Whether you’re selling your home or just trying to impress friends, adding the element of luxury to your property doesn’t need to cost the earth. In fact, you can make it look like a suite in a five-star hotel on a shoestring… you just need to know how.
These seven cheap and simple tips can transform any home into a luxury crib in just a day or two.
1. Create a feature wall
You don’t need to fully redecorate your home to add the element of luxury. Pick a prominent wall in your living room, and make it different from the others with either a lick of paint or some wallpaper. Give the all a theme, which can be anything from taxidermy to flowers. As long as the colour schemes you choose are in keeping with the rest of the room, this relatively small change can change any room into something very different.
2. Say it with flowers
Nothing adds glamour and luxury like Mother Nature, so it’s always a good idea to invite her inside your home wherever possible. Brighten up your home with flower arrangements that match the overall theme of the room you’re sprucing up. Roses, lilies, orchids and tulips are great at adding an element of sophistication to a room, and they are relatively cheap.
3. Whiten things up
White does two things in a room: it creates the illusion of extra space and provides a canvas for your decorative elements. By painting all the walls in a room white, you can really make a focal feature stand out. Some wall art or an antique sofa can become the star of the show when it isn’t being forced to compete with bright and distinctive painted or papered walls.
4. Use different textures
Creating the right combination of textures can give any room an injection of luxury with the minimum of effort. For instance, a few velvet cushions placed at strategic points in a living room can transform a space in an instant. Texture can also be added with the addition of throws, rugs, drapes and other soft furnishings. You can change the look and feel of any room completely by making metal or wood the dominant texture.
5. Go bespoke
You will struggle to achieve a luxurious look for your home if you’re relying on mass-produced furniture, fixtures and fittings. However, you don’t need to order custom-made items to make your home look unique. Trawl local antiques fairs and car boot sales for items your friends and family probably don’t have in their homes. Look for bric-a-brac that has the potential to make your rooms look exotic.
Antique furniture is, by its nature, old and discontinued. Finding antique sofas, chairs, tables and storage units in good condition is not always easy, but it can reap rewards if you find the perfect items. Also, don’t be afraid to customise your existing furniture and fixtures with items from arts and crafts stores.
6. Mirror, mirror, on the wall
Hanging large mirrors in any room will immediately open it up and create the illusion of space. Try to place your mirrors opposite windows to make the best possible use of natural light. And try to ensure that your most luxurious and attractive home furnishings and features are reflected in your mirrors — giving you twice the benefit with the minimum of effort.
7. Create the illusion of higher ceilings
Few things scream luxury and opulence like a high ceiling. Unfortunately, vaulted ceilings with intricate decorative details have been consigned to the annals of construction history. But you can create the illusion of a high ceiling by hanging your curtains as high as you possibly can. The addition of some coving and ceiling roses will give your room a luxurious look and feel that is usually reserved for period properties.
None of these seven tips will take longer than a couple of days to implement — but the impact they have could transform your home for decades to come.