If you’re looking for easy ways to make your home beautiful, luxurious and expensive without breaking the bank, keep reading.
Do you ever take a step back and look and your home and think, damn, I want this place to look more cozy, I want it to be more inviting, I want to elevate this place.
This was me for such a long time. After scrubbing Pinterest, this cool AI for interior design, YouTube and interior decor magazines, I bring to you 14 ways to switch up your home or apartment (even if you are on a budget) so that it can look the way you want it.
When you are done with this post, you’ll realise that sometimes it only takes a simple swap to elevate a space.
Maybe you need to declutter, or to simply swap plastic storage for metal baskets, undersized rugs for plush ones, or outdated lightings for more aesthetically pleasing lamps.
I hope you find some great ideas in this post, leave a comment to let us know if you end up doing any of these in your apartment!
15 ways to Make your Apartment look beautiful, luxurious, and expensive.
1. Let your curtains go from ceiling to floor
I got this tip from hotel rooms. Elegant and designer looking hotels always have their curtains from ceiling to floor. It makes the walls look higher and opens up the space. I use these long faux-linen curtains from Amazon for my bedroom to get that Hotel effect/
While the velvet curtains below, equally elegant looking but at an affordable price, go in my guest bedroom.
Made-to-measure curtains that give the same feel will go for no less than $500, and up to $2000. So, these curtains are a really good bargain. Just ensure you measure your room from ceiling to floor before picking your curtain length.
2. Use quality rugs to create nooks.
Adding a rug in your bedroom, dining area, walkway or living room can make all the difference.
Just make sure to get the right size. As a general guide, for your living room, the rug should be at least 6 inches wider than your sofa on both sides. For your bed, if you have the space, the rug should extend at least 12 inches beyond the side of the bed.
3. For hanging pictures, use frames with a border
If you have personal pictures you want to turn into a gallery, use frames with borders.
Image source: stylebyemilyhenderson.com
The only time I see that this doesn’t matter is if you are hanging wall art, but for personal photos, frames with borders can create a more cohesive look. So, if you’re looking to do one thing to make your walls have that timeless expensive feel, swap your picture frames.
4. Kitchen: Appliances on display and plates should match
This is particularly important when when you have several cooking appliances on your countertop and for when your plates are on display in open shelving.
Appliances or plates of different colors, shapes and sizes can make a kitchen look messy and cheap.
So make a swap to matching dishes, cutleries and appliances with a polished finish if you’ld like to elevate your kitchen.
Shop these Matching Appliances
5. Use the right furniture size
The furniture you buy should be based on the size of your space. Incorrectly sized furniture can make a place look too cluttered or too empty. If you have low ceilings or a small space, go for more compact furnishings, that do not crowd your space. Save the heavy duty furniture for really big apartments.
6. Add quality looking mirrors.
If you want to visually expand a room and make it feel larger or more open, add a mirror.
Consider buying mirrors with a metallic or matter finish for an expensive look. Placing mirrors opposite windows to reflect natural light is also a great way to open up and brighten up the space.
7. Consider statement walls
If you need something to grab attention or if you have big blank walls, then consider a statement wall. You can opt for paneling, intricate wallpaper, or a gallery.
A well-executed statement wall can make any room to look extremely luxurious.
8. Add some greenery and fresh flowers
Adding greenery to any room adds life to it. Here are some ways you can do this.
Add standing plants to your bedroom, hallway or living room. Place smaller plants on consoles, windows, coffee tables or shelves.
9. Use a calming colour scheme
A calming color scheme can be neutral or colored walls with some key wooden or leather pieces that add warmth. This is key for a high-end sophisticated looking space. Pure white, warm white, creamy white or coffee white walls give you the flexibility to add in colors and textures with rugs, furniture and throws. These colors are absolutely timeless and will brighten your home and make your space look a lot bigger, fresh and relaxing.
Deep jewel tones like blue and emerald can also be expensive looking when furnished with colors that balance and complement the vibrant hues.
10. Decorative pieces should be in groups of three
I got this tip from a famous youtuber, and it really works. If you have a shelf, console or coffee table you want to decorate, use three items of different shapes, textures and sizes.
For example, you can pair a high flower vase with décor books and a mid-height metallic décor.
It adds depth, style and gives a designer look. These décor pieces don’t even need to be expensive, vases from Temu, décor books from Amazon and metallic décor from Wayfair or Shein can recreate a similar space. You can also check thrift stores for similar décor pieces that cost next to nothing.
Just buy affordable décor and style it properly and you’ll realize you don’t need to break the bank to get a great looking space.
11. Bedroom: Get a bed with a nice headboard.
One of the best things you can do for your bedroom is to get a bed with a lovely headboard. The headboard will act as a focal point especially if your bed is pushed against the wall. Take a look at some great examples.
Make that swap and your room will thank you.
12. Decorate your bed and sofa with large choppable pillows
When it comes to styling your bed, sofa or chairs, thin limp pillows just look very cheap.
So go for king size pillows on your bed that can stand up tall and look elegant.
And for your sofa, go for larger cushion inserts. If your cushion covers are 18x18inches, go for cushion inserts that are at least 20x20inches. For 20x20inches cushion covers, go with 22×22 inches inserts. Always size up by 2 inches. With the larger inserts, the cushions look sturdier, plush and can stand up tall.
13. Make your home Scent nice
You want to cater to all of your senses, including your sense of smell, when levelling up your home. One of the first things you notice when you walk into a space is how it smells. If it smells damp or dusty, it automatically loses its appeal. Think of hotel lobbies, luxurious airport lounges, hotel rooms, one thing you always notice is how good and fresh they smell.
You should always aim for ways to make your home smell great. I love lighting scented candles, and diffusers are always in my bathroom. I also keep potpourri bowls on my shelves. You can also use room sprays.
These are very inexpensive ways to make any space smell good. And the good thing about scents is that you can change it with the season. You can buy crisp linen scents, fall scents, Christmas scents, floral scents, campfire scents – whatever type of ambience you want to create can be implemented by switching the scent of your home.
14. Add lamps and beautiful light fixtures for elegance and ambience
You can use lights to create any ambience you want. Low watt lights can be used to create as ense of cosiness and warmth, and bright lights can be used to create a sense of space.
I personally think every single home and room needs quality lamps with good lighting.
There are so many different ways to add lighting to your home. Floor lamps, table lamps or wall lamps can make such a huge difference. I know lights can be pretty expensive but it’s not about going for the expensive ones. Amazon and Wayfair have pretty affordable floor lamps and light fixtures. It is also very possible to find beautiful $5-$10 lamps in thrift stores – Nobody is going to know!
15. Declutter your home and use stylish storage.
A clutter-free space automatically feels more luxurious. Sometimes your space is small and more things have to be on display. But by getting rid of unnecessary items and using stylish storage solutions, you can reorganize and display items in ways that do not look messy. Here are some examples:
Organise under your sink with racks. Beddings? Pack them up in storage bags to make them appear neater. Your pots, pans and lids can also be stored neatly too using the right racks.
Repackaging also helps. Repackage your spices in containers or use these airtight tubs for storing cereals.
These simple changes will make your counter tops and Pantry look more luxurious, high-end and organized.
So there you have it. 15 simple inexpensive changes you can make for a more put together space. I hope you have found these ideas useful and good luck with elevating your space because you deserve it!
