How to make your home look expensive on a budget?
How to make your home look expensive, without cashing in your life savings? We now not everyone’s budgets are the same, but don’t worry, no matter how big or how small your budget may be there will still be something for everyone in this article.
- Keep it clean
No matter how much money you’ve spent on your home if there’s clutter, it’s gonna feel gross if you can’t commit to making your bed, picking things up off the floor and clearing your surfaces. You will start to feel better about your space and feel way more inspired to make it beautiful. And the best part: the only thing cleaning costs you is your time, and maybe a few antibacterial wipes.
- Stop to smell the flowers
You will not believe how much fresh flowers can add to your space! Not only do they give your house a splash of colour and freshness, but the smell is just so inviting and welcoming, and it’s an added easy level of class. If you’re looking to save a few pounds, skip the prearranged bouquets and actually just buy a couple bundles of roses or hydrangeas and DIY a little bouquet yourself.
- Hang some curtains
It. Just. Works. There’s something about curtains that just drips luxury, it adds so much to space: makes it feel bigger, more homey, more cozy and it is just makes a random box feel like a luxury room. Just try it and remember, when you go to hang that make sure your rods are close to the ceiling, not right by the window. Learn that from your mom, don’t just buy them and throw them up on the windows, but make sure you wash them, dry them and iron them – this makes all the difference in the world. One more tip for a fuller, more substantial look: doubling up on the curtain makes a big difference.
- Hang your TV
It is actually shocking how many people don’t do this. There’s nothing luxurious about a plastic TV stand! I know it can seem a little intimidating at first but let me tell you it is so worth it. Most TVs come with a wall mount but if yours doesn’t, you can find one on Amazon for under 50 pounds and it will change the game in your living room. Your husband may be upset with you but tell them it’s worth it.
- Invest your budget and things that you sit on
We’ve all been there before, when you’re furnishing a new home and trying to keep your budget low, there is a huge temptation to kind of go cheap when it comes to investing in a sofa because it’s a very large price item you get home. You most likely build it yourself and then every time you and your guests sit down you regret it. I’ve been there, you’ve probably been there, well, those days are over. If you’re reading this article right now and you’re planning out your budget, consider investing a large percentage of your budget into your sofa. There are plenty other things that you can compromise and save money on, but when it comes to the one thing that you spend the majority of your time sitting on, choose wisely.
- Decorate with candles and bottled matchsticks
I think these cute little bottled matchsticks are some of my favourite new decor finds, I don’t know if they’ve been out forever, but I’ve noticed them popping up at a lot of different little boutiques around recently. Now if you don’t want to spend the money on buying them, I have a trick for you: get an empty spice bottle, take the label off, go buy some matches at the grocery store and fill the spice bottle with those matches. Don’t forget to cut a little piece of the striker off and maybe tape it underneath the bottle, but then you’re good and it’s the same exact thing. It’s super cute, they are such a simple way to add a little elegant touch to your home.
- Save money on surfaces like marble or distressed wood and DIY the look for less
I love the look of marble countertops or marble desks, but if you don’t want to spend the money on it, use some really cool marble contact paper – you can cover the top of your desk in marble contact paper, it actually looks real nifty, but is rather pretty cheap. Another look that’s really popular right now is distressed wood: instead of buying the merchandise versions of the look, head over to Home Base, buy yourself some regular old wood and distress it and stain it yourself.
- Use used accessories
I love going to charity shops and antique shops, and some of those places, because accessories are the place to definitely try to save on your budget. If you go to a West Elm or you go to a H&M Home, even though the items are not that expensive, it all adds up. I’m telling you one thing I actually remember from my childhood is going with my mom to the market on the weekend, she would always buy vases or different glass items that maybe had a chip on, a corner, or things like that and she would buy them for two pounds and put them on a shelf and just turn the bottle so the chip was hidden. You can reuse other people’s trash for your treasure and it looks amazing. The next time you’re at a charity shop, take a look at their books and look at the colour of the binding – you can take the sleeve off and use those books to decorate in your bookshelves. Looks amazing and adds a lot of class and it’s only a pound!
No matter what’s your budget is, you are able to learn something and gain some tips on how to make your space beautiful and really enjoy where you live.