Want your Lexington home to look like those home design
website images you drool over? Of course you do! Problem is, your budget may
not match your design aspirations. Fear not! Making your home look high-end
isn’t always about spending tons of cash.
It’s a matter of taking the time and care to arrange
things in an eye-pleasing way—and making small, inexpensive updates that
have a big impact. In other words, it’s about being sneaky.
Here are a few tricks to pull if you want to add the
illusion of luxury.
1. Declutter
Walk through each room of your home and edit items. Make
some tough decisions. Sure, you love your grandma’s vintage Chinese vase, but
does it really jibe with your West Elm look? It might be time to store it or
let it live in another room with similar family heirlooms.
Next step: Tackle any stuff that piles up—toys (if you
have kids), shoes by the door, mail on the dining table. At the very least,
find places for your stuff to live in a more organized way; an upgraded closet
with beautifully sorted nooks and crannies looks luxurious.
2. Eliminate grunge
You may not have time for intensive cleaning on a weekly
basis, but a once- or twice-yearly deep clean is an easy way to make
your home look far more luxurious.
Go through your home and search
for overlooked areas that have become dirty
and downright gross. You’ll want to pay special attention to
the grouting, says designer Young Huh. The process is simple and
inexpensive.
Try steam cleaning wood floors for an immediate
lift to the finish.
3. Add—or rearrange—lighting
Designers use lighting to define spaces and separate
rooms, making a small space grand.
Think of where you might have a reading nook, sofas and
chairs for company, and a television. Visually differentiate
among the areas by using different kinds of lighting: Add a
table lamp beside your cozy reading chair and sconces behind your
couch for conversation. Consider a dimmer for overhead lights.
Bonus cheapskate tip: Use warm-colored lightbulbs, Huh
says. Cool tones are a “sure-fire way to make your home look down-market,”
she says. Daylight bulbs work best for reading nooks.
4. Upgrade your hardware
Tired of your brushed-steel drawer pulls? Try gold, bronze,
or even crystal—or make an adventure of it and scour your local thrift
store for vintage hardware that screams your style.
It’s not hard to find attractive options in any decor
style for next to nothing (a drawer pull, for instance, might start at just $3
or less). For hard-to-find designs, search etsy.
Changing the countertop and faucets is another change
that can make your home look much pricier, Huh says. If you have
the budget, exchange your dated sink accessories for something
fresh that matches your brand-new hardware.
5. Repaint
There’s no simpler way to make an old home feel new than
painting.
You can’t go wrong with classy neutrals. Minimalists might
love a bright white combined with a bold accent wall; DIY decorators might
enjoy a tasteful, sandy tan tone, which pairs well with any number of woods.
Paint isn’t just for your walls: Add some color to your
front door, window trims, or even the floor, if you’re brave (hardwood can look
amazing when painted white).
6. Focus on the decor details
Does your home feel a little meh—and you’re not
sure how to change it? Try vignettes—combine decor items (e.g., vases,
frames, and objects) that add visual interest to an otherwise
bland area—perhaps a shelf or console table.
Organize your vignette around a theme so that the
decor items are unified and tell a visual story. Go around your house
and cull items you love that need a new home (see tip No. 1 on
decluttering).
Another way to go: Grouping together multiples of the
same objects (e.g., glass vases in the same color) is an instant update.
Decorators often use odd numbers because they are said to be more
appealing.
With these simple tips, you can make your Lexington Home
even more appealing!
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