Guest Post: How to Make a Space Look Expensive Without Spending a Fortune

When Sara contacted me offering to write a guest post, I figured, hey, why not? I clearly have issues converting my photos and finished projects into blog posts in a timely enough manner, so I could certainly use the help! Plus, sometimes it's nice to hear someone else's voice other than my own, no?

Well, either way, I'm happy to have Sara here today to break down some useful tips! Many of these great ideas can be found on Pinterest, but I love how they are all summed up here in a nice, neat little package with a bow on top. I added in some of my favourite photos that nicely illustrate each one, some with links to tutorials so you can DIY. Hope you enjoy!

Deciding to take on a redecorating project can be overwhelming and costly if you aren’t careful, and it’s easy to end up spending much more than the budget you original allocate. Many people make the mistake of thinking that they need brand new, pricey pieces to make a room look and feel like it’s expensive. However you really just need some knowledge on how to reinvent different pieces and places in rooms to achieve a look of luxurious, posh taste at a fraction of the cost. To make a space look expensive without spending a fortune, use these seven tips:

1.     Shop garage sales and consignment stores. You would be amazed at how many quality pieces of furniture people sell at garage sales, in consignment stores, and on websites like Craigslist.com. It takes a little extra time to visit different shops and sales and browse through different listings, but finding the exact piece you wanted for a fraction of the price makes the extra time spent looking completely worth it.

Source: Andrea + Kris + Our Chaos

2.     Repurpose old furniture. Sometimes old furniture just needs a little TLC to give it a brand new look. If you have an old wooden piece of furniture then try sanding it down and giving it a fresh coat of paint or distressing the wood to give it a fresh new look. 

3.     Choose a splurge piece. Try to include one splurge piece in each room to give the room a more expensive feel. The piece that you choose to splurge on should be something that you absolutely love and that is timeless. This way, you’re much more likely to keep the piece for years and years to come, making it worth the investment. 

Source: The Hunted Interior

 Reupholster chairs and couches. A lot of people think that they need new couches or chairs when really all they need is some new fabric to reupholster the pieces with. Buying a new set of couches or chairs is pricey, but recovering seat covers and pillows is a much cheaper option that will breathe new life into the pieces. 

5.     Add feet to couches. Adding feet to couches, ottomans, and other pieces that sit on the ground gives them a more expensive feel at a minimal cost, and can change the whole look of the furniture.

6.     Stain cabinets. Buying a whole new set of kitchen cabinets will set you back hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and isn’t always practical or in the budget. Instead try painting or staining the cabinets a different color. The new color will completely change the feel and tone of the room, and is a much less labor and cost intensive process. 

7.     Replace knobs. Cheap knobs on furniture are immediately telling that a piece is of lower quality. By replacing the knobs on cabinets and drawers and the door knobs throughout the house with more expensive looking ones you can achieve the feel of luxury at a minimal cost.

Giving a room an expensive feel doesn’t have to mean spending a small fortune redecorating. Instead you need to choose pieces to splurge on and save on everything else by shopping sales, repurposing furniture, repainting cabinets, replacing knobs around the house, and adding expensive touches – like feet to furniture – instead of completely throwing everything out and starting from scratch.

Author Bio

Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of http://www.nannypro.com/.