Making a home look expensive primarily comes down to the materials you use and how you dress your space. But you don’t have to spend tons of money to make the inside of your home look more expensive. Here are some tips to help you nail affordable luxury.
Declutter your home. OK, no surprise with this tip since we are also home organizers. The fact is, clutter cheapens the look of your home. Decluttering is the easiest, most affordable and quickest way to make your space feel more luxurious. How do you keep a home decluttered? Our golden rules are: Put like with like; everything needs a home; make tidying a habit; bring order to daily routines. And finally, let your space define how much you can have. Want to learn more? Check out our blog Simple Tips to Stay Organized.
Fake custom curtains. Custom drapery makes a home look finished and luxe but it is a big splurge. You can find ready made versions that look custom, but at a fraction of the cost. These heavy, linen blend, pleated panels from Amazon come in tons of colors and sizes. Hang your curtains the way a custom workroom would between the top of the window frame and the crown molding or ceiling. Make sure the drapery “kisses the floor”. If needed, go up a length size and hem or pick up some stitch-witchery and use an iron to glue up the hem.
Source: The Spruce/Jason Donnelly
Upgrade your hardware. The devil is in the details. Swapping out old hardware in your kitchen, bathroom and beyond, can quickly elevate your spaces. Try pulls instead of knobs or antique bronze instead of satin nickel. You can find beautiful, expensive-looking pulls and knobs online and even at the big box stores. Here is one of our favorite, well priced, online sources.
Doors are often overlooked in the decorating process, although they can really impact the overall look and feel of a space. If you are tired of builders-grade brushed nickel knobs, there are many possibilities to breathe new life into your doors. One of my favorites is this vintage style glass door knob with black base. Just remember, like cabinet pulls and knobs, a door’s hardware style should be complementary to the style of the space.
Source: Rejuvenation
Swap out outdated lighting. Lighting is often considered the jewelry of the room, for good reason. Swap out those basic lights with something more expensive looking like this or this. Layering a combination of ambient, task and accent lights not only makes for a cozier space, it adds a layer of elegance as well. Don’t be afraid to go big with your lighting design choices. Large-scale pendants and chandeliers command attention and can often make a space look larger and more luxurious. As a final bonus, give your light switches a new life. Toss the old plastic covers and treat yourself to new ones of beautiful metal or cover them with wallpaper.
Source: Feather Hill Designs
Go big with art. Expensive homes tend to focus on statement pieces, such as one large piece of artwork. You can get impressive pieces on Etsy, thrift stores, and even big box stores like HomeGoods without breaking the bank. Another way to mimic overscale pieces is to get some matching frames and make a mural of smaller artworks. How you hang your artwork (don’t hang it too low!) and light your artwork (we love to add a picture light) also affects how luxe it will look.
Source: K+CO Living