Budget-Friendly Kitchen Updates From Expert Designers

Luis Caicedo, Luis Caicedo Design:
Paint is the fastest and easiest update, but for this kitchen I use Venetian plaster instead. It's roughly as expensive as a gallon of paint but creates a luxurious feel that is pretty easy to clean.

Tiny mosaic tiles placed in a dramatic way maximize the visual impact. Shop around at tile outlets for leftover lots of tile to save money. The combination of plaster and glass tiles is timeless, luxurious, yet simple, modern and elegant.

The countertops in this kitchen are quite small but expensive to replace. I wanted a very natural looking surface, something like a huge slab of rough stone, so to achieve the look, I create a faux-finished texture of concrete and plastic wood over rough wood. It is finished with many layers of protective varnish and wax.

Check out more of Luis' contemporary design style on Designers' Portfolio.