Hello Lovelies!

Let’s be honest, not everyone can afford luxurious (expensive) décor or an interior designer, but many want to have that luxury feel in their home. If you’re one of those people, you are in luck! In this article, I will make a few suggestions to decorate your home and make it look luxurious while keeping the bank account happy. Yes, you can decorate on a budget and get some of that seemingly unattainable luxury look!

My recommendations can also work for those of you, who like me, already have decorated your home but are looking for a few suggestions to update and uplift the look without necessarily restarting from scratch.  

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK LUXURIOUS ON A BUDGET?

Without further ado, here are a few great ideas to make your home feel more luxurious while keeping the piggybank happy.

  1. Make the best of your curtains

Curtains aren’t just used to get privacy, cover hideous views, and/or manage sunlight. They are also used to create optical illusions that your ceilings look higher than they actually are, which will add an extra glam factor. The way to achieve it is by putting the curtains as high as possible above the window, even if the window isn’t that high. Don’t be afraid to put the rod as high as the ceiling and the curtains wider than the window, it will give that dramatic effect to the room. You can also use heavy drapery to add more to the luxury feel.  

  1. Flowers

Flowers add that “je ne sais quoi” to the room and have that glamorous effect on a room. Obviously, real flowers are preferable and do give those amazing scents, however, not everyone can afford real flowers all the time (tends to get pricy). Nowadays, they make great and realistic-looking fake flowers that will have the same visual effect on your space, you will find that they are great and are low maintenance. Just dust them every now and then and you’re all good to go!

GREAT TIP: To make your space seem even more expensive, you can put the flowers in a beautiful elegant vase, and that my friend, will do the trick! 

3.   Give your furniture a new life

If you are buying new furniture, pick airy and expensive-looking furniture (while staying within your budget). However, if you already have furniture and just want to shake it up a bit to add a more luxurious look, you can:

·      Put wallpaper on the back wall of your bookcase.

·      Repaint/stain your existing furniture.

·      Use wishy-washy tape to add geometric shapes to your drawers

·      Dress up your bookshelves with elegant décor items and plants

·      Change your bedding to a more glamorous one

·      Change the shades on your lamps

·      Add light strips under your cabinets and dark corners

·      Reframe your mirror

Most importantly, don’t give up your taste, in every design style there’s a luxurious level, it doesn’t have to be minimalistic or contemporary to look expensive.

Furniture 3
  1. Play with different textures

Texture can change the way your space looks, by combining different textures you will be making your room look more expensive, layered, and well thought. You can start with just different texture pillows, fake fur, leather, velvet, etc. Be daring and use different colors! Another non-permanent way of adding texture is wall art, there are 3D feel paintings, metallic structures, fabric art, wallpaper, stones, etc. This also a lot of potential in rugs, you can find all sorts of textured rugs and if you don’t think it’s enough, don’t hesitate to layer another rug on top. You can also, play around with throw blankets and hardware.

Don’t forget to keep this concept in mind when giving your furniture a lift and have fun with it!

  1. Add mirrors 

When I think of luxury homes, I think of oversized mirrors! Yes, they’re amazing to look at your head-to-toe outfit but they also do WONDERS for a space, all of which add a luxurious feel to your home. A tall mirror can make the ceiling seems higher than it is by drawing the eyes upward. A mirror that is put facing a window will successfully brighten up a room by reflecting the natural light into the room. Of course, let’s not forget the impact of an elegant and beautiful mirror frame and how expensive it makes the whole room look.

GREAT TIP: if you can’t get an oversized mirror, don’t be afraid to combine small mirrors together, it will achieve the same goals and cost a fraction of the price. 

  1. Paint walls and create feature walls

What has the most visual impact on a room? YES, you guessed it: PAINT!

The colors you choose for your walls can make or break a room. Whether you want to paint half the wall one color and the top half in a shade of white to give the illusion of higher ceilings or reverse the order and make your room look wider. Adding wood bars on the ceiling perimeter and painting them the same color as the ceiling to create a molding, which adds a luxurious feel to the room and increases the ceiling height. You can be creative and play with color and texture to achieve the desired look. Most importantly, when choosing a wall paint color, think of the overall feel of the room and pick the color that makes all those expensive-looking items pop!

