kitchen aid | "When I have a stressful day," Nicole says, "I unwind by baking up a batch of scones, or trying out a new biscotti recipe." So when they planned the kitchen, they kept in mind that Nicole would be spending a lot of time there. Though renovating a kitchen can be pricey, Drew and Nicole knew they'd be leaving Tucson once they finished up school, and an upgraded kitchen would up their home's value once it came time to sell. Still, they didn't want to spend a fortune. After doing a lot of research online to make sure their fix-up efforts would look as professional as possible, they plunged into renovating. First they refinished the wood cabinets, painted them white, and changed the knobs. Next came the counters -- Nicole loved the look of marble, but the real stuff just wasn't doable on their budget, so they went with marble-look Formica instead. A new set of stainless-steel appliances rounded out the kitchen update. (Click to view the old space) >