Make over your kitchen for under $15K

If you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel, there’s a good chance you’ve been drooling over photos of Carrara marble countertops and commercial-grade ranges on websites suh as Houzz, Pinterest and Remodelista.

But for all of the inspiration those sites provide, they tend to be short of a couple of crucial details: the price of all that beauty and, just as important, how the pretty products perform.

Consumer Reports turned to designers and contractors for ways to stretch the budget and avoid common pitfalls.

You can buy a lot of kitchen for under $15,000 as long as the space isn’t much more than 150 square feet and you’re willing to do a lot of the work yourself. Consumer Reports allocated $1,000 for labor, namely electrical and plumbing work, which is always best left to the pros.

Where to start. Major home centers, including Home Depot, Ikea and Lowe’s, provide free or affordable design assistance. If possible, work with a staffer certified by the National Kitchen and Bath Association or the American Society of Interior Designers. Many home centers employ in-house installers, or you can find your own certified contractor through the directory of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (nari.org).

What’s trending

Consumer Reports’ tests have turned up new products that look much pricier than they are and perform extremely well – perfect for this budget. For example, porcelain-tile planks that look remarkably like wood, right down to their textured grain. They’re waterproof and have color that goes all the way through, so chipping isn’t a big concern. Lumber Liquidators’ Avella Brazilian Cherry 10039367 topped its latest tests, and at $3.60 per square foot, it’s about half the cost of many solid hardwood products.

Appliances and accents

You can get a top-rated refrigerator, range and dishwasher all for about $2,500, even in unifying stainless steel. And Consumer Reports’ tests have found that faucets costing as little as $60 have top-notch valves and tough finishes with lifetime warranties. Many stainless steel sinks costing less than $200 proved to be as durable as models costing twice as much.

Cabinet decisions

Stock cabinets start at about $70 per linear foot and come in limited sizes and basic finishes. Laminate units tend to be the least expensive, followed by stained and painted. The Shaker style, with its clean, simple lines, delivers elegance in a cost-effective cabinet. Avoid units made of particleboard and constructed with staples and flimsy hardware. Instead, look for cabinets with solid wood frames surrounding a solid wood or plywood panel. Stretch the budget by incorporating open shelving, either mounted on brackets or with hidden anchors for a floating effect.

Counters and floors

For countertops, laminate is affordable and exceptionally resistant to heat and staining. High-definition laminate from brands such as Formica and Wilsonart also do a better job at resembling natural materials, such as wood and stone. Formica’s retro patterns, including a collection from the celebrity designer Jonathan Adler, inject a bit of fun into a functional material. Vinyl flooring continues to improve as well; it’s now available in patterns that look convincingly like wood and natural stone. What’s more, many vinyl floors fended off wear, scratches, stains, and discoloration from sunlight in Consumer Reports’ tough tests.

Tips from the pros

Entry-level products and materials always work best in a neutral color palette. “Consider going for the clean, livable look, with white cabinets and subway tile and a countertop in gray or beige tones,” says Suzy Opalinski, a project specialist for Lowe’s in Orlando, Fla.

To learn more, visit ConsumerReports.org.

2016, Consumers Union Inc.