The Lowreys worked with architect Luis Sánchez and a team of local craftsmen to complete the build. The custom counters in the kitchen are terrazzo and granite; the oven and cooktop are from Teka.

Pros: Laminate is at the low end of the price range for countertops, is scratch- and stain-resistant, and comes in a tremendous range of colors. It’s also easy to install, making it a viable DIY option for the handy crowd. Cons: Because laminate countertops are created by layering pieces of plywood and plastic, edges can chip off easily, and the surface can even melt if too much heat is applied directly.

Guess used inexpensive graded pine plywood so that he would get heavy grain patterns on the surfaces. One of the main goals in the kitchen was simplicity. To that end, he opted for a poured-in-place concrete island. "We didn’t know if we could afford to do that, but we found a great subcontractor [Nate Francis of Countertop Creations] here who had never really built anything like that," Guess says. "Because he was interested in giving it a shot and adding it to his portfolio, he didn’t charge an exorbitant amount of money because it was sort of an experiment for him as well." The kitchen features a GE Profile refrigerator and KitchenAid range, microwave, and dishwasher. The sink and faucet are from Kohler. The project's builder was Joe Doherty with Custom Homecrafters of Austin.

"I'm a foodie, so this kitchen [holds] a lot of fun dinner parties," Nadarajah says. The island is a deeper shade of birch.

The entire kitchen wall by Lignum Cabinets is made from laminates and features functional peg board-like shelving above the sink, allowing it to be customized to the homeowner's needs.

For the kitchen, American cherry wood was used to create cabinets that establish a warm and sturdy tone. Each piece of lumber was purchased at auction by the Brillharts and stored in New Hampshire, before being shipped to Miami and milled on site. The wood island is painted black to provide a point of visual contrast. Himalayan marble countertops and stainless steel appliances lend moments of clean modernism to the kitchen, which is flooded with bright light thanks to patio windows that open to the yard.

The family shares a meal at the counter in the kitchen.

A green laminate countertop by Abet Laminati is surrounded by Norman Foster’s Emeco 20-06 counter stools at the island in the kitchen, which has an integrated Frigidaire induction range, Faber Cylindra Isola range hood, Blomberg dishwasher, Fisher & Paykel fridge, and flat-grain fir plywood cabinets by Portland craftsman Doug Chamblin.

Established in 1987, Tekserve grew into the largest single-site Apple specialist in North America.

The design of this Australian houseboat features a soft, modern color palette. Here, light sage laminate kitchen cabinets are paired with leather recessed pulls.

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.

Architect Nahoko Ueda and the homeowners chose a Space Theory kitchen with a combination of white laminate and walnut cabinetry.

In addition to a playroom, the children share a bathroom. “In a kids’ bathroom, it’s nice to have a little bit more fun,” Miller says. “The penny tiles are really nice because they are really inexpensive and have a nice blue delicateness to them.” A neutral palette of whites and grays is used throughout the rest of the space to make the blue penny tiles stand out. Footstools are nestled underneath the cabinets so the kids can access the sink easily.

The kitchen was the only room to get a full renovation, so Dine invested in a sleek Bulthaup b3 kitchen system designed by Chris Tosdevin of Bulthaup’s Santa Monica, California, showroom. The stainless-steel workspace and slate-gray laminate countertop and cabinets jibe with the house’s minimalist aesthetic while affording a nice contrast with the overriding whiteness. Perhaps more importantly, though, the hardworking dark surfaces hide dirt and wear far better than lighter hues.

Competing grains of laminated pine panels enliven the stairs.

Laminated-MDF cabinetry helps to hide clutter in the kitchen.

Architect Paul Syme designed custom storage units with dark-stained walnut fronts that provide a place for everything in his clients’ Toronto bathroom. The wall-to-wall mirror and the Corian counter are custom, and the faucets are by Vola.

The dining table narrows to a counter attached to the island.

The custom zinc cabinets and quartzite countertops of Mark Berryman’s Tribeca apartment reflect the sun as it sets over Manhattan. Workstead designer Robert Highsmith kept the apartment’s original fir beams and painted its existing pipes Onyx by Benjamin Moore. The counter stools are by Sawkille, and the floors are white oak from LV Wood. The range is by Viking.

A narrow spice rack pulls out from the cabinetry and offers efficient storage in the kitchen.

The building is kept low to the ground, so you can step directly from the house into the garden.

Like in the Tind model, oiled birch is used for the interior wall and ceiling finishes. Otherwise, the materials are more economical: the counters are made of laminate, and vinyl is used for the floors.

Cubicco’s prefab houses, like the Cabana Beach model, are built with laminated veneer lumber, an engineered material that uses up to 90 percent of a tree—compared to typical wood timbers that use only 60 to 70 percent. Modules can be disassembled if the owners relocate.

Laminated tongue-and-groove decking by Lock-Deck was used for the second-level floor. The durable material is sturdy enough to span long distances without joists, maximizing headroom in the first-floor living room.

The first phase of the project involved opening up the kitchen to the living spaces, and connecting the rooms.

This remodeled kitchen features Silestone countertops and backsplashes paired wood cabinetry with laminates.

This light, airy, state-of-the-art kitchen sits at the front of the home, looking into the living area. Gaggenau appliances pair with a dramatic, stainless-steel oven hood. A bright yellow wall sculpture by Brad Howe channels the sun, adding visual interest, while white Corian countertops keeps the space feeling sleek.

White laminate cabinets are the perfect solution to keep costs down for the small, open kitchen in this Madrid apartment.

Bathroom finishes are an inversion of the darker palette in the main spaces, using a white reconstituted stone counter atop a laminate cabinet, with blackbutt shelves and brass faucets.

The minimalist kitchen features an array of lighting: can lights integrated into the ceiling as well as pendants.

Natalie and Lauren opted for high-quality finishes to ensure the kitchen would stand up to many years of use.

Made from Kartell’s signature plastic, the Charles Ghost Stool features a shape that evokes stools made in the 1800s, while offering a decidedly modern slant.

Organization is critical in keeping the Tatami House’s minimalist vibe intact. Shoko keeps the kitchen drawers tidy.