Another way to use paint is to create a glam-looking room by having a feature wall. Paint one of the walls a different color or add wood bars and paint over them to give a 3D geometric look to the room. This focal point will tie the room together and make it look more expensive.

GREAT TIP: make sure your walls are not too busy, (i.e. don’t try to do it all in one wall, or do it all on all the walls) choose wisely, as it may have the inverse effect on the room and make it look cheap and tacky.

  1. Change air vents, switches, and wall plugs

Old-looking/yellow-ish air vents, switches, and wall sockets can kill your room design. If you are able to, I strongly suggest that you upgrade them to newer and more modern ones. These upgrades are super cheap and can be done in a few minutes. You can also take the opportunity to get smart outlets and switches to save energy and use all the cool features that come with it!

GREAT TIP: If you are painting your walls, install these after you are done painting to avoid any paint spills on your new parts. 

  1. Use Area rugs

Make rugs your best friends! These can be very helpful in small places, they help separate areas of an open space (e.g. living and dining room) which makes rooms seem bigger. Apart from the functionality of the area rugs, they help tie up the room together, you can use them to add texture, add a pop of color or soften harsh colors and shapes. I personally LOVE the machine-washable ones, fewer design options (though there are more and more by the day), but great in terms of maintenance.

My biggest advice in terms of rugs is you should put a little more money and get a proper size rug for the space. Small rugs can take that amazing design look and crush it if they are too small for the space. For instance, when choosing a rug for the dining room, the rule of thumb here is to pull out all the chairs as if you are going to sit and that is how big the rug should be. However, I know that rugs can get expensive especially larger ones, so, you can achieve the same finish by layering smaller rugs to cover the space. The layers can also add dimension and textures to your room.

The best part is that all these functionalities of the area rugs add a more luxurious feel to the room!

  1. Update old hardware

Another quick way to make a room look more expensive is by changing the hardware, you know: knobs, pulls, hinges. You don’t need to be a handyman or an experienced DIYer, all you need is a drill, new hardware (super cheap, by the way), and a few minutes. The easiest way of doing these upgrades is by getting hardware that fits in the holes already existing from your previous hardware. For example, if you have a knob that only requires one hole, then you should get a knob or a pull that only requires one screw. However, don’t let that stop you from getting what you want. If you like that oversized pull that requires more holes or if you would like to place it on a different level, all you have to do is drill new holes and if necessary fill the no-longer-needed holes with a wood filler. Trust me, extremely easy to install and have a huge impact on a room and when you choose the right ones for your space it can make the whole room seem more expensive!

  1. Use peel and stick wall and tile decor

Are you in a rental or don’t want the commitment of repainting or reflooring? Worry no further, peel and stick to the rescue! These are non-permanent upgrades that will give a new life to old floors, ceramic tiles, and walls. They are very easy to install, just like it says in the name, all you have to do is peel it and stick it. If you don’t like it, peel it right off!

GREAT TIP: Make sure you read the description of the product and get the waterproof/resistant especially if these will go in the kitchen, bathroom, or floors. 

  1. Replace your old storage containers with uniform ones

Though you probably have your pantry, countertops or cabinets very well organized and clean, one more step to making your interior seem well thought and look expensive is to have uniform storage containers. It doesn’t have to be expensive fancy containers, you can just get containers for cheap, there are even some nice ones at the dollar store! That uniform look will give an extra glam and collected look to the entire room. Mismatched containers can make the space appear messy and cheap.

  1. Group your items in vignettes

Do you salivate when you see those beautiful vignettes in interior design pictures, a beautiful tray with a vase, candles, unique décor pieces, all tied together with a nice mirror behind? Guess what? You can do it too!! All you have to do is gather a set of items that go together in one spot and BAM! You got it. This will add elegance and luxury to your space. The best part is, it does NOT have to be expensive, you can repurpose items that were on your shelves or buy items from thrift stores and discount stores. If you are not sure what items to put together, you can always get inspiration from designer looks.

Luxury does not necessarily mean expensive! You can make your home look expensive on a budget, by repurposing your existing items and furniture, painting, and making quick DIY upgrades.

