Create a luxury home on a limited budget
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look and feel a bit more luxurious. When it comes to luxury living on a budget, it’s more important to set a few priorities and get creative. Here are many ideas to get started!
Eliminate Clutter
Creating an orderly environment is one of the easiest ways to make your home appear more luxurious. That costs nothing but time!
Remove any pieces of furniture that you don’t use or don’t love. Too many chairs, tables, shelves, etc. jammed into a room looks claustrophobic. Keep all surfaces as clear as possible. When displaying items, select carefully. Single pieces or groupings of three look best. Hide your television. In sumptuous rooms, it’s never the center of attention.
Textures Versus Colors
Luxurious homes avoid using bright colors or limit them to select accent items. Emphasize a mixture of engaging surfaces within a tight color scheme.
Find beautifully textured pillows in colors that complement your sofa—or as large floor pillows. No, they don’t have to match. In fact, they probably shouldn’t be identical. Create a collection of textures! Consider adding a beautifully textured throw to your favorite chair. Update your window treatments. This can be quite an investment, but you may be able to find creative and budget-friendly ways to add “I just want to touch it” textures.The Power of Lighting
Light fixtures can be expensive, but there are many budget-friendly ways to decorate with light.
Inexpensive canister lights placed behind a real or artificial plant or some other focal point can make a once-dark corner become an attention-grabbing feature. Add dimmers to your wall switches to fine tune the intensity of your home’s lighting. You can also install plug-in dimmers to control table or floor lamps. Consider going all out and dressing up your room with one statement lighting fixture. You may be able to find your perfect feature at a thrift store or an architectural salvage warehouse. Also, search for treasures on Craigslist and Facebook’s marketplace.Go Big with Art and Nature
To make a grand statement, choose a single, sumptuous, noteworthy piece instead of many smaller items.
A substantial work of art can set the tone for an entire room and grab the interest of anyone entering the space. It can be a photograph, a painting, a tapestry, or anything else. Just go big. Trim back the green thumb. Limit plants to one or two large, impressive specimens and replace any plastic or cheap-looking pots. If you love cut flowers, create an abundant arrangement in any given room. Select a sculptural element. This will add texture and substance to your decorating scheme as well as visual interest. Scour antique shops, second-hand stores, and architectural salvage outlets to find something interesting. Consider a large fish tank, if you (or someone you live with) is willing to take on the project and keep it looking beautiful.
Think “Luxury Hotel” in Private Spaces
In your bedrooms and bathrooms, attempt to duplicate the look and feel of an expensive hotel room.
- Make your bed a focal point. (And make your bed!) Invest in superb, high thread-count sheets, a natural textile blanket, extra pillows, and a fluffy throw. The bed should beckon you when you enter the room. That is luxury!
- Use white or light monochromatic colors. Luxury hotels offer big, fluffy, white towels and a matching robe. Beds are white, the sheets are white, the duvet is white. It’s all so pristine! White may not be your thing, but a lighter or neutral color will provide the same feel. Think light slate blue, barely pink granite, pale stone, steel gray, taupe, or beige.
- Your bathrooms should be spotlessly clean. This is a luxury that only requires investing a little time and effort, but it’s so worth it!
- Minimize containers. Display as few bathroom products as possible inside your shower or on the countertops. Clean and uncluttered is the way to go.
- Towels and washcloths should be plentiful, and on display, so they are easy to find and use.
With a little work, some creative treasure-hunting, and a couple of investments in quality items, you can have a home steeped in luxury, even on a shoestring budget!
