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20+ Cheap Decor Ideas That Look Expensive
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Treat Each Room as a Blank Slate
Take note of the preexisting features in your home you can highlight. Architectural details such as crown molding, wooden beams, hardwood floors, built-in bookshelves, and mosaic-tile backsplashes are all worth focusing on. These details don’t just look expensive; they are expensive. Make them as prominent as possible—keep them clean, clutter free, and the focal point of the room. For example, don’t splurge on an expensive painting just to have it compete with a show-stopping fireplace. If you’re thinking about painting make sure you check out these 10 incredible painting tips.
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Add a Pop of Color
“Paint is extremely inexpensive and makes a big difference,” says Keysha Jillian, lead interior designer and owner of K. Jillian Designs, based in Tampa, Florida. “Whether you need to tone down a color or add a bold color to liven up your space, color is great for changing the overall feel of a room.” A nice wash of color might only cost around $31.99 for a gallon.
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Pick Towels You’re Actually Excited to Use
It’s time to get rid of those dingy old bath towels—discolored whites and bleach-stained colors make your space look dirty and cheap. See what else you need to toss, too.
“Proudly display crisp white, fluffy towels like the kind you would find in a fancy hotel or spa,” says Drew Henry, founder of design firm Design Dudes. “This will immediately trigger a feeling for your guests, and they will have a more luxurious feeling towards the space.” Make sure you’re not over-decorating your place.
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Swap Out Your Throw Pillows
Throw pillows are an easy way to accessorize and brighten a room, whether you buy them or make your own. Jillian says homeowners should throw out their older throw pillows and replace them with bright, fuller pillows—or just buy crisp new pillow covers. “Mix and match colors and textures, and blend different groupings,” she says. But more is not better. “There can be too many pillows, so make sure you don’t go overboard.”
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Add Molding
If your walls are bare besides the occasional artwork, consider adding molding to the baseboard, chair rail, or ceiling. “It doesn’t even have to be a gaudy, Victorian-style molding—a simple and single-shape, single-depth piece of molding will do the trick,” says interior designer Erica Leigh Reiner, owner of E. Leigh Designs.
If you’re thinking about molding, see why you need to consider crown molding.
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Hang Art On the Walls
From family photos to DIY art, framed works can make a house feel like a home. Before mounting any work, homeowners should figure out where everything should be placed and the proper way to hang it. “Make sure the art you select is the right size and scale for the wall you’re decorating, and remember you don’t need artwork on every empty wall,” says Jillian. “If you feel creative, a great way to get inexpensive artwork is to create your own. Head to your local craft store and you can find everything you need to create a beautiful canvas or framed custom artwork.” Here’s the best way to hang picture frames perfectly straight. You can opt for this Go Hang It kit for the same, too.
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Accent with Accessories
Magazines are a great source of home decorating ideas and inspiration for how to accessorize a room. Here is your guide to some trendsetting furniture styles. However, homeowners should expect to shop around for a budget-friendly version of anything they see in a design magazine. “Accessories vary significantly in cost, but if you’re looking for a great deal there are plenty of discount home stores that offer stupendous finds, says Jillian. “My ‘go-to’ store for a lot of home design items (especially for clients on a budget) is HomeGoods.”
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Create DIY “Built-In” Structures
The key to making any piece—from bookshelves to kitchen cabinets look custom is to have them fit into your home perfectly. The easiest way to achieve this look is to have them extend all the way from floor to ceiling. A bookshelf that spans an entire wall will almost always look more expensive than one that stands alone. Luckily, with a bit of forward planning, this project can be tackled in one or two weekends. Save money with these other Here are 50 incredible DIY projects you need to try.
Editor’s Tip: You found an old bookshelf at a garage sale, in your basement, or on Craigslist, but it needs a little TLC. Whether you use paint, stain, or some creative contact paper, here’s a look at the best-looking refurbished bookshelves to inspire you.
