If you’re like most people, it could be a constant battle to balance having a home that looks beautifully decorated, without emptying your bank account. Home décor and furniture can be incredibly expensive, and at times it can feel like a massive challenge to decorate a home and have it look great without busting your budget.
If you’re watching your spending, your goal with your home décor and decorating projects is likely to strike that balance between sourcing inexpensive items, while still creating a look that seems like it’s worth a million dollars.
Whether your plan is to sell your home and you want to impress buyers and up the value, or you simply want to give your space a facelift, the following tips can be a good starting point to get that magazine-worthy design at a price that’s actually affordable.
Shop for Replicas Online
Let’s say you’re shopping at a local furniture store and you find a gorgeous lucite coffee table. You check the price tag, and it’s a few zeros beyond your budget. Don’t instantly count yourself out of having the look of the table. Make a note of what you like about it, and shop online. There are millions of shopping sites online, so you can get inspiration from high-end retailers and then, more likely than not, you’re going to be able to find a much less expensive piece that has the same impact.
Limit Your Accessories
One of the easiest ways to make your home look incredibly expensive without spending a dime? Go through and do an accessories edit. Most people don’t realize that having too many accessories and shelves that are full of various items doesn’t make your home look better. It tends to make it look cheaply done and overwhelming. Choose a few simple, beautiful pieces and get rid of the rest. You’ll be surprised what an effect it has on the entire look and feel of a room.
Redo Your Moldings
Think about your moldings, including your crown moldings. Do you even have them? If you do have them and they’re standard builder-grade, you can make your home feel like a custom architectural dream simply by adding wide, detailed crown molding. This is inexpensive and something you can likely do yourself. If you have a little extra time, you can also consider adding your own wainscoting. It’s these decorative details that set basic homes apart from custom builds.
Beef Up Your Throw Pillows
If your sofa or furniture doesn’t have throw pillows, you should add them, and not just any old throw pillows will do. Look for oversized throw pillows. They tend to give a room a layered, luxe look that is common in professionally decorated homes. If you can’t find oversized throw pillows to suit your taste, you can visit a fabric store and purchase not just the fabric you like, but the inserts. You can then take them to a local upholsterer for custom pillows, at a relatively low price.
These are just a few of the many tricks you can put in place to get that stunning, expensive look in your home, even if you’re working with a tiny budget.
