According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, a basic kitchen renovation that includes more than just cosmetic changes costs on average between $20,000 and $50,000. Completing a kitchen project on a budget is no easy task.

Photos by NATALIE CAUDILL/DMN

Jennifer and Trey Ballard shopped smart and applied a lot of elbow grease to remodel their kitchen for less than it would have cost otherwise. One touch included leaving enough clearance for their stand mixer to fit underneath the cabinets.

First-time homeowners Jennifer and Trey Ballard recently finished a gut remodel of their kitchen for less than half of that average. They spent $13,000 to turn a cramped and dysfunctional kitchen in their East Dallas ranch-style house into a bright, stylish space that's suitable for both entertaining and everyday cooking. Here's how they did it.

SURFED THE INTERNET FOR PLANNING AND ADVICE. Ms. Ballard started the remodel project by thinking about how she could create a better layout in her kitchen. She drew a floor plan and posted it online at sites such as Gardenweb.com and Ikeafans.com to collect feedback.

"During the planning stages, I was on those sites nearly every day," Ms. Ballard says. "It's useful to see how people modify things and solve problems."

The advice led her to install drawers instead of doors in the lower cabinets and to go for a single-basin sink instead of a double.

"I love it that I can fit everything in the sink now," Ms. Ballard says.

The Ballards also installed the upper cabinets at a height that will accommodate tucking in her stand mixer, a dilemma that generates a lot of commentary on Internet kitchen advice boards.

The new layout also includes a rectangular counter-height wooden table that the couple can move depending on how they're using the space. When set perpendicular to the cabinets, it functions as a peninsula for food prep and eating. When it's moved in line with the cabinets, the table serves as a buffet station and allows open space for party mingling.

SHOPPED SMART FOR BIG-TICKET ITEMS. The Ballards spent considerable time researching how to get the most for their money on the more expensive items in the kitchen.

NATALIE CAUDILL/DMN

Jennifer and Trey Ballard

They opted for build-it-yourself, flat-pack cabinets from Ikea after reading that they ranked well in Consumer Reports testing.

"Really, the cabinets were among the easier things to do in this kitchen," Mr. Ballard says.

These cabinets have leveling feet and rails (as opposed to the more traditional shims) that make them easier for do-it-yourselfers to install.

Ms. Ballard assembled all of the cabinet boxes and said each took her about 30 minutes to finish, after taking her time on the first one. They spent $3,600 on the cabinets.

For appliances, the Ballards checked quality ratings as well. They saved $1,000 on the refrigerator by purchasing it at the Sears outlet store. "The trick was knowing which model we wanted," Ms. Ballard says. "We just kept going back until that one showed up at the outlet store."

SCRIMPED AND SPLURGED. Not all of the items in the Ballards' new kitchen had a budget price tag, and that's one reason they feel the end result was so successful. Incorporating some expensive finishes with more moderately priced ones went further toward creating a high-end look.

One of the Ballards' splurges was glass tile from French-Brown, which they applied to the counter backsplash and along a small bar (left).

At $500, the coppery-brown mosaic glass tile backsplash from French-Brown cost more than twice as much as the laminate countertops. They decided to repeat the tile on a narrow bar that opens into the living area.

The tile is an attention-getting finish one might see in a kitchen that costs significantly more.

DID WHAT THEY COULD THEMSELVES. The Ballards kept labor costs down by doing a lot of the work themselves. That included planning, installing a new subfloor, building and installing the cabinets, sewing the window treatments, tiling and painting. They got help from a contractor with the skylight, drywall repair, plumbing and electrical. The total labor expense came to $2,500.

The tasks that ended up being the most difficult weren't what they originally expected.

"We didn't think we'd have to replace the subfloor but ended up needing to, and that was a huge time-killer in the beginning," Mr. Ballard says.

For Ms. Ballard, it was the tiles. "You wouldn't think that tiling would be so hard," Ms. Ballard says. "I think it was because these are specialty tiles. They kept sliding down. It was just difficult."

Despite the challenges, they say they would do it all again.

"Remodeling becomes a compulsion," Ms. Ballard says. "When I look at kitchens in other homes, I think to myself, 'I could do that better.' "

And getting better is what they always plan to do.

"Someday we'll move to a new house, and when we do, I'd like for it to have a kitchen that needs redoing," Mr. Ballard says. "It's good to have it the way you want it, and after this, it's something I know we can achieve."

Skylight: "It was just so dark in here. The sunlight really brightens everything up."

Single-basin sink: "I had a tough time getting everything into the sink to wash. Now even a full-size cookie sheet will fit."

Drawers in the lower cabinets: "Drawers make finding things so much easier."

Chase Doors www.chasedoors.com

1-800-543-4455

French-Brown 7007 Greenville Ave., Dallas, 214-363-4341

Ikea 7171 Ikea Drive, Frisco, www.ikea.com

Kitchen Design Concepts 2741 E. Beltline Road, Carrollton, 214-390-8300

www.kitchendesignconcepts.com

Sears Appliance Outlet Store 1215 Marsh Lane, Carrollton, 972-418-2293