Lighting

One important element that every luxury home has is lighting and if you do not have the right type, your home may appear boring and dull.

Not only will lighting in your living room make the room feel luxurious, it will help boost the value of your home and create an elegant space that your friends and family want to be in.

Add Character with Side Table Lamps

You can add character to your living room and create a focal point with a beautiful table lamp. The lamp you choose should complement the rest of the room without detracting from it. Side table lamps are convenient because you can turn them on when you need them without over lighting the area.

 If you want to create a modern and elegant look, go for a bubble lamp. The design will help add depth and movement to your living room.

 Put a Chandelier in Your Living Room

 If you have a tall ceiling, consider hanging a chandelier in the middle of your living room. Not only will the chandelier look amazing, it will add a soft touch of light to the room as well. When in the right spot, your chandelier will create a soft shimmer in the room.

  Plug in an Arc Floor Lamp

 An arc floor lamp is a nice addition to any living room and it does not require any type of installation other than plugging it in. The lamp adds balance to your living room along with a subtle ambiance of light that will keep the room well-lit without being overpowering. 

 LED strip lights 

 LED bulbs can transform a room, for instance behind the TV, below the kitchen counters or around your bed.

Also consider lighting outside your house, it is a fact that a well-lit house is less likely to be broken into.

 Painting 

 Paint colour is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions to make when decorating a room, especially when the remaining décor will be based off the colour palette. However, if elegance is what you are after, there are certain colours that add instant glamour to your home.

Choose one of these two colour options—bold and dramatic OR soft, understated hues. These hues allow you to add instant elegance to your home. It simply depends on your colour personality in terms of which option you choose.

Painting interior doors black is another great idea. It automatically creates an expensive feeling, without causing much damage to your wallet. If you choose this option, however, be sure to add some black accessories to the space to tie the overall design together.

To keep in budget, here are some tips:

• Check your local tip/dump/recycling centre as lots of places will encourage people to leave paint for others.

• Wrong paint… lots of stores allow people to take paint back if they’re not happy or it doesn’t match the existing paint but it can’t be resold as new so they reduce it to clear. Try local DIY stores but failing that try the larger chains.

• Remember to use a primer for dark cover ups – Primer is cheaper than dark/posh paints and using it helps the paint spread more evenly on the surface, meaning you will use less of your expensive paint to get the job done. 1 coat of primer + 1 coat of paint will be cheaper than no primer and multiple coats of expensive paint.

• Be careful of the cheap paint, often the cheaper stuff will require multiple coats, won’t be as durable or won’t last as long. Obviously, don’t just spend money for the sake of it but maybe try some sample pots to compare.

• Always keep old paint but keep it labelled (room name + amount of coats + paint name) and dated. Remove paint from the lid and the grooves of the lid – Use cling film to cover the paint (or just the lid) for added protection from dry paint falling into the paint. Make sure the lid is properly sealed.

• Actually, calculate how much paint you will use/need to cut down wastage

 Furniture repaint or replace

  While many people feel that investing in expensive furniture is not within their budget, buying cheaper furniture could cost you more in the end. They tend to look cheap and be put together poorly, which means they fall apart quicker.

 Repainting furniture is cheap way of giving your room a facelift and turn something you hate into something you’re proud of –Replacing furniture with other people’s ‘rubbish’ is a great way to save money + tons of people throw away perfectly good things as they’re can’t be bothered to sell. If you want to have an elegant piece of furniture in your home, check out second-hand stores, estate sales, and consignment shops for quality pieces at a more affordable price. You may want to have the furniture reupholstered to match your décor.

The savings on the furniture still allows you room in the budget to get the items reupholstered, giving you a high-end designer look at a fraction of the cost.

 Housekeeping— A Clean, Uncluttered Home is a Must

 Surprisingly, one of the most affordable ways to make your home look elegant on a budget is actually free. All you need to do is clean and declutter your home. Weekly dusting and vacuuming can actually make your home feel high-end.

Secondly, cleaning allows you to take care of stains and spots on area rugs quickly, keeping them from being damaged and shabby-looking. The same is true for your furniture. Clean your windows, too—it allows natural light to readily fill the room, making it appear bright and welcoming.

 Lastly, regular cleaning allows you to avoid clutter in your home. Not only do you feel better about your home, but it allows the other elements – pillows, accessories, paint, lighting, and flooring – to really stand out.

As you have discovered, there are several ways you can make your home look elegant on a budget. Choosing the right paint colours, avoiding cheap, poor quality items, and shopping wisely are the best tricks interior designers use to create high-end designs.

Take the time to create a budget for each section of your home, thinking about the savings you can find by shopping at smaller stores, such as second-hand shops, consignment shops, and even flea markets.

You may be surprised at what you will find, and how easily it is for you to create an elegant looking and feeling home even on a tight budget.

 Pillows – Comfort & Elegance

Pillows throughout your home serve two purposes. One, if they are chosen correctly, they can really punch-up the elegance factor. Two, they provide your guests with a little extra comfort on the couch, and offer a cozy, layered feeling to your rooms.

The comfort aspect speaks for itself, that is, if you choose pillows that are large enough to rest on, and soft. Speaking of size, you want to avoid the standard 12 to 18 inches for a throw pillow. Instead, choose something larger, such as a 22-inch pillow cover stuffed with 24-inch inserts.

Large, overstuffed pillows create a very plush, elegant appearance—and don’t skimp on the pillow inserts, down-filled is the only way to go.

Accessorize Your Home

Most average homes lack the necessary accessories to really bring that elegant touch to the space. While many may use the excuse that accessorizing would over-extend their budget, the exact opposite is true.

There are many affordable ways to accessorize your home while staying within your budget, especially if you think gold. Gold is associated with wealth and riches, and can instantly create an elegant feeling, as long as there is not too much gold in one space.

Accessorize with gold picture frames, gold mirrors, or one of the new, modern gold-legged tables that are appearing in designer showrooms.