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Update Old Fixtures
A quick and easy way to decorate on a dime is to update old fixtures, especially in the kitchen. Knobs, handles, drawer pulls, and light switch plates are small, inexpensive details that give your home a high-end sheen. See the 12 other things making your home look dated and how to fix them.
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Give the Illusion of Higher Ceilings
If you can’t raise your roof, literally, you might consider raising your window treatments. Jillian suggests raising window panels to create an illusion of height and give it a grander feel. “Window treatment is often underrated and clients commonly overlook the impact it has on a space,” she says. “An inexpensive way to achieve this tip is to simply add fabric to your existing panels. Once you find the perfect complimentary fabric, simply take it to your local seamstress to have him/her add the fabric at the top, middle, or end of the fabric.” You have to see these 10 incredible window treatments to get some ideas.
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Add Visual Space with a Mirror or Two
Your eyes—and potential buyers’ eyes—will be tricked into thinking a space is larger than it actually is with some sneaky mirror placement. Large mirrors will reflect the room back, making it appear more spacious—even twice its actual size. It’s also one of 15 ideas to make a small room look bigger.
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Get Rid of Something Super Old or Ugly
If a dated light fixture or piece of furniture constantly makes you groan, get rid of it. The project doesn’t have to break the budget: Drab wall colors can easily be painted, and outdated knobs and hardware can be inexpensively replaced. Even dated kitchen cabinets can be painted white and instantly brought out of the ’80s.
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Use Bookshelves for More Than Books
Lines of books have to look like a stuffy library. “Intersperse with a few framed photos and interesting book ends,” says Ana Cummings, design expert on CTV’s Homes & Lifestyles Canada. “Make sure it is neat and tidy—that alone speaks volumes.”
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Add an Area Rug
Area rugs can really transform a space. “Area rugs help ground furniture groupings, define rooms, and add more interest to an area,” Jillian says. “It is recommended that all of your furniture sit on the area rug, but at the very least, make sure the feet of your furniture are touching a portion of the rug.”
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Make Walls Shine
Lustrous wallpaper adds dimension to an otherwise flat area. Go for just a hint of shine with a semi-gloss or luster sheen to keep it classy, not gaudy, says Reiner. “Stick to simple neutral or semi-neutral colors, but look for a paper with a hint of a shine the light can bounce off of,” she says. Check out these 10 tips to make wallpapering easier.
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Stick to Classic Neutral Walls
When in doubt on paint color, choose a classic neutral. Colors like beige, gray, greige, and yellow will always look fresh and on trend. What’s more, they pair well with everything. Limit bold accent colors to accessories, and you’ll never have to repaint an entire room because a bright color choice got to be too much. Here are expert tips for picking perfect paint colors.
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Choose Deep Colors
If neutral colors aren’t your thing, bold colors can scream “elegant” with a bigger punch, says interior designer Douglas Graneto. “Deep hues with shiny finishes are the way to go,” he says. “For example, a deep navy wall with gold and purple contrast within the decor can exude a glamorous energy that for sure can feel luxurious.” Just like one of these 50 opulent castles.
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Don’t Match Finishes Perfectly, Coordinate Them
Certain stains and finishes play well with others (for example, cherry wood marries well with oak, and hickory blends tend to work well with almost everything), but the vast majority do not. If you’re looking to match your floor to your cabinets, or your faucets to your doorknobs, go for an exact match, or make a real contrast; aim for at least three shades darker or lighter. An almost match has the tendency to look cheap. Fun fact: did you know that brass doorknobs kill the majority of bacteria?
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Splurge on Statement Pieces
Dining room tables, stand-out rugs, chandeliers, and sofas all have the ability to upgrade a home’s sense of luxury. Identify a few key pieces that you see and use often (especially if they’re ones that are visible from several other rooms) and decide if it makes sense to budget for a splurge. If you decide it’s a go, choose colors and fabrics that are easily cleaned and not easily stained or destroyed.
