Part 2 of 3: Remodeling your kitchen affordably

•Phase in roll-outs and inserts later. Even if your cabinet line is discontinued, most manufacturers’ inserts work with all their lines.

Kitchen studios put their top-of-the-line cabinetry on display, but often they can order less-expensive lines by the same manufacturers — just ask. That way you get the same good-quality boxes and hardware with less expensive fronts.

How the door attaches to the box and how much trim is on the door can greatly affect the price of a cabinet, says Geri Higgins, owner of Portfolio Kitchen & Home in Kansas City. Overlay doors that completely cover the front of the box are cheaper than inset doors that are flush with the box frame.

Doors with no or little trim are cheaper, as are simple stains compared with distressed or glazed finishes. Glass fronts push up the cost; open (doorless) fronts are cheaper if you like that look.

Home improvement warehouses are beginning to carry more semi-custom cabinets. Lowe’s Mirra line from Venicia by KraftMaid offers sleek Euro styling starting at $225 per linear foot with designer upgrades such as roll-outs and soft-close drawers.

Next to cabinetry, nothing can run up the cost of a kitchen like appliances. Conversely, you can save big if you don’t mind the look of mid-range brands in black or stainless steel. (White finishes are cheapest, but they look it.)

Consumer Reports has consistently found that mid-range lines perform just as well as premium brands for a fraction of the cost, and homeowners seem to be getting the message. A recent survey on kitchen and bath trends by American Institute of Architects says demand for high-end appliances is falling.

Choosing a pro-line stove, refrigerator and dishwasher adds $15,000 to $20,000 to the budget. The same appliances from a mid-range brand cost less than $4,000 in stainless steel and less than $2,000 in black. Buying “scratch and dent” models can shave up to 40 percent, but it also requires patience and a little luck.

Some local homeowners interviewed for this story had good experiences buying appliances online at below-retail prices, but others reported headaches and significant delays when items arrived damaged or in the wrong color.

If you find a store selling an appliance for much less than competitors, it’s good to ask questions, says Geri Higgins, owner of Portfolio Kitchen & Home in Kansas City: Is this discontinued? Why was it discontinued? If the reason is cosmetic, it doesn’t make a difference, but if, for example, the controls don’t work as easily as the newer model, it might. Also, there is no warranty on a discontinued item.

Whatever quality level you settle on, take the time to comparison shop. “Don’t assume prices are cheaper through a wholesale club or an outlet,” Higgins said. “Check.”

When you think of economical choices for counters, granite doesn’t leap to mind. But it turns out prices are soaring for rare colors and heavily veined slabs but tumbling for basic blacks, greens and ivories without much variegation.

At $69 or less per square foot installed, it can be cheaper than solid surface (such as Corian), engineered stone (such as Silestone) or premium tile. Granite tiles are an even better deal.

But if having a slab of rare granite is important, you can hold down the cost by using it only on an island, for example, and by choosing a square rather than a bullnose edge.

Laminate is by far the most economical counter choice, at $10 to $20 per square foot. Its only real drawback is that most people don’t like it. But designers say laminate can look stylish if you opt for square edges and dark, slightly mottled colors that hide the dark insides exposed by 90-degree cuts.