7 Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Home Look, Well, Expensive

January 31, 2023

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Who doesn’t want their home to look expensive? To look as though everything you own is worth far more than it actually is and that you, by association with the space, are rich.

Fortunately, you don’t actually need to spend a lot on homewares and furniture for your interiors to look like they’re worth a lot. There are a few things you can do that often take just a few minutes that’ll really help you to elevate your space.

Ahead, interior stylist Catherine Heraghty of interior styling company The Stables shares just a few ways to do it, along with some other bougie-on-a-budget home décor hacks we’ve found on TikTok. So, from adding a trendy tray to a spare surface to simply decluttering and giving away everything you haven’t used in the last year, here’s how to make your home look far more expensive than it really is.

Try a Serving Tray

Although they’re called serving trays, they can work for far more than just presenting food. They can help you keep organised, create catch-all spots for similar items and work to tie a room together.

Some ideas for where you can place a tray are on a coffee table, dining table, kitchen counter, bathroom counter or drawer set in a bedroom. Use them for your keys and wallet, bottles of spirits and glasses, candles and flowers or a stack of coasters.

Adopt a ‘Less Is More’ Attitude

Next: remember that ‘less is more’ and declutter. While, of course, it can be hard to do if you have kids, pets, or generally just like being surrounded by things, having less stuff means what you do have will look nicer. The more minimalist a space, the more expensive it’ll look. If you haven’t used something in over a year and think it’s highly unlikely you will, toss or donate it.

Invest in Multi-Functional Furniture

On the declutter note, if you do think you’ll use it down the track, invest in furniture that also doubles as storage. There are sofas that have hidden compartments in the armrests, beds that lift up to reveal enclosed storage space underneath, and ottomans that can hide couch throws and blankets. You might also want to buy a pretty cigar box or tray that can hold spare items you have around and want to keep out of eyesight, like remote controls or electricity bills.

Add Flowers or Plants

Another way to make your home look expensive is to add fresh flowers — make getting them a self-care act by heading to the markets one weekend morning — or plants. Flowers will not only make your home look nice but make it smell lovely too. Some easy-to-care-for indoor plants include peace lilies, monstera deliciosas, spider plants, snake plants and, of course, the plants spotted in nearly every home interior magazine, fiddle leaf figs.

Accessorise With Luxury Materials

If you can’t afford marble countertops or gold fixtures, buy homewares in these luxury materials instead. Grab a marble bowl to store home knick-knacks or jewellery, or marble book-ends to place on a shelf. Gold candleholders or a gold framed mirror can also help to add an elegant feel to a home.

Keep Wires Out of View

Finally, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to spruce up your space is to ensure all visible wires are tucked away or hidden. For device chargers, consider an all-in-one wireless option. And for stray cables, consider wire hiders. Snake cords through baseboard accessories, and stash any wires or Internet routers in pretend ‘books’.

Pay Attention to the Details

Like with pulling together an outfit, when it comes to making a home look cohesive, and therefore, expensive, pay attention to the details. Create a harmonious look by ensuring that door handles and drawer and cupboard handles are all in the same material and finish.

Scroll down to shop some of our favourite buys that’ll help to make your home look more expensive.