Everyone loves the look of luxury, but most of us cannot afford it. When it comes to the home, many people are worried that they do not have the financial means to upgrade their home or give it what it needs to look more luxurious. There are some simple tricks that you can use to make your house look more luxurious and we have described a few of them here for you.
1. Shop at local flea markets and garage sales to find some unique pieces of furniture that can be re purposed. Many people sell off quality furniture at a low price because they are downsizing or purchasing new items. Some of these older items are worth refinishing or repairing to make them look like new since older furniture is usually made from real wood instead of low cost and low quality materials that do not last.
2. Update rooms by removing out of date window coverings and adding updated ones. Surround windows with new trim and paint the trim out in white for a highlight against a darker wall color. The room should be painted with a warm color that goes with the furniture in the room. Painting the interior of your home can add a lot of flair and paint is relatively inexpensive, just make sure you purchase a quality paint that will stand the test of time.
3. If carpet is worn, remove it and consider replacing it with laminate flooring which is much more durable and can brighten up a room. Laminate flooring is also designed to last for a lot longer than traditional flooring choices and it can really take a beating. You can purchase laminate flooring that looks like expensive floor coverings like tile or real hardwood.
4. Replace the knobs on your interior doors and paint the doors. Doors that start to look old and beat up can look new again with a fresh coat of paint and new knobs. Add locking knobs for privacy in the bathroom and in the bedroom.
5. If you have any pictures on the wall that are not framed, spend a few dollars to have them framed by a professional. They can really make any room look amazing, especially when you choose the right pictures.
6. Light up a room with a stylish lamp. Large dark rooms can really come alive and look wonderful with the right lighting and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a great look. Lighting can really change the room, but if you cannot afford to purchase a new lamp, consider using an old one and renewing it by painting it or adding a new shade.
7. Add bookshelves. You can purchase low cost bookshelves that you put together yourself with real wood. Shelving adds depth to your room and can provide a place for all of your items to be stored. Shelving can showcase all your favorite decorative items out of the way but in the line of sight.
8. Reduce clutter where possible and limit the amount of decorative items that you have in a room. Too much clutter makes a home look messy and small. Removing that clutter can help to make a room look larger and more sophisticated.
10. Purchase three or four vertical mirrors and hang them on the wall together. This can break up a wall without having to add a lot of artwork and is an inexpensive way to add interest to a room.
11. If you want to purchase new furniture or appliances, wait until there is a clearance sale to get the best prices on items. Most dedicated stores need to clear out items to bring in new stock each year and if you can wait until items are priced to clear you can save a lot of money on those items.
12. Can’t afford new appliances? Repair any chips or scratches on your existing appliances with small touch up and repair kits that can be purchased from hardware stores.
13. Update your kitchen by refacing the cabinets. Most people cannot afford to replace cabinetry, but the doors themselves can be replaced at a low cost, or they can be painted or refaced and new handles and knobs can really make cabinets look new and luxurious. Consider adding new countertops (this may be the most expensive part of updating your kitchen) and decorating back splashes with beautiful tile.
14. Update your outside walkways by pouring fresh concrete. These days concrete can be dyed different colors and it can be stamped to look like slate or expensive paver bricks. The cement is a lot less expensive than many of these materials and is much easier to work with.
15. Give your bathroom the sophisticated spa feel by clearing counters and rolling towels up. Store towels in a basket in the bathroom and add art to the walls. Tile is important in the bathroom, but if you cannot afford to tile the floor, new linoleum patterns look exactly like tile at a fraction of the cost.
16. Update the outside of your house with a new mailbox, door knocker and house number. If your front door is outdated consider replacing it with a new one.
17. If the windows in your home are old, look into rebate programs that can cover part of the cost of replacing them. Not only will you save money on heating bills in the future, but your home will also look more up to date and luxurious with new windows.
You don’t have to spend a great deal of money to get spectacular results when it comes to updating certain parts of your home to refresh it and make it look more luxurious. In the end it simply comes down to the small details which make all the difference. Once you take care of those, everything will start to come together and your home will be the envy of close friends and neighbors. Your home is your castle and you deserve to make it look as though it is fit for a king and queen.
(via Lifespan)
