Hi, friends! I am so happy that my soul sista Ashley let me take over her blog for a day to have a coffee chat with y’all!
If you’ve never “met” me before, my name is Lauren and I have a blog called Bless’er House where I share my family of three’s adventures in making our builder grade home into our dream farmhouse.
Over the past three years, we’ve learned a thing or two about making our house look expensive on a tiny budget, so I thought it’d be great to share some of those tricks in a free course that I just launched called The Broke Gal’s Decorating E-Course.
My hope in writing this course was to help people discover the potential of creating the home they love with as little money as possible. Since ya know… that budget thing can be kind of a doozy.
I share all kinds of budget design strategies, tips for thrifting, and money-saving home decor shopping secrets in the course, but today, I wanted to share my favorite tips to make your home look more expensive (inexpensively). We’ve used all of these tips (as well as Ashley) throughout our home, and they have proved to be completely transformational!
- Install mouldings
If you have plain drywall throughout your house, adding trim is a great way to make your home look more expensive for not a lot of money. Add a shiplap wall, board and batten, or beef up your windows with trim for added character. (You can find my tutorials for DIY shiplap, board and batten, and window trim here.)
- Paint your cabinets
Especially if you’re stuck with those yellowy builder grade oak cabinets, painting them a neutral shade will instantly update your home. (You can find Ashley’s tutorial for painting cabinets here.)
- Incorporate flowers and greenery
A simple vase of grocery store flowers on your dining room table can amp up your decor. Nowadays, even faux flowers from the craft store can be as convincing as the real ones. If your decor is feeling dull, place some greenery (real or faux) around the room to give it a perk. (Check out Ashley’s flower decor tips here.)
- Hang curtains near the ceiling
Hanging long curtains near the ceiling immediately makes a room feel larger and more upscale. Even some inexpensive $10 ones from IKEA can do the trick.
- Use area rugs
Placing a rug in your living room or bedroom can make your home feel more cozy and polished, and they don’t always cost as much as you might think. Just make sure you choose one large enough for your space.
- Upgrade your lighting
Whether you buy new or DIY using your existing lighting, a simple coat or two of spray paint can do the trick to upgrade cheap or outdated fixtures. (You can find all of my DIY and budget lighting ideas here.)
- Frame builder grade mirrors
Framing your existing mirror or replacing your frameless builder grade one with a store bought framed one can make your entire bathroom look more expensive at a low cost. (Find Ashley’s mirror framing tutorial here. Or my favorite source for inexpensive store-bought mirrors here.)
- Invest in down inserts for pillows
By replacing polyester batting for down inserts in throw pillows, sofas and bed decor take on a luxury feel. And to keep the cost down, just buy new covers instead of an entire pillow to change out throughout the seasons. Some covers you can buy for as little as $5, which makes decor updates even easier on your wallet (and closet space) over time.
Of course, there are lots more ideas to ritz up your home, but these are just my favorite. Have you already done some of these? Or have any other projects or decorating ideas that you’ve used to make your home look more expensive? I’d love to hear about them!
And if you want more budget decorating tips, you can find The Broke Gal’s Decorating E-Course over on my blog.
Thank you so much, sweet Ashley, for having me, and thank YOU for reading along! Happy weekend!
Such easy and quick Ideas! thanks
These are fabulous tips! Your home is absolutely divine. It’s truly refreshing to see that it is possible to have a nice, high-end-looking house without spending an unfathomable amount. This post is excellent! Thanks so much for sharing!
Adding a nice looking window trim on all your homes windows is a good way too make it look more expensive and nice. It’s good if it also has a nice cut to it, but it doesn’t have to match the rest of the molding if you don’t want it to. My windows are a bit bare myself, I feel that I should do this to mine.
Where do you find pillows for $5???
Hobby Lobby has a selection of pillow covers for $5 each, so you can freshen your décor by changing out pillow covers seasonally.
Your home is beauiful! Where did you find that Irish blessing sign? I’ve been looking for one just like that forever!!!
I love the cheap ways of decorating you have here. Even something as simple as painting the cabinets can really give the whole home a fancier look. I was looking for some inexpensive ways to redecorate, so thanks for the inspiration!
Love these tips!
These are great tips.
Thank you for sharing.
From Karla K.
Thank you so much for this awesome article about decoration! Do you have a YouTube channel with your creative tips?
Thanks. Such quick and easy Ideas!
i love the set up its such a great concept especaillly if the room is small
Hi! Each of us dreams of making an update of his home for a budget cost. Now it is more than real, it is enough only to plan well all the stages of your repair, find a good electrical contractor and other specialists who will offer you professional solutions and help you cope with the task many times faster.
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. tree trimming
Wow! This could be one of the most useful content we have ever come across on the subject. Actually excellent info! https://www.exterminatorlongisland.com/
You make it easy to understand. Impressive content snow plow service
I really like the idea of a large window in the bathroom. But I cannot but note that such a window must be protected from moisture. Modern double-glazed windows most often have such a certificate. But I would be careful to find out about such details before the final order.
I love those ideas, Ashley. I don’t need to spend much, but those items will change the home look a lot. I like this article and apply for my home.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Now I can no longer imagine a comfortable life without air conditioning. In addition, they will always help with air conditioning installation https://callheliosair.com/air-conditioning/installation . Some problems can be fixed on your own, while others require professional intervention. It is better if this is done by specialists from the company that sold you the air conditioner. The list of store services should include the possibility of maintaining the air conditioning equipment sold. If this is not the case, the likelihood of an accurate diagnosis and prompt repair work is noticeably reduced.