Create a luxury home on a budget

Creating a luxury feel in your home need not break the bank. In an ideal world, every home would come with an interior designer! But it is easy to stretch your decorating dollars further with a few thrifty tips and styling secrets. There are hundreds of affordable ways to create a million dollar style on a budget, here are just a few.

Creating a luxury feel in your home need not break the bank. In an ideal world, every home would come with an interior designer! But it is easy to stretch your decorating dollars further with a few thrifty tips and styling secrets. There are hundreds of affordable ways to create a million dollar style on a budget, here are just a few.

Get inspired on social

Take inspiration from homes and rooms you love online. You can lose yourself for hours on Pinterest and Instagram. If you don’t know what kind of style you like, start simple. Looking for ‘beachside designs’, ‘Hamptons feel’ or ‘modern antique’ will give you an idea of the style you want to emulate. You can also browse hundreds of features like ‘red accents’ or ‘blue patterns’ to get ideas for different rooms in your home. Save the pics in your phone or print them out and stick them on a board, and soon you’ll see your style emerge! – Pinterest  

Choose a colour palette to tie everything together

A coloured feature wall is an easy way to achieve a bold, stylish look at home. You can balance the bright colour with soft furnishings.
Focus on your entryway to make a statement. A big light or colourful runner is a fabulous way to make a ‘look at me’ statement as soon as you open the door.
Nothing says luxury like a beautiful bathroom! Complement your fluffy towels with matching accessories like a soap dispenser, toothbrush holder and jewellery dish. Stores like Kmart have a range of affordable bathroom products in a variety of textures and colours.
The most luxurious home is the one you make your own – so stick to the styles you love and you can’t go wrong!

Declutter

A sleek room with a few, carefully chosen features and objects can really up the luxe factor in your home. Start with a clean, blank canvas to help you visualise what you want. Start with a piece of affordable wall art or framed photos. Or include a feature piece of furniture and style around it. Don’t go overboard. Keeping the style simple will have more impact. 

Choose your features carefully

Whatever your chosen style, focusing on your features and choosing carefully will help give your home the wow factor it deserves. What you could consider:

• Antique & vintage pieces: Buy a few antique and vintage pieces. When some people hear ‘antiques’ they imagine furniture worth thousands of dollars, but you can find some amazing pieces in op-shops and on buy, swap and sell sites. Second-hand furniture gives your home character and allows you to express yourself.
• Curtains: Hanging curtains automatically makes a room feel cosy and inviting. Hang curtains higher to give the illusion of taller ceilings. Vertical lines trick your eyes into creating height. You can also add sheer curtains which soften the light that comes in and fills the room with warmth. A long, sheer curtain is the perfect addition to any Hamptons-style home.
• Save on your home decor but invest in your statement furniture: Invest in some quality pieces, like a couch or lounge chair and  dress it up with more affordable home decor. Add cushions and throws, textures add dimension and you can swap your look depending on the seasons. When buying seasonal pieces, choose things that go together like a white vase, white photo frames and a pop of colour on the couch. When you want a new look, pack the set away and store together to bring out when you want a fresh look.
• Decorate with plants and flowers- Smell is the strongest sense connected to memory. Fragrant indoor plants and fresh flowers add a glamorous feel to any room, and if you have a garden, you might not need to go far to find a pretty flower or two!