If you’re the type of person who really likes rich, exquisite-looking decor—but you’re also a frugal or thrifty person who doesn’t like to spend loads of money on interior design purchases, then you may be wondering:
“How can I make a room look more expensive without spending a small fortune on an interior designer and legitimately expensive decorations?”
Well, this is a very good question.
And the truth is that there’s an art to making rooms look more expensive.
In this post, you’re going to learn 5 tried and true ideas to make a room look rich, lavish, luxurious, and fantastic—even on a budget.
If you truly have exquisite taste and wish to display it, this post will help you to do exactly that.
Let’s dive in and talk about it.
1. Display Antiques
Antiques run the gamut from being budget-friendly and affordable, to being incredibly expensive.
So you can really customize this specific element to fit with your budget.
The most important thing to look for is antiques that have an elegant, regal aesthetic. Look for things like:
- Mirrors
- Furniture
- Lamps
- Wingback chairs
- Fixtures that contain gold or other metallic accents
- Picture frames
- Artwork
- Statues
- Ornaments
These are the types of antiques you’ll want to display in your space to make it look even more regal and rich.
Of course, hunting for the proper antiques is the key here.
For best results, you’ll want to visit local antique shops and flea markets.
You can also visit thrift stores, or shop online.
You can use Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Ebay to look for awesome options from the convenience of your own smartphone.
It may take you some time to find everything you need, but that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be an overnight transformation.
2. Adjust The Lighting
Lighting plays a big role in how rich and lavish your room looks.
For example, white fluorescent lights tend to make everything look washed out and less expensive—while the yellower, golden glow of incandescent bulbs (like these lovely Edison bulbs) often make things look a bit more rich.
You can also use lighting effects to help you really hone in on the look you’re searching for.
For example, you can install dimmer switches, use different types of lamp shades, and even use different colored lights to help you give your room the warm, rich glow you’re searching for.
3. Include More Metallic Items In Your Decor
Adding additional metallic elements to your room can give it a very rich look, so keep an eye out for especially lavish-looking metallic items while on your search.
This means that you should be looking for things like metal lampstands, bronze/brass/stainless fixtures, and furniture with metallic accents.
Vintage mirrors with metallic frames, or that at least have metal accents on the wooden frames, is another example.
Statues are another great way to add a metallic sheen to your room. Consider some pewter statues to sit on the bookcases, or maybe even a metal sculpture set out as a centerpiece on the table.
Metallic surfaces say “rare, expensive, and valuable.”
And you can use this effect to great advantage when decorating a room.
4. Use Beautiful Rugs To Make Your Floor Design Pop
There’s simply no better way to really set up a rich tone in your room than with a beautiful, luxurious Persian rug.
High quality rugs aren’t always cheap. But you really need to cover this base if you want your room to look lavish and luxurious.
Real Persian rugs have always been traditionally hand-woven by skilled carpet weavers.
But today, they can be mass-produced—which is great news for your pocketbook!
5. Use Conservative Colors In Decadent Combinations
Unless you’re dealing with a bolder decor style (like a bold modern or industrial design), you’re going to find that most rich looking color schemes consist of light neutral colors that fit decadently together.
Pearlescent white, for example (or at least some version of it), is generally going to be a mainstay in any room with a rich looking decor.
Creams, very gentle pastel pinks and blues, and even very neutral, unobtrusive reds and charcoal grays are also examples of types of colors you may find in these decoration schemes.
You should go with the color scheme that feels good to you.
But if you want that rich-looking feeling, you’re probably going to want to avoid taking the bolder colors too far, and sticking with a white base.
Then, play a bit on the conservative side with your combinations, and consider reviewing color palettes by mixing and matching different options to get the exact style and feel you want.
Conclusion
There you have it:
5 ideas to make any room look more expensive.
All of these ideas are pretty easy, and you can customize the different pieces as your budget permits.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember, however, is that this is your room, and you get to decide how it looks.
So don’t forget to put a little bit of your own unique personality into the decoration scheme as well.
Now, some to get out there and make it happen.
You’ve got this.