Interior designer shares best colour to paint your house to make it look expensive – and it’s not white or grey
MAKING your home look expensive when you have a large budget is easily done but with rising bills, most of us are counting our pennies these days to make our budget stretch a little further.
However, a lot of the time the smallest changes made to homes can make a big difference, sometimes all you really need is a lick of paint.
Fabulous spoke to Interior designer James Newman from luxury house company RaffleHouse to learn his best tips for making your home look more luxurious on a budget.
Increase your curb appeal with a lick of paint
First impressions count, and one way of making your home look more luxurious is to make sure the front of your home is presentable.
While this can be done by installing expensive windows and doors, to make your home stand out on a budget and painting your front door can have a huge effect on your home’s curb appeal.
“While there are endless options for paint colours, black is the choice you should opt for if you want your home to be associated with luxury. Black front doors are a classic and timeless option, and they signify power, sophistication and wealth,” says James.
Don’t match your furniture
One of the quickest ways to make your home look cheap and cookie-cutter is to match the furniture in your home. Matching furniture can save you money as you often get a better deal when buying in bulk but it doesn’t do anything for the aesthetics of your home.
If you have purchased your furniture in bulk don’t despair as James says changing one item can make a huge difference.
The interior pro says: “In your dining room, you may have already bought a table, chairs, dressing table and mirror that all match.
“I see this all the time, this makes your room look flat, unappealing and sometimes ugly. But don’t worry this can be fixed by changing one item in the room.”
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If you’ve bought a set with pieces you don’t need, the best thing to do is sell them.
James says: “To keep costs down, you could sell the chairs that come with the dining table and then replace them with chairs which aren’t the same colour or texture.”
“People always sell their dining chairs on places like Facebook Marketplace so a bargain can be had if you look long enough. If you haven’t decorated your home yet, be sure to visit your local antique shops as they will have items that can add texture and interest to your home.”
“When buying antiques, buy furniture of similar colour but not exactly the same.” says James.
Add panelling for a touch of class
Installing wall panels in your home is a trend that many homeowners are interested in. Many homeowners and renters have been taking on the challenge themselves installing wall panels through DIY.
James says “Wall panelling is a quick and easy way of elevating any room in your home to look more luxurious. You can add the wall panelling yourself which is the cheapest option or you can buy premade wall panels which are more convenient but slightly more expensive.
“When adding wall panelling to your room you have a few options such as the classic shaker style, the slatted wood panel or the valley loop. All of which will add sophistication to your home.”
Add flowers for texture
Luxury houses are never boring, adding colour and texture will always make your home look more interesting. Fresh flowers can bring life to a room, adding new flowers every week can soon become expensive.
To keep costs down James recommends using faux flowers and pampas grass.
“Faux flowers now add life to a room without the costs of replacing them every week. Depending on the aesthetic of your home you could also use dried pampas grass. Pampas grass is a cheaper alternative to fresh flowers while making your home feel luxurious.”
Use art to elevate your home
Adding artwork to your home can be expensive and it can be daunting if you don’t know where to start.
“Forget cheesy quotes on your walls or leaving a blank space, adding artwork to your home is a great way of making it feel more sophisticated. However, choosing art for your home can be a difficult task and getting it wrong can make your home look cheap and nasty.”
“Ideally you should purchase your art before designing a room as art sets the tone, when art is an afterthought it doesn’t have the same effect. On a budget, commissioning art is going to be out of the question but you can still achieve a similar effect by buying artwork from online art sites such as Minted, or Etsy.”
“If you do find an artist that you like but their artwork is too expensive, don’t let that put you off. Keep an eye on that artist and his or her work may show up elsewhere for cheaper in the future.”