Still think luxury is synonymous with a lot of money? It doesn’t have to be. With a few clever makeover hacks, you can give your home a luxurious look and feel, without burning a hole through your savings. With a good understanding of lighting, colors, fabrics, furnishings, and storage, you can turn your modest home into a sweet haven of comfortable luxury, on a limited budget.
One of the quickest ways to instantly uplift a home is by adding a few coats of paint. The critical thing to remember however is to choose the right colors for the right finish. Choose light pastel colors for a bright, spacious look, especially if the room is on the smaller side or poorly lit. In places where you want the space to feel subtle, more calm and neutral, use darker, earthier colors. Experiment with the idea of an accent wall where you paint just one wall with a contrasting pop of color that stands out of the other neutral walls. When done right, an accent wall can add a luxurious, sophisticated feel to the room and make it a focal point for your decoration.
Are you bored of single source lighting that always lights up every room in the same way? Sure you are. Choosing the right lighting fixtures can really take the ambience of the room to another level, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money at all. You don’t need a custom fitted high-end lighting system. A few carefully chosen and strategically placed lamps will do the trick. You can shop at thrift shops, second-hand shops and vintage shops to find exquisite looking lamps at bargain prices. It may take more trips than one but will be entirely worth it once you find a lamp that works for you. You can even try to pull off some nifty DIY hacks like to put together a fancy lampshade at sweeping prices. The secret lies in the finish, not the marked up price.
You don’t need to have a ton of square footage or expensive built-ins for a luxurious home. What you need is efficient storage that is compact and can pack in a lot of stuff by maximizing utility of the available space. Carefully take stock of how much you need to store and then take a good look around the house. Envision storage units that pack in plenty of room and also fit into your décor. that can fit all the big and small things neatly into just one unit, and look great against your wall décor.
Beautiful furniture is expensive furniture, right? Well, not necessarily. Another time when vintage stores, yard sales and is when you need quality luxurious furniture at bargain prices. Take a good look around these stores and you will find pieces of furniture that were once exquisite but may now be in a slightly worn out condition. With a steady hand and some DIY skills, you can restore these pieces of furniture to their former glory, or at least get close enough. Get them re-upholstered, sand the surfaces, spray paint them in a bright color or metallic tones and you have a reincarnated article of luxury.
There’s always an accessory to save the day. If you wish to spruce up a sofa, pick out beautiful pillows, cushions and throws. Soft, airy cushions with elegant printed or embellished covers instantly lift up the luxury quotient of a room. For wall décor, choose mirrors, frames and murals with gold and brass finish to give your space a regal look. Add flowers in forlorn corners, large ceramic vases, and a display of trinkets, anything that holds your fancy really. Just be carefully understated and don’t go overboard with accessories.
If changing your cabinetry isn’t feasible, use laminates as a cost effective option. Once you let go of the idea that laminates don’t belong in luxury, you will find that there are some truly remarkable wood-finish and stone-finish laminates out there that can turn any drab kitchen into a culinary paradise.
Luckily there are so many different options available in window treatments that you can choose one which suits your budget and taste perfectly. Luxury aficionados tend to have a soft spot for long floor-length curtains. Be sure to choose quality fabrics such as silk, linen or cotton. Try to refrain from cheap synthetics like polyester.
Alternatively, you could choose blinds for your windows. There are some incredible varieties like bamboo blinds, designer ones that look like artwork and a myriad of others.
Crown molding is a fabulous way of creating layers, marrying your walls and ceilings, and giving your house an appearance of innate luxury. They add accents to boring corners and make a room come alive. Thankfully, there are easy to install, cost-effective options available that look exquisite on any wall in any room. If you truly want to achieve the look of a diligently built abode of luxury, be sure to add crown moldings to your home.
You may be wondering where the word budget fits in hardwood flooring. Yes, hardwood floors are on the expensive side of things but they are an investment for life and do miracles when it comes to making your home luxurious. Add to that some very real benefits of hardwood flooring and you have a sound reason to shell out the money where it truly matters.
So those are nine ways you can make your home look eloquent and luxurious without breaking the bank. The most important part is paying attention to the overall effect all your elements together bring. Buy items that complement each other and work in harmony. Decorate the place in keeping with your personal taste and at last, enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
