Please note: This article may contain affiliate links. All recommendations and styling advice are provided as helpful suggestions only, please always research thoroughly before making any major changes to your home.
Photo credit: with permission from Linnéa Manaberi via Instagram (@creamandnavy)
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all afford to make our homes look as gorgeous as the ones we see on Pinterest? Gorgeous architectural details, high-end furniture and stylish accessories are on the top of all of our wish-lists, but it can be really hard to create the look you're going for when you're on a budget.
Don't throw in the towel just yet, though. Here are a few clever tricks you can try if you want to make your home look expensive on a budget...
Puddle Your Curtains
This is a super-simple tip and one you can put into practice room by room as your budget allows. When it comes to hanging curtains, you can instantly make them look more expensive (and make your room look more luxurious) if you buy them in a longer length than you actually need. But, don't cut them down to size - instead, let them puddle on the floor to give the impression of excess and decadence.
And, hang your curtains higher than you need to - positioning the curtain pole higher than the window frame will make your ceilings look much higher, which will lend instant luxe to your home. Hanging them a little wider than you need will also make your windows look more generous, too.
Choose Paint Carefully
The paint on your walls is likely to be one of the first things you and other people will notice about your home. So, make sure your home is decorated in a colour you consider to be sophisticated (here's how), and try to use paints with the highest concentrations of pigments you can afford. It will make the paint colour look stronger, and you'll also use less of it on every wall.
Just bear in mind that you don't have to use the paint on every inch of every room. Instead, keep costs down by using paint to make interesting focal points if you can't afford expensive alternatives. For example, you could paint half a wall if you don't have fancy architectural features, or you could paint a feature wall to draw attention to a space if you can't afford to hang artwork on it.
Photo credit: with permission from Evgeniya via Instagram (@foxyandbrass) | Please note that this post contains affiliate links
Invest in Storage
Next up, if you want your home to look expensive on a budget, give a bit of thought to your storage solutions in every room. We all know that furniture can be expensive (and it can be hard to find enough space to fit in freestanding furniture in most homes in the UK), so look for cheaper alternatives.
For example, wicker baskets, IKEA shelving or small pieces of furniture that double as storage solutions (such as footstools that lift to reveal a cavity inside) are all things that you should be keeping your eyes peeled for. And the reason? Well, it's because you'll need somewhere to put all your 'stuff'.
Decluttering is precisely what gives a home that Pinteresty-feel... after all, how often do you see TV remotes, piles of bank letters or a mountain of laundry when you're pinning gorgeous interiors to your inspiration boards? This home tour is a great example of how storage can really help a small space to look ultra-sophisticated.
Camouflage Your TV
Similarly to the point above, you don't often see a big black TV taking centre stage on all those Pinterest photos, do you? Instantly make your interior look more expensive by cleverly incorporating your TV into the rest of your room.
This might mean hiding it within built-in storage if you're lucky enough to have built-in cupboards, or simply building shelving around it so that it blends in with your books, accessories and decorative items. If you can't do either of those things, hanging art work near your TV and in other places around the same room (of roughly the same height and width) will give your eye more than one place to settle on, which is a good way to draw attention away from your TV.
Photo credit: with permission from Evgeniya via Instagram (@foxyandbrass) | Please note that this post contains affiliate links
Think About Texture
Finally, texture plays a central role in making a home look expensive on a budget. Some textures are more luxurious than others, such as velvet, silk or marble, but you don't have to splash too much cash on the real stuff.
Instead, look for marble effect worktops and side tables, or treat yourself to a few jewel-coloured cushions that look pricier than they actually are for the same effect.
Do you have any good tips for making your home look expensive on a budget? I'm all ears!
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