Luxury means different things to different people. And while it can mean “expensive,” it doesn’t have to be that way. Transforming a room – or an entire house – can be done on a tight budget with a little creativity and know-how.
Here are a few tips for getting the unique, luxurious space that you have always envisioned without having to pay that luxurious price that usually goes with it.
1. Clean Spaces
One of the things that most differentiates luxurious spaces from less aesthetically pleasing ones is clean space. Clutter in space means chaos. It also means that some of the attractive features of that space can be hidden from view.
Keep your space tight and clean (even if kids and dogs make this difficult). Put papers, mail, and magazines in an office space. Use iron and sleek clay wall hooks to store items like keys and purses so that they are accessible but not in the way. A good rule is to ask why something is there. If you don’t know, it’s got to go.
2. Get Rid of Bland Pillows
Having throw pillows can make for a pleasing visual complement to larger furniture in the room. But the wrong throw pillows can feel out of place, simply taking up visual space instead of adding to it.
Start by getting rid of those boring throw pillows. Add in some metallic, textured, or patterned fabrics to give the space an updated, luxurious look that compliments the rest of your color scheme.
3. Fixtures Matter
One mistake that amateur designers make is not incorporating every aspect of the room into the look. Light fixtures, in particular, can help tie the look of a room together to create a luxurious look. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy fixture like a chandelier; lamps and wall sconces can play a role.
You don’t even have to go big, either. Small changes can begin to pull the luxurious look together, transforming the overall aesthetic of the room into something more up-scale.
4. Introduce More Light
Luxurious rooms and homes often seem to be the brightest rooms. This is because light plays an integral role in how we view a room. Even if the room doesn’t get that much natural light, you can utilize mirrors to make it appear as if there is more light in the room. Even better, it will make the entire room seem bigger than it may be. Renovations allow for custom spaces, but not everyone has that in the budget.
Use a large mirror on a feature wall to become the focal point of light. You can also go for multiple, smaller mirrors if that fits your aesthetic better. The goal is to create more light to enlarge the space without actually making it bigger.
5. Don’t Ignore the Windows
Windows that are beautifully dressed are one of the most important aspects of a luxury interior design. The uninitiated may think of large spaces or something like a hot tub (with chemical starter kits) when they think of luxury. But it can be so much more with so much less.
By beautifully dressing the windows, you can frame the light in the room as well as add height (and thus, space). Creating more space is the quickest way to get the luxury feeling without having to take on expensive cosmetic changes.
6. A Little Paint Goes a Long Way
Sometimes, all it takes is a good paint job to spruce the place up. You can create the color scheme that best fits your aesthetic and also use them to create the visual of more space. If you can afford to do more than a coat of paint, think about a backsplash to your kitchen or a bathroom retiling.
The goal is to change up the color to fit the space and to create a more dynamic design aesthetic. Simply changing up the color scheme can be enough to transform a room into luxury. You can go light, dark, or neutral and still achieve the look that you have been after. Best of all, it is far less costly and time-consuming than undergoing a full renovation or rebuild.
7. Amplify the Flooring
While it may be on the want list, new flooring can get costly in a hurry. Not only is labor expensive, but the materials can also run up a bill in no time flat. That is why you should splurge on a nice area rug instead. Not only will it hide any potential blemishes with the current flooring, but it can also tie into the design aesthetic as well.
Generally speaking, you want the rug to fit between the furniture in a living room and underneath the chairs and table of a dining room set-up; 36” or so should be enough to cover you.
