This is a question I get a lot while working with clients, and who wouldn't want it, right? There are several tricks that can make any space look high end or more luxurious without spending a fortune; here are a few I like to use:
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| Light Reflection - By Atmosphere Interior Design Inc. |
LIGHTING
Lighting is the most important part of any space, it doesn't matter how much you have invested in your room if you don't have good lighting; without good lighting you won't even notice that you spent over $1000 on window treatment, or that $5000 chair in your room. Lighting can get tricky if you want to do it the right way because it is done by layers, but if you don't want to go into details, here are a few tips that can help a lot:
- Don't use a single fixture to illuminate an entire room, if you don't have money to redo your ceiling lighting then get table and floor lamps in different areas of the room.
- Bring light to every single space of the room. Try to get a few accessories that reflect light; these could be your lamp bases (made out of chrome, glass, or mercury;) mirrors; glossy, glass or metal accents; even your side tables can be made out of glass, or metal, or both. You can also paint the walls across your windows a light shade, or even white. This will reflect the light coming from your windows towards the room, the main idea here is to have light bouncing all around the room.
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| Light Fixture Statement - By Michael Abrams Limited |
LIGHT FIXTURES
Make a statement with an interesting/bold light fixture, you can get these at great prices at your local home improvement store or any online lighting store. One of my favorite budget friendly online store for lighting is
Lamps Plus, they have an insane amount of choices, and most of them have free shipping.
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| Velvet Drapery Panels - Via Restoration Hardware |
FABRICS
Having fabrics that have visual texture can make a piece of furniture, drapes, or a pillow look expensive. So next time you are looking for any of the above, try to find fabrics that look like velvet, silk, or linen; if you like patterns then look for patterns over velvet or silk alike backgrounds.
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| Window Drapery - By Atmosphere Interior Design Inc. |
HANGING DRAPERY
If you have short ceilings, always hang your drapes as close as possible to the ceiling, this will make your ceilings look higher, as well as elegant and sophisticated. If you can't find the height you are looking for in a store, or don't have the money to pay for custom draperies, you can always add another fabric at the top or bottom of the panel. The fabric can be another color, or even a fabric with a pattern, be creative!
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| Color Block Drapery - Via Google Images |
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| Oversize Throw Pillows - By Atmosphere Interior Design Inc. |
THROW PILLOWS
Next time you are in the hunt for throw pillows, look for pillows bigger than 18 inches, if they are too expensive make them yourself! It is the most easy thing to do, and if you want to get fancy you can even add a zipper and a self-welt as well. Pillows that are 18 inches or less can be read as store bought, and remember good design is in the details. Another good trick is to overfill your pillow covers, so for example if you have a 22-inch pillow cover, get a 24-inch down pillow insert instead, this will make the pillow look fuller (expensive.)
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| Architectural Moulding - Via Marcus Design |
ARCHITECTURAL MOULDING
Making your architectural mouldings bigger makes any room feel richer and high end. You can add box trim, make your crown moulding wider and base molding taller. A good trick for wider crown moldings is to install a thin piece of trim 5 to 4 inches below your existing crown moulding, then paint the wall area between the two trim pieces the same color and finish as the existing crown moulding.
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| Black Doors - By Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.
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BLACK DOORS
Another good trick to make your space look high end is by painting your interior doors black, even if you have simple and inexpensive doors. This bold contrast adds elegance and sophistication; just remember to incorporate black accents into the rest of the decor so everything looks cohesive.
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| Wood Flooring - Via Marcus Design
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WOOD FLOORING
Wood flooring will always make a room feel luxurious, no other flooring feels as rich as wood. Although this can get very expensive, it is worth the investment, especially when you get to sell your house you will get a big return for it.
Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!
