Remodeling one’s kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most expensive items on a fixer-upper owner’s budget. The Tax Trotter knows first-hand – she and Mr. Tax Trotter purchased the worst house on the best block 8 years ago and are still renovating it. Multiple cost-saving strategies have been deployed, including buying underpriced mahogany furniture sold on commission to affixing a custom-ordered granite countertop to a set of classic style cream cabinets sourced from IKEA on a savvy friend’s advice. There were some excesses because the Tax Trotter insisted on using a certain European paint brand – to the Tax Trotter’s eye the brand’s color palette did not appear as “fluorescent” as paints manufactured by brands offered in big box stores.