Ways to renovate your kitchen for $500 or less

by Amy Spencer

Here's some advice on how to fix up your kitchen on the cheap.

• Replace the sink: $75

These days, you can buy a nice sink for less than 100 bucks. The stainless steel and acrylic (some look just like white porcelain) are the cheapest, while real porcelain may be out of your range.

• Refinish your kitchen cabinets: $100

This means sanding them down and restaining them, or just painting them in a semigloss or glossy latex paint. For a bold change, ditch the white and try a pale blue, a coral red or even glossy black for a modern look. All you need is sandpaper, paint and equal parts elbow grease and patience.

• Make your own fabulous hardware: $1 apiece

If the hardware you want is out of your range, transform the stuff that's in it.