7 low-cost home ideas that look expensive (but aren't)

Home Staging Nordic-Retrò, Venduta a Prima Vista Venduta a Prima Vista Scandinavian style living room
Loading admin actions …

Nobody wants their home to look or feel as though it's been chosen from a bargain basement catalogue. However, at the same time, who has endless budgets to spend on finishing the décor? 

Marrying a desire for good value with a beautiful aesthetic can be a tricky task, but we've taken note of what some of the most talented interior designers have been doing and brought some top tips together for you. 

Read on if you want to spend as little as possible but still end up with a truly incredible home, as we've got all the secrets you need!

1. Soothing wall colours

Vivid, trendy wall colours are all very well but if you want to give your home an expensive look and feel, you need to stick to pale, calm hues. 

Neutrals and the new neutrals (grey and baby blue/pink) are perfect for creating a pretty, high-end home that won't ever date or look cheap.

2. Retro furniture

The most classy and expensive homes always have antiques but retro furniture will do just as well. 

Stylish furniture from the 1970s continues to grow in popularity and will be far cheaper to buy than old items, while still looking great!

3. Minimalism in contrast

A little minimalism goes a long way to making your home look expensive. However, if you want to heighten the impact, the best way to go about it is to add in some bold contrast to the pared back aesthetic. 

In this case, you can see heavily patterned wallpaper offering an incredible backdrop to the simple living room furniture.

4. Eye-catching house plants

Making a house look expensively decorated is all about those extra touches that add new dimensions of gorgeous design where you'd least expect to see them. 

With that in mind, house plants are a wonderful way to introduce some colour, texture and life into a home!

5. Chic countryside feelings

When trying to choose a theme for your home that will make it look and feel effortlessly expensive and elegant, you should always consider country chic. 

Lashings of natural wood, soft textiles and organic colours come together to create a harmonious, cohesive space that looks as though a pricey interior designer curated it.

6. Creative touches

Fantastic feature walls are a wonderful way to add some serious style and expensive-looking touches to your home without breaking the bank. 

It can be as simple as painting an accent colour on one wall, then finishing the look with a stencilled motif. 

7. One-off wall murals

If the idea of getting creative appeals to you then up your style game exponentially by creating a marvellous mural. 

Perfect for any room in your house, the only limitation is your imagination and you can keep the colours in-keeping with the wider furnishing for a properly cohesive and upmarket look.

For more home upgrade tips, take a look at this Ideabook: Small and easy repairs you can actually do yourself.

Have we tempted you to upgrade your home?

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine