How To Make Your Home Look More Expensive On A Dime

Do you ever wish that your home looked more elegant? Have you wished that it had more of a staged, organized look?
When I was growing up, we had a super cluttered home always. Little trinkets, photo albums, and STUFF everywhere.
I just wanted a nice organized designed space. A couple of years ago, I was actively wishing that I could just declutter my stuff and have a pretty home to come home to every day.
Heck, I still wish for it every day!! Specifically in my office but it is a creative working space... it can be a mess when I am working in there. But I am happy to say I am a reformed clutter bug!
I have learned a few essential concepts along my designing and blogging journey. Now, rooms like my living room and bedroom as less cluttered and more finessed!
I HAVE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO 10 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS.
1. Flowers - fresh flowers are always ideal. If you are like me and have a cat that loves to nibble and any fresh flower or plant you put in your house, finding good fake flowers can also work. Flowers give off an organic feel that can really brighten up a room. They add life to a room. Flowers can complement or can be used as a focal point in a room. Either way, putting flowers in an elegant vase will absolutely class up your space making it feel more expensive.
2. Hang Curtains High - If you haven't read my tips on picking the best curtains for your room you should read this first and then come back to this article. The logic behind hanging your curtains higher is that they will give the illusion of higher ceilings, making your space appear grander and larger. With the right curtains and height, you amp up the sophistication in your space x10! AND you don't have to spend a lot of curtains. I curated a list of 10 elegant curtains under $60.
3. Paint Your Walls - As a renter, this is usually my first step when trying to not only make my apartment seem homey. Even just painting one wall the right color or shade can depict the feeling of the room. For example, my hand painted stenciled Moroccan and grey accent wall really changed the look of my bedroom when I was doing my January Makeover Challenge. Grey can be an easy shade to paint your walls because it is very neutral and elegant. Make sure to pay attention to how color affects your mood and choose wisely.
4. Area Rugs - I adore area rugs! Not only are they great to help with soundproofing a room, but they are perfect for adding pops of color or personality in a room. AND you don't have to spend a lot for a beautiful area rug. I found some great area rugs for under $150!
5. Custom Window Shades - I didn't realize how true this was until I purchased my own set of custom blinds for my bedroom during my January Challenge. This tip could not be truer on making your space look more expensive.
6. Switch Out Lamp Shades - this is a cute and easy fix to change the look of a room in a subtle way. You can change the look of your space with modern or traditional shade. It's also a more cost effective way to decorate instead of replacing the entire lamp.
7. Create Vignettes - I recommend taking all your decorative smalls and gather them in one area. Then build cute, simple, and elegant vignettes to dress is your space up. Use your coffee table books, vases, and little trinkets to dress up little spots around your space. Give it a staged look.
8. Use Matching Containers For Storage - you can go as high end or cheap as you want for this, because the uniformity is the crucial element to achieve the high end look in this case. You could go with mason jars, baskets, or containers from the container store. Either way, the uniform look will give off a high end feel.
9. Replace Crappy Hardware - Even when living in an apartment, this is an easy way to glam up your space to give it more of a high end look. Crystal knobs or silver colored knobs for your kitchen and storage cabinets will take your space to the look of higher price level.
10. Use Vertical Space Wisely - I can't stress this enough. Come up with a clear purpose for your vertical space, whether, it's going to be an organized storage space, collage wall, or a place to hang framed artwork.
Meredith - Arts & Classy
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • K K on Jan 23, 2017
    Is the amazing white bedroom ceiling light( or shade?)something you bought or made? And could you tell us where or how? Thank you!
  • Amy Lanier Amy Lanier on Oct 07, 2021

    I think your home is absolutely stunning!

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