10 Luxury Decorating Tips On A Budget

Everyone wants a fabulous home that they love coming home to.  

 

Often we don’t have the cashflow to make our interior dreams a reality.

 

Never fear, here we have some creative solutions to help you get that WOW factor and transform your home into a sanctuary that you adore.

 

Here are 10 of our top tricks to help you get styling…

Give your walls some love

Go statement

Art can transform your home

Hardware can make a HUGE difference

Moody magnificence  

Accessorise your home 

Window treatment is a smart choice

Decorative doors

Use minimal patterns

Declutter 

 

With a little bit of vision and resourcefulness, you can really stretch that tight decorating budget.

1. Give Your Walls Some Love

Paint colour, wallpaper and using unique wall treatments will transform a room.

“Wall finishes can vary from historical, modern, sophisticated, to industrial. In fact, you can make your home luxurious just by playing with walls; furniture is incidental. Use mouldings, cornices or ceiling rosettes. European homes are so beautifully layered and textured that they are complete even without any furniture,”Bindu Vadera says.

One of the most discussed decisions when decorating a room is selecting the right paint colour. There are certain colours that add some glamour with minimal investment.

You can go more neutral (and add the personality through art and furniture) or go bold with colour or wallpaper. These decisions depend on your colour personality and whether a minimalist or maximalist home brings you joy. You can do both elegantly and cost effectively.

Another wonderful thing is that you can repaint and change wallpaper reasonably cost-effectively yourself. Be daring, go wild and give it a (pretty risk-free) go.

2. It’s All About Those Statement Pieces

Consider pieces that will instantly make an impression. Maybe a full floor-to-ceiling mirror, a stunning piece of furniture or a fabulous rug to create a statement. Don’t be afraid to go bold. I have a floor to ceiling nude in my lounge and love how visitors react and love how it is such a talking point 🙂

 

You can find amazing vintage pieces in antique stores and online in marketplaces. Keep an eye out. I bought a Parker chair frame (below image on the right) in an antique store that I upholstered with beautiful Warwick fabrics and also bought a Eeero Aarnio Ball chair (top right) that I am obsessed with… all at very reasonable prices.

 

Do keep in mind that it’s important to maintain a balance between function and form. We are all about making your home practical and comfortable. 

 

Also, invest in high-quality fabrics and scotchgard regularly. It is much better to save up for high-quality fabrics and pieces that buy for the sake of buying. This will help your pieces last the test of everyday life.

 

Art | Natasha Wright – Under the Cracked Sun, 2020 | M. Contemporary 

 

3. The Emotional Effect of Art

 

The right art can transform your home. European palaces, Indian forts and havelis (old, Indian palatial homes) are all filled with various eye-catching portraits, sculptures and paintings that always have us looking in awe. Not that I am staying you need to fill the home with old portraits, just remember the effect an amazing piece of art can have on the soul.

 

Aside from art on your walls, consider sculptures, photography, mirrors, plinths with vases and other vintage decors. Art does not have to break the bank,  just as long as it speaks to your heart. 

 

 

Art | Cameron Haas – Untitled 53, 2021| M. Contemporary

 4. Make You Hardware Work For You.

Choosing poor quality or the wrong style of hardware can make your home (especially high usage areas such as kitchens and bathrooms) look far from luxe.

Go for the less is more approach when it comes to door knobs, pulls, tapware etc. If you are purchasing from a regular hardware store, go minimal, sleek and elegant.

 

If you are looking for something unique, take a look at smaller interior stores, flea markets and of course antique warehouses (antique stores are a go to for everything really if you are on a budget). Online is always a treasure trove but make sure you always buy a sample to check the quality before you buy all your hardware in one go.

 

Take the time to find the right minimal, statement and luxury-looking hardware at a much more affordable prices, giving your home the elegant and unique look you desire.

5. Lighting Is Everything

There are a lot of ways that lighting can influence the look and feel of a room. Make sure you have the right lighting for the right usage and purpose of the room.

 

Bright, white lighting is a quick way to make your guests feel on high alert and can make any potentially far from polished design decisions stand out even more like a sore thumb. Dimmed, minimal lighting, with a candle here and there can really get you in the mood quickly.

