You don’t have to break the bank to give your home a high-end look. These tips below will help you save up and refresh your house
Add a Pop of Color
“Paint is extremely inexpensive and makes a big difference,” says Keysha Jillian, lead interior designer and owner of K. Jillian Designs, based in Tampa, Florida. “Whether you need to tone down a color or add a bold color to liven up your space, color is great for changing the overall feel of a room.” A nice wash of color might only cost around $31.99 for a gallon.
Pick Towels You’re Actually Excited to Use
It’s time to get rid of those dingy old bath towels—discolored whites and bleach-stained colors make your space look dirty and cheap. See what else you need to toss, too.
“Proudly display crisp white, fluffy towels like the kind you would find in a fancy hotel or spa,” says Drew Henry, founder of design firm Design Dudes. “This will immediately trigger a feeling for your guests, and they will have a more luxurious feeling towards the space.”
Swap Out Your Throw Pillows
Throw pillows are an easy way to accessorize and brighten a room, whether you buy them or make your own. Jillian says homeowners should throw out their older throw pillows and replace them with bright, fuller pillows—or just buy crisp new pillow covers. “Mix and match colors and textures, and blend different groupings,” she says. But more is not better. “There can be too many pillows, so make sure you don’t go overboard.”
Accent with Accessories
Magazines are a great source of home decorating ideas and inspiration for how to accessorize a room. However, homeowners should expect to shop around for a budget-friendly version of anything they see in a design magazine. “Accessories vary significantly in cost, but if you’re looking for a great deal there are plenty of discount home stores that offer stupendous finds, says Jillian. “My ‘go-to’ store for a lot of home design items (especially for clients on a budget) is HomeGoods.”
Update Old Fixtures
A quick and easy way to decorate on a dime is to update old fixtures, especially in the kitchen. Knobs, handles, drawer pulls, and light switch plates are small, inexpensive details that give your home a high-end sheen.
Add Voluminous Accessories
Expensive items tend to have weight and volume to them (that’s why heavier gold bangles appear more luxurious than lighter ones that feel like—and possibly are—made of plastic). Avoid flimsiness at all costs: add an extra panel of curtains to your curtain rod, and search for quality carpets and throw blankets that great to the touch. Additionally, accessorize with weighty accent pieces; vases, picture frames, and ornaments should all feel like they’ve got something to them.
Create Your Own Statement Artwork
If your room lacks a preexisting focal point, create one using artwork. One option is to create a multi-panel piece (one picture blown up and printed onto three panels hung next to each other) or a gallery-type display of frames.
Keep Your Home Clean
Follow the rule of threes (objects look best when organized in odd numbers, especially threes) and leave a generous amount of white space on your walls and surfaces. When it comes to looking luxe, less is always more. File paperwork out of sight, find a home for everything and clear the clutter.
Pick Basic Bedding
You might think deep-hued satins would be key to an expensive-looking bedding set, but keeping it simple will make the room seem bigger since the bed takes up so much space. “Keep the duvet covers white and you’ll instantly feel the lightness of the room,” says Isobel McKenzie, editor of interior design site NONAGON.style. Bonus: Whites can handle hotter temperatures, so that deep clean will make sheets look extra-crisp, she says
Up the Fluff Factor
An inexpensive throw pillow will seem so much more luxurious when you replace the original insides with a feather insert. “They just look and feel so much better than foam,” says Cummings.
Pick Basic Dishes
Shelling out on fine china isn’t the only way to create a stunning table setting. “White dishes … have a low price tag with a high impact,” says Henry. Pair them with gold flatware for a trendy, high-brow look.
Show Off Wood Floors
Replace carpeting with hardwood floors to make your space feel bigger, suggests Hairston. “Carpet tends to trap in dust and particulates and absorbs moisture which can leave an odor,” she says. “Hard surface flooring is easier to clean, is allergy-friendly, and can provide a more updated and modern look to your home.” Layered area rugs will add more visual interest than floor-to-floor carpeting.
Try Luxe Paint Treatments
Instead of sticking to interior eggshell paints, opt for a special paint treatment in a few key spots in your home. With finishes like metallic stripes, sandstone, random rectangles, textured sand and brushed suede, to name a few, you’ll create a purposeful and elegant look that will draw the eye exactly where you want it to go.
Stick With the Classics
Have you ever noticed how most high-end homes are flooded with neutrals? This is because neutrals feel calm and classic. Bring high style to rooms by choosing neutral hues for anything that’s expensive to update, such as floors, fixtures, and upholstery, and using accessories to introduce bold colors and textures; a neutral base lets hotter hues take center stage.
Mother Nature
Let a local nature feature that you love, especially one that you already encourage outside your home, like birds, bunnies, herbs or flowers, inspire your entryway design. Use this feature to guide all your entryway décor decisions. Buy wall decor, frames and other compatible entryway items to create a unified space. This helps link your entryway to nature and gives you focus.
Choose a Stylish Rug
Don’t skimp on the entryway rug. Instead, seek out a charming antique rug that complements your flooring. Or, you may prefer a simpler design or a single, bold color. The key is to avoid a boring “welcome” mat or a rug that screams, “I’m the rug you should wipe your feet on because I was cheap and I’m not very attractive.” Save that for outside, and make a welcoming statement when guests walk inside. If you’d like people to remove their shoes indoors but don’t want to be rude, set up a basket of miscellaneous slippers and keep a few pairs of shoes near it and most guests will get the message.
Small Room Ideas: Choose a Light Color Scheme
Dark colors are a no-no in small rooms. As suggested, lighter color palettes cast the illusion of a larger area. Dark color schemes, although trendy and design-friendly, are best used in larger areas. When dark color schemes are used in smaller rooms, it can create a suffocating feeling as though the walls are closing in on what is already a space-challenged room.
Switch Out a Bulb
Try a lower-wattage bulb to change a room’s mood. You can go from bright to romantic in moments. Another fun idea is to swap out an old bulb with a new Edison bulb to give your decor a retro spin. Does your favorite lamp need some work?
Hanging Wall Bookcase: Suspended Bookshelves
The steel cable and shaft collars add style and strength to this bookshelf. Build this simple set of book or display shelves in a single weekend. They’re strong and stylish. By changing materials or finishes you can easily customize them to fit the décor of any room.
Natural Brick
Exposed brick has long been a coveted accent wall material in old buildings and lofts. The great news is, brick veneer has come a long way and is available in almost any style from modern to antique for a fraction of the price of the real thing.
