

Kitchen Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

Affordable Kitchen Upgrades: Transform Your Kitchen on a Small Budget by Steve Cory and Diane Slavik

New Kitchen Ideas that Work by Jamie Gold