 

You’ll be surprised how much the mood of a room can change if you put some thought into your lighting by switching up fixtures (add some dimmers) and bulb wattage and styles. Also, don’t be afraid to mix antique pieces with contemporary pieces. Once again, you have to make sure it makes you feel good.

6. We Love Accessories

Accessories are a wonderful way to bring that elegant, bougie touch to your space. Often accessorising gets ditched in the refresh when budgets are over-extend as not an important step in the process but the exact opposite is true. 

There are many affordable ways to accessorise your home while staying within your budget, especially if you bring in layering and adding different textures, candles, cushions, beautiful books, handcrafted ceramics, dried unique floral arrangements.. just sooo many ways to add interest and beauty. We love bringing in some gold or brushed gold touches to create a feeling of opulence… however it has to be added minimally and tastefully. Accessorise with gold picture frames, mirrors, side table and object, all can add that bit of bling. Everyone knows I love an elegant touch of bling in my everyday life.

When accessorising remember the classic decor rule that helps cohesively bring your space together… 60% of the room should be a dominant colour, 30% should be the secondary colour or texture and the last 10% should be an accent (this is where we love to bring in gold).

We just love the layering of throws, cushions and the beautiful ceramics on the table. Also we adore the Vitra-Noguchi coffee table (check out Living Edge) it is a statement iconic table that is timeless.

 

Showcasing Lifestyle | Nulla Nulla | 2019

7. Window Treatment

 

One trick to making a room look glorious is to splurge on window coverings. It’s rather simple—a home without window treatments will most likely look unfinished. Fortunately, window treatments can be one of the most budget-friendly ways to add some elegance to your home, as well as much-needed privacy.

 

When selecting window treatments it is wise to look at the usage of the space and make your choices accordingly. If it is for a bedroom and you like to create a cosy dark space for sleeping look at blockout materials, if it is a dark space select coverings that allow the optimal light though. Like always, we recommend saving up for quality rather than just purchasing a quick-fix solution.

 

BTW this does not mean that you can’t buy off-the-rack curtains. A lot of stores offer solutions that have a luxury impact… even though the price is right. When it comes to window treatments, stick with materials such as natural linens and cottons (or a blend with polyester or man-made fabrics).

8. Get Creative with Doors 

 

Here we are bringing tips 1, 2 and 3 together, creative walls, creating statement pieces and the love of art. Why do doors need to be boring? Create a statement door, add some panelling, give it a unique paint treatment or create some feature room dividers to give yourself some extra wall hanging space and additional cosy conversation corners. All you need is some paint, pre-made panelling and some unique door knobs (or none at all if you want it to be hidden like the doors on the right). You can turn boring closet doors into a piece of art. This is one of my favourite home decor ideas!

Here you can see a kitchen we did in the UK where we added panelling to a kitchen to conceal the pantry and powder room.

9. Less is more

 

We all know less is more but do we know how that translates into the home? A few beautiful key pieces say a lot more that a home dressed with many not as loved, interim solution pieces.

 

Buy pieces that add to your lifestyle.

 

If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.

10. Declutter – clean, clear and organised

 

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. Dusting and vacuuming can actually make your home feel more hotel-like and also allows you to take care of stains and spots on table tops and rugs quickly, keeping them from being damaged and extending their shelf-life.

 

The same is true for your furniture. Another tip is cleaning windows also allows more natural light to fill the room making it even brighter and welcoming. Lastly, regular cleaning allows you to avoid clutter in your home. Not only do you feel better about your home without the clutter, but it allows the other elements you have invested in like pillows, decorations, lighting and furniture pieces to really stand out.

 

Effortless living is what it is all about.

Well, we hope this has inspired you to get a little creative with your space.

 

As always, if you need anything, we are here to help. Book in a virtual call, no obligation, just a chat with myself (Aisha) or Jana, and let us help make your home dreams come true.

 

That’s what brings us joy – enriching the way you live, work, play & connect to what’s important to you.

 

Email us for more information hello@hillsandwest.com