What can I do with this to make it less less cheap

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/how-to-paint-a-faux-wood-grain

I had a bookshelf I picked up for one of my daughters that was that material. I used rustoleum enamel gloss paint and sprayed it. It took several cans for an even coat, but looked way better in the end

Try Varnish to give it more character.............

Depends on the look you are going for. Are you a shabby Chic person, traditional, contemporary what?

Shabby Chic - clean with TSP, prime in color you will be painting it and then paint base color let dry lightly sand paint top coat slightly brighter lightly sand and then clear coat. You can add deco trim as well before paint. If you want to do gel stains instead of paint this works too. Milk paint and Chalk paint are very popular these days.

Traditional- add deco trim gel stain and add a small cameo for point of interest.

Contemporary- Choose the look you are going for, color and trim wise, there are lots of different types of trim for different looks. I suggest paint in contemporary colors, adding touches of silver or burnished bronze, I would stay away from anything that is in the 80"s colors like gold.

Not fond of the paint they used but this is a great jumping off point....https://www.pinterest.com/pin/577727458420874163/

Paint it a glorious color-- spray paint will do. Look for some small trim at the local Hobby Lobby or home center and add that to the piece. You can go monotone with the whole piece or really jazz it up with an ombre effect or contrasting colors on the trim.

I would use wood veneer (love CEDAN - very easy to install). Choose your essence, your stain and your finish (varnish, wax, oil, etc.) You could also add some moulding that would fit your decor (victorian, farmhouse, zen, etc.).

Good luck with your projetc!