Adding Decorative Details Without Breaking the Bank
For years (maybe even decades) I have drooled over kitchen magazines. The designs that really made my heart sing were were the ones that featured lots and lots of finishing details. I love classical Roman architecture, so anything with pillars, corbels, detailed molding and carved trims make me very happy. I’m the opposite of a minimalist. I like details and lots of them…but guess what? Details are really expensive, especially in the kitchen. For instance, the corbels offered by the company that made our cabinets were going to cost $300…each. Well, you can’t have just one corbel holding up a counter, so we were looking at $600 just for one area. I wasn’t willing to give up my corbels, so I shopped online and found unfinished corbels for only $84 each, $168 a pair — a HUGE savings!! We didn’t have much experience with wood stain, but with a little trial and error, we were able to add the finishing details to our kitchen island at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them ready to install from the factory.
Another decorative element we were able to save money on was the scroll detail on the vent that is mounted directly above our stove. We didn’t bother pricing them with the cabinet company, but I did look online and found some in the range of $100-200. Then one day when I was killing time at the craft store, I noticed this shell wall scroll for sale for only $20 and it was already painted and distressed in colors that matched perfectly with the kitchen. Thinking outside of the box and finding alternative solutions will dramatically reduce the cost of your project while insuring that your unique style shows through.
