How to make your home look more expensive on the cheap
Terms like royalty, extravagance and richness come to mind when I think of gold. And when you incorporate gold detailing or finishes into a room, it immediately exudes a sense of luxury and opulence. The option to incorporate gold finishes into a space has become more accessible with the emergence of new technologies and products. Tile manufacturers are now able to use gold leaf as tiles, for instance. The process involves placing a gold leaf between two pieces of glass and vacuum sealing the pieces together to create a single tile.Using such tiles, you could create a gold mosaic feature wall in the bathroom or use it as a splashback in your kitchen. Depending on your budget, though, you might prefer a cheaper option. Now, you don’t have to go all out and actually purchase products that use real gold (gold leaf is the most common form). You can still introduce gold with faux looks like panelling and gold paint, for example, which show a gold metallic colour without actually being the real deal.
Gold leaf tiles are a cheaper option to using solid gold, but if you want to go even cheaper, but maintain a similar look, consider using glazed ceramic tiles instead. Panelling
The company Baresque have a great range of mirror acrylic panels, which are perfect for full wall installations. The panels offer a lightweight panel system that is easy to install, and comes in a fantastic range of colours, including a gold look called ‘Molten’. One sheet, at 2440 x 1220 x 3mm, costs about $190.
Polyurethane cupboards are a great way to incorporate gold into your cabinetry. First, select a gold colour from the likes of Dulux’s Metallics range. Your joiner will spray the paint on to your cupboard door and drawer fronts, and apolyurethane resin will then be applied on top of the paint, to form a protective coating. The polyurethane paint, once sprayed onto the surface of the cabinets, then gets baked at an extremely high temperature. This baking ensures the painted surface is hardened, to prevent damage when it’s then put together and installed. This could look great for a display cabinet with interior panels lined with mirror, to really reflect the gold feature.
Most contemporary bathrooms have chrome-plated fittings, which of course creates a more modern look. However, currently, the trend is to incorporate fixtures that are more unique and add an interesting layer to your room. This can be achieved by incorporating tapware and fixtures that are finished with a matt black, copper or brass application. And there’s no rule in mixing finishes. You could easily pair copper tapware with black accessories for a stunning contrast. When choosing coloured tapware, have a look at all of the other finishes you’re using in that room. If you’ve got dark tiles, selecting black tapware is going to disappear within its surroundings. However, if you select a copper finish, you’ll create a soft contrast that will highlight your tapware without the risk of the tapware dominating the space. Some of you may be a tad scared to include such unique designs within a space, which is only normal when pushing out of the typical comfort zone of ‘everything must be white!’ But for every time I have used a tapware finish other than polished chrome, I can honestly say it has enhanced the space and improved its overall look – simply because it is different and offers the eye something new to look at.
Natural stones have some of the most beautiful textures and intricate details, and Caesarstone have created the Concetto range, which is a finish that is unlike any other. The individually cut semi-precious stones are bound together to create forms, which can be introduced throughout the home. The range includes a large array of colours and quartz/agate materials with no two forms ever being the same due to the nature of the material being used. This product appears to be very precious, however it is scratch resistant and easy to clean, which makes it perfect for residential use. It can also be custom manufactured by a stonemason, so the possibilities are endless. To enhance the decadence of this product, some of the range has translucent qualities due to the nature of the stone, and this can be backlit, thus creating a unique look. You could incorporate this finish into your home as a basin, benchtops, vanities, flooring, wall cladding and freestanding furniture. By using opulent, more expensive products sparingly throughout your home, you’ll be able to keep to budget, but will still benefit from the look. Semi-precious stone, for example, is not a material that you would clad every surface in, but rather use to add a feature here and there. Another reason why the average homeowner wouldn’t clad every wall in it is due to the extravagant cost. You’ll be looking at anywhere upwards of $10,500 per slab, dependent on the colour/stone type you select.
Carpets and rugs that shimmer
Flooring is the most important element of a space, as it is, in most cases, the largest quantity of material required in a home. Your floor finish can be used to make a statement in a room, especially with the inclusion of silk and wool blended carpets and rugs like those by Tappeti. The blended combination of wool and silk combined create a shimmer effect on your floor. Upon touch you can feel the density of the fibres and the softness will ensure you never wear shoes in the house again. These quality handmade carpets and rugs offer a unique finish than others on the market due to the process in which they are made and the large array of colours, patterns and textures available.
BUDGET OPTION: If you are unable to re-carpet your entire home, you can introduce a silk rug into a space with hard floors (whether that be timber, tiled or concrete), as it will soften the space thus adding to that sense of luxury.
Sheer curtains
Luxury is created by the combination of carefully selected finishes within a room, one of those being fabrics. But more than anything, luxury is about softening a space and making it welcoming and comfortable. It is so important to dress a window as it can alter the whole atmosphere of a room. When layering curtains, you create opulence by the choice of material you use. The use of sheer curtains within a room acts as a subtle shield against the natural light, thus creating an inviting atmosphere and soft glow.
When looking for the right sheer curtain for your space, look around the room and take note of the general colours that are already there – the floor, furniture, artwork and paint colours. You can either select a highlight colour and run with that or go for something neutral. An example would be if you had an artwork that had highlights of burnt orange through it – you could continue this colour theme in your sheers. Neutral colours are also easy because they’ll go with just about anything. If you want your sheer curtains to simply soften the look of the space rather than stand out, then stick with colours like white, grey, and pastel blue.
The introduction of sheer curtains is usually an inexpensive design feature and immediately creates that sense of luxury within a home. For a wall to wall sheer curtain approximately 4000mm long, you’ll be looking at paying around $1500 for supply and installation.
TOP TIP: If possible, it is ideal to recess the curtain to create a seamless finish from ceiling to floor. This is done by creating a bulkhead/pelmet that’s built into the ceiling.
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