Money doesn’t buy style, but great style can make a space look far more expensive than it really is. Here are our 5 top tips for making your home look luxe for less!
Start with a neutral canvas
White walls and neutral coloured furniture are timeless canvases that make changing, adding and upgrading everything else super easy because you don’t have to worry that it’ll all fit in together. Keep an eye out for mid-year and end of year sales to purchase big ticket items such as lounge suites and dining tables plus don’t forget to check out second hand stores, Gumtree, Ebay and local markets to find vintage pieces with character.
Add a photo wall
Done right, a photo wall can make a huge impact in your home. You can make them as big or small as you desire. It’s all about the frame and its style, sizes and shapes. You can line them up perfectly or make the photo wall more organic. When selecting frames don’t forget to check out your local op shop, markets or antique stores to find quirky and interesting looking frames plus IKEA, Kmart and Big W have a great selection of simple box frames for that more streamlined look. Struggling to know what to put in them? Kids paintings and drawings, birthday cards with inspirational quotes and old photographs are a great place to start.
Incorporate greenery
When it comes to freshening up a room, houseplants are a go-to interior accessory. Whether it’s breaking up plain surfaces with a little spritz of nature’s greenery, or bringing a sense of the outside in, indoor plants are up for the job and are cheap. It’s important to do your research to find out what plants are going to thrive in your home so take a visit to your local Bunnings or garden nursery and talk with the garden experts before buying. Not a green thumb? There are some fantastic artificial plants available that are so lifelike, you may end up watering them.
Add colour with cushions
Cushions are an easy way to transform a dull room into a warm and inviting one plus they can be relatively inexpensive. When selecting cushions, look for different fabrics and embellishments such as velvet, linen, tassels. Use a combination of prints and patterns in the same or contrasting colours. IKEA, Spotlight and Target have cushions in all shapes and sizes and at great prices. If you can’t find what you are looking for and you’re handy on a sewing machine or know someone who is, make your own! Plus you can reuse the inserts from the cushions that you already have.
Go bold with paint
The amazing benefit of adding colour in your home is you’ll immediately personalise your space and create a specific feel in each room. And the cheapest and easiest way to this is with paint. Changing the colour of one wall or an entire room can really change the outlook of the entire space. Grab Dulux sample pots of paint colours from Mitre 10 or Bunnings and then test out on a wall as colours can look different from the colour swatches. Just remember that colour trends come and go so just ensure that the colour you choose is one that you will be able to live with throughout the seasons.