When you think of luxury, what comes to mind? Tall ceilings? Extravagant furniture? Diamonds and champagne? While all these may be true, what also comes to mind when we think of the word luxury is quality, elegance, status and comfort. Understated elegance and simplicity of design can create an expensive feel. As Coco Chanel once said: “Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.”

While it may be easy to create a luxurious home with an unlimited budget that would allow you to hire the most sought-after interior designer and purchase furniture without any consideration for price tags, with a bit of creativity and strategic thinking you can create a luxurious feel in your home on a budget. How? Check out the tips below.

Upgrade the feel of your couch with pillows.

You can take the most basic sofa – as long as it’s in decent shape – and transform it into an expensive-looking piece of furniture with throw pillows. The trick is to mix patterns, colors and textures. If you are not sure how to mix and match different patterns, here is Real Simple‘s advice: “An easy combo: a matched pair of square solids that contrast with the color of your sofa, one oblong pillow for the center of the couch, and two interesting outliers—patterned, embellished, or oddly shaped—that reference either the color of your upholstery or the color of your solid pillows.”

Swap out your old fixtures

You will be surprised how much you can change the atmosphere of the room by replacing your old light fixtures. As Hilary Nagler, the design genius behind Flea Market Rx., puts it: “Think of lighting as the jewelry of the room and accessorize as you would an outfit.” While our natural tendency is to put a small fixture in a small room, we should experiment with the opposite, she suggests. Furthermore, invest in dimmers. Installation kits are not expensive, but they can complete transform the ambiance of the room as you can adjust the brightness depending on a setting.

Upgrade your hardware finishes

Luxury is in the details. You can have the most beautiful bathroom, but the overall feel will be easily undermined by cheap-looking faucets or door knobs. Pay attention when selecting hardware finishes. It may be difficult to find expensive-looking items in a regular hardware store. Check out your local flea market. We bet you can find a ton of hidden treasures there. There are also a number of tutorials online that will teach you how to DIY hardware finishes and transform the most regular door knob into something elegant and luxurious.

Add luxury to your home by placing accent mirrors on or next to the wall

A mirror’s frame, size and positioning play an important role in creating a chic, elegant space. The frame of a mirror tends to be the most expensive part. So, if you’d like to hang a statement mirror on your wall, but don’t feel like selling an arm and a leg to get one, keep your eye on second-hand deals. If you find the perfect frame, you can easily replace the glass. If you find a frame that has the perfect shape, but not the right color – repaint it. A mirror is also one of the items that you can give golden accents for the luxurious feeling. Other items include picture frames, hardware finishes, couch/table/chair legs and fabric prints on smaller items of decor.

Elevate your space with bookshelves

Think of bookshelves not simply in terms of their storage capacity, but in terms of their value as an interior design object. The best part is that you don’t have to go to a designer store to find something unique. Purchase something cheap at IKEA and customize it to your taste by painting the bookshelves and adding picture frames, books and other accessories. You can also build one yourserlf. Need some inspiration? Check out our list of creative bookshelves.

Decorate with fresh flowers and/or plants

Fresh flowers and plants can make your room feel more cozy and welcoming. The pots and vases give you a chance to add a luxurious feel to your decor. In order to achieve that feeling, however, make sure that: 1) your flowers are always fresh; 2) your plants are properly watered and taken care of; 3) the vases and pots should be carefully selected from a design perspective – don’t simply keep them in the cheap containers they came in. You can place accent colors, interesting designs and shapes to these items. Place them strategically, so they add to the unity of the design.

Eliminate distractions

Hide those unsightly chords. Make your flat screen a part of the design, not the focal point of the room. Hide any stains and broken items.

Give your windows a make-over

Hang your curtains higher to create the illusion of taller ceilings. Look for interesting patterns and colors. Don’t be afraid to mix and match textures and designs. An easy trick to make sure your curtains bring the room together is to match their color to a couple of accent pieces in the room – throw pillows, vases, an ottoman or a mirror frame. If you want to get new curtains on a budget, go to a textile shop and find the fabric that you like. You can then make your own curtains – there are plenty of DIY tutorials online.

Keep it clean and organized

Nothing ruins even the most beautifully designed space as a mess. It doesn’t matter how stunning your furniture is or how unique the accessories are – if the room is a mess, the glamour and the luxury disappear. That’s why, when designing or remodeling your space, think of the ways that would make it easy to maintain the room’s neatness. Make it easy to store things. Make it easy to clean the floors and furniture. Make the room feel spacious and full of natural light.

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