[ETERNAL WARMING]

Have you considered Venetian Plaster as a finish? It's cheap but has an expensive look, a bit time consuming, but can be done in increments. I'm doing my entire livingroom, diningroom and kitchen. It looks awesome.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Forgot to add that as long as it's waterproof, it can be done over just about any surface. The house we bought is straight out of the 70s with ugly brown paneling everywhere. I'm going right over the paneling and so far, it's working beautifully. If you've been in the Venetian in Las Vegas, just about every wall is done in that exact technique.