Experts reveal eight ways to make your home look expensive – and they’re budget-friendly
Experts have revealed how to make your home look more expensive – and with the simple tips you can transform your space in no time.
Sydney-based interior designer Emma Bloomfield and professionals from Mortgage broker shared that homeowners and renters do certain subtle things wrong when it comes to decorating their homes.
Thousands of people stand in front of their living room and wonder why the space looks cluttered.
How can I make my house look more expensive?
A free way to take your space to the next level is to take care of it your furniture is well spaced to balance the room.
Ms Bloomfield told FEMAIL that everyone should create ‘conversation spaces’ by placing seats opposite each other and highlighting focal points other than a television.
‘If a house has more than one living space, the second one is no longer used as a media room. It is now a room without a TV, where you can just read or have a conversation.
She believes families should be able to talk to each other without being distracted by a movie.
Interior designer Emma Bloomfield revealed how to make your home look expensive
How can I use furniture to take the space to the next level?
When it comes to choosing the right furniture and accessories, there are a few pieces of advice you should keep in mind.
A simple tip is to make sure you have floor-length curtains.
Curtains with lint give your home a more casual feel, and curtains that are too short can make a home seem smaller and uncomfortable.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains hung high make your space look ‘expensive’ and ‘clean’.
Likewise, choosing the right rug for your home goes beyond a pattern: you also need to choose the right size.
Mrs Bloomfield said: ‘People don’t know how to choose the right size rug. Many people get a rug that is much too small, and you never see it the other way around.
‘The problem is that it looks like you have a postage stamp in the middle of the room, and you just neatly organized your furniture around it.
‘Small rugs do not give enough proportion and strength to the room. An area rug helps zone and anchor a space, especially in an open plan home. Done right, rugs can act as a border or outline of where that part of the room begins and ends.”
Choosing the right rug for your home goes beyond a pattern: you also need to choose the right size
Which houseplants should I buy?
Adding houseplants to your space, especially beautiful ones like indoor olive trees, can dress up the space and act as a work of art.
‘I like to use real houseplants; they have so many benefits,” Ms Bloomfield said.
‘They help with air filtration, but also with sound absorption. If you have an echoey room with double-height ceilings, plants are a great way to balance that out.”
She recommended fiddle-leaf figs, mother-in-law’s tongue and ficuses.
How do I make my house look more interesting?
In addition to some greenery, interior designers use texture to add visual interest to a room.
Adding texture can be as simple as a linen sheet, a bouclé pillow or even an exposed brick wall.
‘If your home has neutral tones, you can prevent it from looking flat by varying the textures in the room.
“You can play with your rug, the fabric of your couch, pillows, throws, armchair upholstery,” Ms. Bloomfield said.
Professionals do not recommend using texture for expensive items such as sofas as it may require repurchasing once the design becomes outdated.
“A good rule is to choose between three and five colors per room,” Ms. Bloomfield said. ‘People often stumble over this by being too neutral and not taking any risks when it comes to color’
Layered lighting adds a touch of softness to create a dynamic room by choosing a combination of lamps, pendants and sconces
How can I make my house look more expensive during a renovation?
If you have a blank canvas, make sure you choose a cohesive color palette.
Being conscious when it comes to the color of your walls and furniture will bring out their opulence.
By choosing warm, earthy tones you create a welcoming environment, while bright colors stimulate creativity and imagination.
“A good rule is to choose between three and five colors per room,” Ms. Bloomfield said. ‘People often encounter this because they are too neutral and don’t take risks when it comes to color.
‘You just get a house that all looks the same. The colors don’t have to be completely different, you can choose variations on the same tone: such as light blue and navy blue.’
Choosing art for your walls is a must because the simple act of hanging a well-crafted painting can be seen as a display of wealth.
Ms Bloomfield said: ‘It’s a similar problem with rugs – people choose art that is too small, which doesn’t provide enough impact and doesn’t anchor the piece of furniture underneath.
“If you have a sofa or console table, the artwork above it should be about three-quarters the size of the item below it.”
Layered lighting also adds a touch of softness to create a dynamic room by opting for a combination of lamps, pendants and sconces instead of bright ceiling lights.
Replacing harsh white bulbs with warm bulbs and switching to dimmable switches that you can adjust to your mood will give you more control over the functionality and feel of the room.