The eternal struggle of all home owners is how to make a room look expensive without making your wallet curl up and cry. While it's true that decor with a luxury price tag will probably make a room look luxurious, you can still get a chic style without breaking the bank. The trick is in utilizing your space and buying smart. Here's how you do it:
1. Repaint with a bright color. Light, bright and clean walls make a living room appear bigger, airy and more expensive. Various shades of white and off-white are always safe, and light pastels can add a touch of color without being overpowering.
2. Update your window decor by getting new drapes or raising the curtains to extend form the ceiling to the floor which instantly makes the room fell taller thus bigger and more expensive. If you have an abnormal sized window(s), check out our custom drapery service here at Barn and Willow to get the perfectly sized drapes for your room.
3. All your hard furniture should be the same color. This includes coffee tables, hardwood chairs, shelves and picture frames. Instead of a mix-match of wood types and color, swapping them all out for a consistent look will tie the whole room together and make it look expensive. My mother taught me this lesson early from an early age; she would always stick to black furniture and frames to make the home look more put together.
4. Update your lighting! Homes tend to come with standard, boring light fixtures but installing interesting lighting such as a chandelier can instantly add class to your living room. While you're add it, make sure your light bulbs have a high wattage to ensure maximum light into your room. A bat cave has never look high-end.
5. Go big on the throw pillows. Throw pillows are THE PLACE to add pops of color and interesting patterns or textures to your living room. Pick some pillows with contrasting or accent colors or even a totally different fabric type than your couch and rugs. This visual disrupt is appealing to the eye and makes a room look more luxurious. Check out our handcrafted throw pillows to get you started in ideas.
6. Pick 1-2 expensive pieces to add to your room. A whole room doesn't need to be adorned in expensive decor, but adding a couple high-end accent or staple pieces that are supplemented with affordable decor can complete the room on a budget. Maybe it's a really nice chair or an expensive yet beautiful artisan painting you picked up during travels. Whatever your luxury piece is, make sure it is highlighted in the space.
7. Cut the clutter! Organize the room to hide clutter which is basically a home decor eye sore. Keeping the room visually clean makes it look more expensive.
8. Use artwork to add chic elements to your room. Add an accent wall of just art or keep the space more simple by hanging select large pieces or art to create the illusion of a bigger room.
9. Add some fresh flowers to your coffee table to shelf. Nothing screams classy like fresh flowers from the farmers market and this trick will only run you about $10.
So use one tip or all of them! Just remember to buy smart and really understand your space to get the most out of it.
