How To Achieve A Luxurious Look For Less

Interior decorating magazines can leave homeowners discontented with their uninspired surroundings. However, it’s only a few people who can really afford to invest the kind of money it takes to reproduce a showplace home. Instead of breaking the bank, consider these budget-friendly ideas to spark a home decorator’s imagination.

Start by clearing away the clutter. Nothing detracts from an overall decorating scheme like piles of books, magazines, unopened mail, and anything else taking up space. To clean out a cluttered space, try this trick: Get three boxes and mark them “Keep,” “Sell or Donate” and “Trash.” Aim toward filling up the Trash and Donate boxes, and reserving the Keep boxes for true treasures.

Next, take inventory of what you already have. Many people have all kinds of luxury items stored away that they’ve inherited from relatives. So what are you waiting for to use it? Whether it is silver goblets, a crystal creamer and sugar bowl or exquisite bone china, get it out and display it. Granted, these items will take a little more care and maintenance, but their look and quality add just the right touch of richness.

If one piece is a real standout among your household items, why not give it the special attention it deserves? Clean all the other knickknacks off the mantelpiece and let that one item reign supreme. Or get an inexpensive pedestal from a local floral or craft store and make that item a center of attention.

Once you’ve cleared away the clutter and taken your best items out of storage, consider what small touches can heighten the luxurious look at minimal cost. For instance, hand-painted tiles would make an impressive backsplash behind a kitchen sink, or they could be use as accents in a guest bathroom otherwise tiled with standard stock. Another option would be to use top-quality tiles like travertine in a smaller area such as a foyer. Top the foyer tiles with a beautiful area rug and the luxurious look will be the first thing guests see.

It’s also unnecessary to go to the expense of upholstering living room furniture in top-quality fabrics such as wool, silk, velvet and cotton. Instead, choose furniture with practical synthetic fabrics and top them off with a finely woven woolen throw or silk pillows. Here again, a quality red area rug can serve as a focal point for the living room at much less cost than other, more costly flooring. Rugs are one of the easiest ways to freshen up a room with color and texture. Keep an eye out for rugs for sale to lower the cost even more.

Finally, remember that used items add affordable elegance without exorbitant cost. What’s more, their age and good condition give an heirloom feel to this luxurious look for less. Consider estate sales, auctions and quality resale shops for the best merchandise, but don’t be reluctant to try other secondhand outlets as well. If something is well made and fits into your decor theme, where it came from is of no consequence. What matters is how well it adds to the character and charm of a luxurious home.

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