Here are many inexpensive ways to give the perception of luxury; little things that go a long way!
My Number #1 Tip to Make Your Home Look More Expensive? Scale Up.
Your eyes don’t lie. You will know when a picture looks lost on a gallery wall, when it’s too small and just not sitting proportionally accurate with its surroundings, and it makes you feel a little uneasy. This is an interior design principle of proportion and scale.
One of the biggest tips I can give to give for how to make your space look more expensive is: go big! If you’re unsure of the size of something, scale it up. Scaling up ads adds confidence to a scheme. Impact and a strong statement are how to make your house look expensive on a budget. If your room feels a little cramped to begin with, and you like to create the perception of roominess, I have an entire post dedicated simply making your rooms look bigger. I will tell you about my cheat sheet with room-specific options for your bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Read on!
What makes a house feel luxurious? You don’t have to splash the cash! Here are ways to make your home look expensive on a budget.
Window Treatment Solutions to Make Your Home Look More Expensive
1 – Double Up Your Window Treatments
Double up your window treatments (increase the width by 1.5, 2 or 2.5 times the width of the window), without the need to go custom. You could head to Ikea, but double up and use two panels per, and stack-back, and this will increase the curtains volume and make your home look expensive on a budget.
2 – Hang them wide + High!
Hanging your curtains high increases the perception of how high the ceiling is, and positioning them broader than the window will increase the perception of width, making your space look and feel bigger and more impactful. Remember: Go big!
3 – Go Full Length
Full-length curtains make a space feel more high-end, polished, and luxurious. Puddling curtains on the floor can also be an elegant touch. For instance, you could add 5 inches max to the finished length, but it depends on your desired look. It could be a little less!
4 – Layer Up
Layer your window treatments. I love layering up floor-to-ceiling window treatments. Here are the steps to create a layered look:
Recess fit a roller blind so that it is hidden.
Purchase a double pole for effortless chic.
Hang two panels on one pole for your main curtains
Hang a wide width non-directional voile (say up to 280” wide that you can run horizontally without the need for joins i.e. railroaded)
Et voila! a high-end elegant layered look without the custom layered-up price tag
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18 Accessories, Fabrics and Finishes to Consider
1 – A Little High End Goes a Long Way
Use high-end materials where you can. Think about marble, antique gold, leather, crystal, or solid wood. They all mark the feeling of luxury and are a great addition in small quantities. A little goes a long way.
2 – Voluptuous Velvet
Use luxurious velvets for upholstery and soft furnishings. Velvet is known for its smooth texture and elegant look. Velvets made with synthetic materials (instead of natural silk or cotton) are generally relatively inexpensive and more durable.
Many companies are introducing intelligent velvets designed to resist liquids, crushes, and marks, which can often adversely affect shine and luster. The design style is essential here. I prefer flat velvets over crushed velvets for timeless elegance. Classic never dates, whereas trends do. Crushed velvet is a trend, not a classic.
3 – Mix Up the Materials
Concerning fabrics, an easy way to add an extra dimension to your space is to think about mixing up your textiles. Using the same materials for your headboard, curtains and occasional seating will make your space feel flat and uninteresting.
4 – Definitely Down
Always use down-filled cushion inners rather than polyester. They are easier to style and won’t flatten like polyester inners.
5 – Go Vintage
Buying a vintage rug makes your space look chic. Adding a period piece to a room adds an instant elegance and ups the expense factor over a more contemporary graphic motif or patterned rug, making it a remarkable statement.
6 – Classic + Timeless
Stick to classic designs such as a geometrically precise Herringbone pattern. It is often seen in floorings such as Parquet or used as a laying pattern in tiles and splashbacks, and it is an elegant and timeless addition to a space.
7 – A Neutral Base
Create a neutral base. Using an all-neutral color scheme in your home is classy and sophisticated, allowing your design choices to take center stage and have more impact. Less is more.
8 – Muted Colors
If you’re opting for color in your home, use muted color combinations. Muted color combinations are more subtle and less loud than bright, vivid, and saturated color combos.
Try using Farrow and Ball colors for any deep, saturated or a sublime sophistication color you may need.
9 – Convincing Custom
Rather than contrasting items against your walls, match items to your wall color for a custom look and feel. Think: bookcases or radiators painted the same way, making them disappear or feel as though they’re part of the wall This considerably adds a custom feel,
10 – Work The Walls
A great way to make your room feel more expensive is to try and make your eyes travel up the walls. Using wall art, hangings, all will help to give the room a little height and the overall finished feel of the space.
11 – Make Your Home Look More Expensive by Supersizing
On the subject of art, if in doubt, go large. (as I have been suggesting)! You can do this by supersizing your pieces of art or supersizing the frame and mounting. This will make your artwork feel high-end and important.
12 – How To Make Your Home Look Expensive with Decorative Molding
Add cornice and decorative molding to a space is instant grandeur and make a room look more luxurious. If plaster cornice and molding is blowing the budget, think about Orac® Lightweight, Polyurethane cornice and decorative moldings.
13 – Make Your Home Look More Expensive with Perfect Paneling
Add molding or decorative wood trim. A design trend all its own, floor-to-ceiling paneling. Decorative molding or wood trim can be used to add a little interest and sophistication to your walls.
14 – Seduce with Scent
Often overlooked, Involve all your senses in the room and select a luxurious scent. Scent powerfully affects the ambience and mood of any space and can instantly transport you to any destination. Reeds, diffusers, candles, and essential oils are all fabulous choices.
15 – Go Green
Add flowers and a little greenery. Want to stretch the budget? Separate a shop-bought bouquet and create several small arrangements to dot around your home. A careful choice of slim-neck vases can maximize the impact of your bouquet and have a huge effect on your home. Take thrifting one step further and head into your garden for foliage and green appeal.
16 – Make Your Home Look More Expensive Layer Up Your Lighting
Want to add ambience and sophistication? Then think about all your lighting sources. Don’t rely on a single lighting source in your spaces; you need ambient, task, and accent.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for around 5 – 7 types in each room, covering the three categories. Looking for affordable lighting ideas? check out my blog:
17 – Clear The Clutter
Clutter creates chaos. Pare down your possessions to up the elegance in your home, and make your home look more classic. A few chic, quality pieces will make your space look more elevated. Struggling with your “clear the clutter” crusade? Read my blog on www.judithsutton.com for help.
18 – Fake With Faux
Choose wallcoverings (bold patterns or textures), and want to elevate further? Choose covering all walls. If your budget doesn’t stretch to natural grass cloth or silk, there are so many gorgeous faux vinyl alternatives to feast your eyes on.