On my show Tuesday I did some major kitchen surgery for a total of $9000. Keep in mind, granite counters alone often cost that. Annilese grew up a city mouse. Surrounded by concrete, she was craving a taste of the country, so she saved up, and bought a home in the suburbs. She loved her house, but not her mismatched contemporary kitchen. She really wanted a Tuscan inspired country kitchen and that’s what I gave her! Check out the transformation:

AFTER TRANSFORMATION

Here’s the breakdown:

SPLURGES:
$5500 on hone black granite countertops
Copper cookware $1000
Art work of hand painted tiles $200

SAVES
Refacing cabinet doors done by Tom for $400
$300 dining set and painted the chairs
I built out a butcher block island top for $75
Inexpensive ceramic subway tile back splash
Paint
Small appliances and accessories

Last 5 posts by Krista Watterworth

• What if your sofa could scrub your feet too? - July 30th, 2010
• What Do Ceiling Fans & Badonkadonk Have in Common? - July 15th, 2010
• Alien Body Shower - July 12th, 2010
• Splurge & Save: British Colonial Dining - July 1st, 2010
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Author: Krista Watterworth

Krista Watterworth considers herself a true multi-tasker: mom, author, television personality, and interior designer. Krista starred in four seasons of HGTV's Save My Bath as host-designer and in 2009 will star in a new HGTV show called Splurge & Save. She has quickly gained celebrity for branding her unique aesthetic. According to Krista, designing and performing have two things in common: you have to delve into the heart of a person (or a character) to find out their intimate secrets, and then create an entirely personal world around that.

Krista Watterworth has written 101 articles for us.