Alright, my lovelies, there you have it, my tips and tricks for making your home look more expensive regardless of how big your budget is. Don’t break the bank if you don’t have to! You can either decide to use all these tips or mix and match depending on your Interior design needs, preferences and budget.

 

Try my tips and let me know how it looks!

 

Don’t forget to tell me if you enjoyed this post and if you found it helpful in the comment section. Also, if you have any additional tips don’t hesitate to write them down as well.

Do you have an interior design question?
or
Are you looking for advice on a specific issue?

Please send me an email or write to me on Facebook/Instagram and it would be my pleasure to help you out. Cannot wait to hear from you! 

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26 Comments

  1. avatar

    Great post, thank you for showing me how to look expensive on a budget.

    1. avatar

      My pleasure! I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂

  2. avatar

    I wish this 2022 to afford to buy a small modern house so I can decor like in your blog. hehe

    1. avatar

      heheh! All fingers crossed for you! But keep in mind, you can do versions of these tips for any space 🙂

  3. avatar

    I love me a decor blog great tips thanks for sharing!

    1. avatar

      Thank you for your feedback Sara 🙂

  4. avatar

    Love these ideas! I especially love using flowers to help elevate a room! Thanks for sharing!

    1. avatar

      Thank you, Carrie! I am glad you found it helpful. I love mixing up living, dried, and fake flowers/plants to add different textures and styles!

  5. avatar

    Awesome post! saved it for later. definitely have to try some of these great tips and ideas. Thank you

    1. avatar

      Thank you Nisee! I’m happy you found it helpful! 🙂

  6. avatar

    Love this! I’m always trying to find ways to make my house look fabulous without spending a fortune.

    1. avatar

      Thank you Rachel! I refuse to spend too much on deco, especially when there are fabulous alternatives 🙂

  7. avatar

    Some great tips here, thanks for sharing! I love flowers and buy them every week. I think they add so much beauty to the room 🙂

    1. avatar

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Yes, flowers can do wonders and add life!

  8. avatar

    Fresh flowers are one of my favorite ways to “wake up” a room, and make me feel better, even if it’s just some dandelions my kid picked for me.

    1. avatar

      Yes! Flowers add life, I love putting some in my office to give me a lift when it gets hard to concentrate. And your kid is ADORABLE! Mom goals right there!

  9. avatar

    I’m loving this post! We recently moved and I’ve yet to decorate since our budget is so tight. This has given me many ideas!

    1. avatar

      I’m glad you can use my tips! And don’t be afraid to mix and match and add pops of your personality to it!

  10. avatar

    These are great tips! Since I live in a townhouse, I don’t have any windows on the side that is attached to the next unit. So I have some mirrors hung on that side to reflect the light from the windows opposite them. Not only do they break up a blank wall, but they really do make the space brighter, even on cloudy days.

    1. avatar

      Yes! Same for me, I have THE long windowless hallway, I understand the struggle! Plus, I love changing a bit of the frame, spray-paint it, change the texture, etc. It turns a basic mirror into a statement piece!

  11. avatar

    These are great things to know. I am going to try.

    1. avatar

      Thank you Farah! I’m happy you enjoyed it!

  12. avatar

    All great tips! It’s amazing what an area rug does to tie a room together.

    1. avatar

      Yes! You can do so much with a rug and it changes the decor, I use mine to add pops of colors to the room as well!

  13. avatar

    Love the mirrors idea! Defo feels like it “opens out” the room!

    1. avatar

      Yes, Mirrors can do wonders! 🙂

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I'm Nelly, writer, artist, designer, property manager, and interior design and lifestyle blogger. I currently have a full-time job and I am a part-time University student for Masters Degree, but as if that doesn't keep me busy enough, I still make time to start design projects, write, paint and blog. I've always been the creative type and I cannot sit still to save my life! Fortunately, my creative projects actually relax me, which helps balance my overwhelming academic and professional life.

I am a DIY kind of person, if I can do it, why spend on labor? besides, most of the time, I actually enjoy being a handywoman! So, "why blogging?" you asked? Well, when my parents bought a cottage, I offered my services to renovate and redecorate it to represent them and to make sure they feel at home while sticking to the agreed-upon budget.

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