9 Secrets and cheap tricks to make your home look expensive
Whether you're looking to fix up your home to put it on the market or just want to make it look smart, you don't have to spend a lot to get big results. Here are 9 inexpensive ways to make your home look more expensive. Low cost, high impact.
We all want to add value to our homes. After all, property is one of the best investments so why not make the most of it. The rule of thumb when it comes to adding value is to utilise what you already have. Any additions that are too costly might not bring you much of a return when you sell, so work with the space and think how it could be transformed to make it more useful.
1) Minimise
No space will look expensive if it’s left unkempt or messy. Stay on top of any dust and be sure to minimise clutter, keeping countertops, sofas and coffee tables free of unnecessary junk.
Minimalism is Your Friend
Buying fewer pieces is inherently cheaper than buying more pieces, and, fortunately for those of us on a tight budget, we live in a time when minimalism is coveted. While it’s nice to have a dining table and chairs, bench, buffet table, bar cart, rug, art and a chandelier in a dining room, all you really need is a table and a place to sit (and maybe a place for cocktails). The resulting look will be dreamily spare—and much cheaper.
Clutter and mess are decidedly un-chic. It's one thing to have a generously styled bookshelf or mantlepiece, but too much stuff can look cheap and chaotic. Pare down your accessories and edit your collected possessions to just those few favourites for a look that feels elevated and classic.
2) Mirrors on the wall
Adding large mirrors to your wall will instantly open up a room.
A general rule is to put them across from a room’s entrance to create the illusion of a larger space. Large metal frames without glass can also be replaced with corkboard and used as a luxurious message board.
3) Update OLD fixtures
For a quick and inexpensive way to update the look of your kitchen or bathroom 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. Don't waste your money on these unreasonably expensive everyday products.
4) Create DIY "built-in" structures
Fake an expensive built-in look with this inexpensive trick: Use several bookcases to create the look of floor to ceiling built-ins. Do a web search for IKEA bookshelf hacks and you’ll find plenty of ideas to consider. Or build the bookshelves yourself.
The key to making any piece, from bookshelves to kitchen cabinets, look custom is to have them fit into your home perfectly. The easiest way to achieve this look is to have them extend all the way from floor to ceiling. A bookshelf that spans an entire wall will almost always look more expensive than one that stands alone. Luckily, with a bit of forward planning, this project can be tackled in one or two weekends.
5) Hang art on the walls
Another easy and affordable home decor idea for your living room and bedroom is to hang unique art pieces on the walls.
From family photos to DIY art, framed works can make a house feel like a home. Before mounting any work, homeowners should figure out where everything should be placed and the proper way to hang it. Make sure the art you select is the right size and scale for the wall you're decorating, and remember you don't need artwork on every empty wall. If you feel creative, a great way to get inexpensive artwork is to create your own. Head to your local craft store and you can find everything you need to create a beautiful canvas or framed custom artwork.
5) White white white
When in doubt, go with white. The colour opens up a space, and will make a room feel clean.
It also lends itself to easily creating a focal point in a room, whether it’s a particular chair in a contrasting colour, or a beautiful picture on the wall. A white room also attracts natural light, and is a quick fix for overhead light fixtures during the day.
6) Rugs
Ground your furniture with a statement-making rug.
Not only does it bring everything together, but it also lays the foundation and really sets the stage for the rest of the room. An area rug adds much-needed warmth, texture, and colour, and the larger the rug (and more of your furniture arrangement you are able to comfortably include on it) the more custom and luxurious it will look.
Even if you have a rental apartment with carpeting, adding a rug on top will help define different spaces and add that certain something.
7) The illusion of high ceilings
Many luxurious and expensive homes have high ceilings and are luckily flooded with natural light.
Fool the eye and get the look by hanging your drapery and hardware as high and close to the ceiling as possible—never directly above the window frame. This will draw the eye up and give the appearance of a loftier space.
8) Illuminate with lighting
Let there be light! An easy and cost-friendly trick to make a room in your home look more expensive is by incorporating lighting pieces that are interesting and expressive.
Lean toward pieces with an interesting shape, finish or design detail, focusing on attention-grabbing lighting that will make a statement in a room. Arrange the lighting in various heights and bulb sizes to create a dramatic effect that eliminates unflattering shadows.
What about LED lightbulbs, as they are cost and energy efficient as well as long-lasting, eliminating the effort of replacing your bulbs frequently.
9) Plants
Stop and smell the roses by incorporating fresh flowers and greenery into your home.
Flowers are an easy and inexpensive way to add a pop of colour and texture into various rooms in your home. By adding a decorative vase, filled with store-bought or local garden flowers, you add a level of hospitality and comfort to your space.
Since the cost of buying fresh flower arrangements can add up, try your hand at arranging your own bouquet from grocery store flowers. Not only is it easy and inexpensive, you’ll be able to show off your amateur arrangement skills to your friends and family.
If you’re looking for more neutral colours in your home, try buying greenery, which not only allows more decorative opportunity, it’s also pretty easy to care for – even if you don’t have a green thumb!
If you would like some advice on redecorating your home and what your buyers want then feel free to get in touch.
Take care,
The Alexanders Team.