18 The Toronto Sun n Friday,april 24 & Sunday,april 26, 2015

Renovations are an invest-ment. Regardless of thesize, they require a sig-

nificant allocation of time andresources, always more thanyou estimate.

But a project can be kept verymuch in control by being stra-tegic. Here are my top tips forrenovating a kitchen withoutbreaking the bank.

Off the rack cabinetsI love designing custom

kitchens but they are a signif-icant investment even in thesmallest of spaces. If you havethe time to invest in design-ing, picking up, assemblingand installing either on yourown or with the help of a pro,off the rack flat packed or pre-built cabinets can be a greatoption to stretch your budget.

T h i n k s t re t c h i n g y o u rbudget means investing inugly? Think again! CutlerKitchen and Bath providesEuropean styling, boutiqueoptions at the big box stores,and they’re made in Canada.Available in several profilesand colours, they have optionsto express your unique aes-thetic – while not emptyingyour pockets.

Re-use and recycleConsider buying some

materials for your projectfrom stores like Habitat forHumanity Re-Store, or evenonline from Craigslist or Kijiji.You can often find basics likewhite subway tiles, dark hard-wood, or laminate flooring indecent quantities if you caninvest the time to hunt.

If your backsplash area issmall, this can be a great wayto save a few dollars. I alsolove finding unique cabinethardware or lighting fixturessecond hand. If you have youreye on an iconic light fixtureor mid century modern piece,hunt for it used online to savemajor funds.

Leave plumbingwhere it is

You can save several hun-dreds of dollars by not movingthe location of your kitchensink and dishwasher. Thismight not be a reality or eve-ryone (and I say that functionand long-term gain alwaystrump short-term savings)but if you are doing a cos-metic remodel and the posi-tion of your plumbing works,leave it where it is. This goesfor electrical and HVAC too;don’t mess with these, andyour bottom line with be ingood shape.

Sweat a littleThere are so many ways

you can save money by doingthings on your own. But heedmy words of caution: doingthings yourself is an invest-ment of your time, and yourtime is very valuable.

So carefully assess if thecost of taking time off work,time away from family, ortime away from relaxing isworth saving the dollars.Demolition, assemblingcabinets, installing a back-

splash with some guidance,installing flooring with someguidance and painting, areall areas in a kitchen reno-vation that I argue are DIY-able. I would leave framing,drywalling, plumbing, elec-trical, major tile work, andstrategic space planning tothe pros.

Invest in specialpieces

Even on the smallest ofbudgets, I argue that at least

one thing in a space shouldbe “special”. This will meandifferent things to differentpeople, but special to memeans luxurious.

In a kitchen, I love invest-ing in faucets. They are likethe jewelry of the kitchen.Available today in so manyunique finishes and withadvancements like Del-ta’s Touch Technology thatallows you to tap the faucetto control the flow of water;if you have saved in otherareas, I say splurge on one

piece that is truly beautiful.I also love the design of theSolna faucet by Brizo wherethe pull down spray is seam-lessly integrated into thedesign of the faucet.

— Lisa Canning runsLisa Canning Interiors

specializing in in-homeinterior design consultations

in the GTA. She writes alifestyle blog called Lisa

Canning: Blueprints for aBeautiful Life. Visit her at

www.lisacanning.ca.

Fix your kitchen without breaking the banklisa canning

familymatters

junej - Fotolia

Pre-built cabinetsare a great way tostretch your budget.

Faucets now come with many unique finishes and advancements. Faucets are like the jewelry of the kitchen.