This stylized vintage trailer is the image of small-scale luxury.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

The budget was nearly as tight as the space in this cheerful renovation of a 516-square-foot flat in Bratislava. The centerpiece of Lukáš Kordík’s new kitchen is the cabinetry surrounding the sink, a feat he managed by altering the facing and pulls of an off-the-rack Ikea system. The laminate offers a good punch of blue, and in modernist fashion, Kordík forwent door handles in favor of cutouts. “I wanted the kitchen to be one simple block of color without any additional design,” he says.

By inserting a tunnel made from 36 reclaimed commercial doors and tearing down a handful of walls, LOT-EK and contractor Andreas Scholtz brought light into the formerly unused dark hallway in Maurice Russell (right) and Jorge Fontanez’s apartment. The glossy Safety Red paint by Benjamin Moore catches the light by day but “becomes a richer, darker, very relaxing red at night,” Fontanez says.

Aumas outfitted a vintage steel-frame sofa by George Nelson in navy blue fabric from Kvadrat and hung one of his own photos just above it. The lamp to the left of the sofa is a 1960s design found at a Lisbon flea market, and to the right of the sofa is a Two-Arms rotating sconce by the mid-century French designer Serge Mouille.

De Poorter lowered the living room floor by about three feet to allow for larger windows. Vintage Sade sofas, purchased in Berlin, join an Arco lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, a Noguchi coffee table, and a painting by family friend Hugo de Clercq.

In such a small space “you have to organize, and every piece takes a decision,” says resident Heidi Wright. The couple keep things they use less frequently, like guest bedding, in the higher cabinets.

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

The kitchen window was designed to look into the Goodchilds' daughter's home. Photo credit: Dale Christopher Lang PhD AIAP

Preservation Props Since the house is in a historic district, Beebe and Skidmore’s interventions were constrained by local guidelines, including a stipulation that the walls of the addition couldn’t line up with the walls of the existing house. They bumped the walls in by five feet on either side and painted the addition, clad in siding from Capital Lumber, a color complementary to the original building’s deep, bright blue. “A guy from Boise’s preservation office came by and said, ‘This is a perfect example of how we’d like people to build additions,’” says Dana. “We were pretty proud of that.” beebeskidmore.com capital-lumber.com

Another of our favorite home office ideas on a budget? Incorporate a basic office space in the upper level or attic of the house, like this small workstation on the upper level of this magnificent, midcentury, A-frame prefab home off the coast of Rhode Island. Here, an airy push-open window provides a refreshing ocean breeze for this sparse workspace.

The deck offers views and a quiet spot for outdoor dining. The Western red cedar vertical siding is naturally resistant to rot and decay, making it a hardy choice for the exterior. The bronze wolf sculpture is by Sharon Loper.

Waechter Architecture reimagined a traditional gabled home in southeast Portland without significantly altering the original building. A simple coat of red paint abstracts the century-old structure, creating a residential work of art.

The residents love to entertain and cook, so 590BC worked to create a kitchen that was functional and aesthetically pleasing. "It is complex and considered down to the most minute detail, but still reads as simple and clean," Breitner says. Photo by Frank Oudeman.

The Mt. Buller Home of Andrew and Tiffany Percy and Family via the Design Files.

The semi-closed entryway contains a white cabinet for storing coats and scarves. The LED ceiling lights are from Contrast Lighting.

Adler’s Slate grass cloth, a material he likes because it feels natural, sheathes a guest room’s walls. Ravello and Nixon side tables flank the bed, which is covered with Adler’s Alexander duvet. A reissued mirror by renowned metal artist C. Jeré rounds out the eclectic room.

A departure from the mod-meets-baroque dining room, Turin’s breakfast area is far more sedate. She and her daughter, Helena, have a chat at a Progetto 1 table by Monica Armani for B&B Italia surrounded by four Lia chairs by Roberto Barbieri for Zanotta. The painting behind Helena is by Ricci Albenda.

The entire family makes good use of the music room, where they hold public and private Sunday concerts with local and international musicians.

Alex relaxes on the first-floor couch, with is filled with an array of pillows from Crate and Barrel, CB2, West Elm, Muji, and Blu Dot.

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

This bathroom, tiled in bright blue mosaic to offset the home’s limited materials and color palette, calls for a simple vanity. The sinks, toilets, and tubs are by Villeroy & Boch, while the faucets and towel rails are by Grohe and Avenir, respectively.

For the bathroom inside a renovated Hollywood bungalow, architect Noah Walker used a simple palette of gray and white tile, black countertops, and stainless steel fixtures. "I love minimal bathrooms with natural light, so less is more, and pay attention to the details," he advises.

This kitchen features a sleek Henrybuilt kitchen system in white.

The kitchen is beautifully textured and veined thanks to white Carrara marble countertops installed by New Marble Company and reclaimed cypress cabinets built by Wayne Berger.

Turin designed the bed, console, and side tables in the master bedroom. The room gets plenty of illumination through the windows, which she had remade to match the 1925 detailing and covered in translucent Trevira fabric curtains by Rogers and Goffigon. “They provide privacy but lots of light comes through.”

Since surrounding neighbors can overlook the one-story property, Thomson created a roof detail that is environmentally friendly and attractive: “the bio-diverse [green] roof is planted with indigenous species of flowers and grasses,” he says.

The Sydney home of Leanne Carter-Taylor and Trent Carter-Brugman via the Design Files.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

"There is a triangle in projects between budget schedule and design," Curtiss says. "The common wisdom is you can hit any two but hitting all three is hard. We tried to hit all three." The raw space featured concrete floors and since it was formerly industrial, had oil spills on the slab. To create a floor that was safe for the kids, Curtiss opted for an epoxy. "Epoxy floors are used in hospitals and labs and are super easy to clean. We also knew it was an economical way to coat concrete." Custom colors are available, but for an extra charge. To rein in expenses, Curtiss chose a blue hue that's normally used for ADA striping. Natural light floods the interior thanks to Solatubes. Barn lights from HiLite offer additional illumination. Curtiss left the Ultratouch blue denim insulation exposed in the ceiling. "We asked the insulation supplier if we could check the denim batch colors," she says. "We didn't want black mixed in with the washed blue color. He thought we were crazy."

80 years Founded in 1934, Molteni & C quickly went from an artisan workshop to an industrial company. Recently, after a two year research period, the company recreated furniture and furnishings by renowned designer Gio Ponti. Photo courtesy of Molteni & C.

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

The automatic arm that raises and lowers the flapper can be set up so that it stays open for the correct amount of time each flush—that means never having to tell guests to jiggle the handle.

Bright, white, and airy. This Toronto kitchen features a 13-foot Calacatta marble island, countertops, and a matching backsplash that pair perfectly with the custom white aluminum cabinets.