Many of us have champagne taste on a beer budget and especially if you’re trying to manifest wealth, creating a home that FEELS expensive is a must.
Here are some tips for creating that luxury feel without breaking the bank:
1. Go BIG.
Particularly with:
· Wall décor/art
· Light fixtures
· Rugs
· Floor décor like leaning mirrors, vases, plant stands, etc.
If you’re going to spend money on something new, particularly one of the items listed above, go as BIG as you can with it. One of the most common mistakes I see people make is underestimating the size of these pieces and it just makes a space feel cheap. On the contrary, going oversized with these items really make a space feel luxe.
As I mention in my article on design faux-pas, “area rug islands” are quite the common problem. Your rug should always be large enough to allow at least the front legs of the furniture pieces to sit on top.
2. Vary the textures
This is important for adding visual interest to your design, but it also tends to make your room look more expensive, as textiles like suede, leather, and velvet are associated with luxury and elements with shine like mirrors and metals add glamour. Plus, texture engages your senses and thus makes it easier to raise your vibration and attract more of what you want.
3. Replace builder basics
If you’re thinking about making a few investments to update your home, start by replacing builder-grade materials with something custom and stylish.
Cabinets are a big one, but they can be pricey to replace. If you’re not ready for that, consider painting cabinets a custom color and replacing hardware with something more current or stylish. And by all means, if you have no hardware on your cabinets, add some! It makes a huge impact.
Focus on light fixtures. You’ve GOTTA get rid of any boob lights in your home! Beyond that, replacing other boring ceiling fixtures with statement pieces makes an enormous impact. To me, light fixtures are to rooms what shoes are to outfits. They can transform the entire feel.
Another rather simple update is to frame out your bathroom mirrors or replace one big frameless sheet with several large, framed pieces.
Making these kinds of changes allows you to bring your personality in and will make you happier every time you see the items.
4. Add natural elements
Beyond the vibration-raising properties of natural elements, they also make for a more high-end feel when brought into a room.
Live plants or flowers are amazing, but not everyone has the appetite to care for them. If that’s not your thing, consider:
· Stone with natural movement, like a marble tabletop
· Raw looking wood, like a reclaimed mantle or a piece of driftwood on a table
· Faux fur or animal skins
· Jute, sisal, bamboo, grass cloth
· CRYSTALS! And things like shells, rocks, or coral
Because things in nature are rarely perfect, natural elements can create depth in your design by contrasting smooth, sleek, deliberate pieces that make up the rest of our décor.
5. Groups of three
If you look at professionally designed spaces such as in décor magazines or even catalogs from popular home brands, you’ll often find that decorating follows a rule of thirds. Three candlesticks grouped together, three leaning pieces of art layered on a console table, a lamp and two decorative objects arranged on an end table, etc.
This is an easy way for you to create more visually appealing vignettes. However, to do it successfully, you should also think in terms of triangles. Typically, grouping items of varying heights helps to achieve an effect whereby the tops of each decorative item form a triangle. Just about anyone can try this by grabbing three pieces that you may have spread out in various spots or lined up on a mantle, shelf, or table, and rearranging them into a triangular group of three.
6. Juxtaposing elements
If you’ve read or heard from me before, you may have picked up on how important this is to a high-end design. I highly suggest combining multiple design genres to create a stylish and unique space. Your home will be sure capture intrigue in the eyes of its beholder, and more importantly the result will be meaningful and personal. You’ll be able to incorporate the multiple facets of your preferences, personality, and dreams of the future. You are not one dimensional and thus, your home should not be either.
One of the most elusive qualities of an elevated looking space is combining elements that directly contradict one another. Feminine and masculine, for example or shiny and rough, new and old, etc. so not only will combining design styles help you feel more like yourself at home, but it will create a more stylish space as well.
The beauty of all this is that these tips don’t require you to spend much money. In fact, you can accomplish most of this without spending a dime. Try moving some things around in your home based on these principles and let me know if it gets you feeling more abundant!
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