Luxe for less: How to make your home look luxurious on a budget

Author: Kate Shaw

Do you have Champagne tastes but live on a beer budget? Living a life of luxury doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Follow these tips to declutter your home, add instant class and turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Warm things up
You can give your dining room the luxurious feel of this Sydney penthouse in three easy steps. First, clear out every bit of clutter. Second, choose a simple, monochrome palette. Third (and this is where the luxury comes in), layer things up with some gorgeous sheepskins and an oversized candelabra. This room is the perfect balance of simplicity and luxury.

Note: While sheepskins look and feel luxurious they need not be expensive. Affordable natural and faux rugs are available from low-price stores such as Kmart and IKEA. Investing in more expensive skins will certainly elevate the space, however. High quality sheepskin is soft and silky. Merino, Icelandic, Mongolian and Gotland sheep hides are some of the most luxurious.

Sheer luxury
Curtains can work wonders inside too. A sheer curtain is an inexpensive design feature that punches above its weight, adding instant luxury to the space it adorns. A far cry from the net curtains in your nana’s front room, today’s sheer curtains add privacy and style, all while letting in light and creating a soft mood.

Treat yourself
Expensive liquid hand soap and dishwashing liquid may seem like unnecessary exorbitant items, but they are a gift to yourself that keeps on giving and will give your home a luxurious edge.       

Next time you visit your favourite restaurant, take a note of the hand soap used in the bathroom. It will likely be an expensive product, but if you use the same product at home, each time you wash your hands you will be transported back to this favourite location. Likewise, splash out on artisan dishwashing liquid; why not turn a tedious task into relaxing time out?

Note: Scent is the sense most closely connected to memory and fragrances can turn your home into a wonderland of sensory pleasure.

Flower power
Freshly cut flowers are perhaps the easiest way to elevate your living spaces. If you are lucky (and it’s the right time of year) you can cut hydrangeas or other simple blooms from your own or a friendly neighbour’s garden, and pop them in a vase with minimum effort. Any fresh flowers, no matter how simple, will add warmth to your home and make it feel that little bit more special.

Place flowers in unexpected places – and change the water regularly to keep them fresh for longer. Pop a single stem in a small vase in the bathroom or somewhere unexpected such as the laundry. It’s sure to make you smile even when completing the most mundane chores.

Tip: Flowers don’t want to drink bacteria-infested water. Every couple of days remove flowers from the vase, change the water (add flower food if available), re-cut stems and immediately place back into water. This can double the life of your flowers.

It’s in the detail
Small details matter when creating a luxurious environment. Paying attention to the little things can have a big impact on how polished your home looks and feels.

Take time to look closely at your door and cabinet handles. First up, give handles a good polish. If they still look shabby, consider having them professionally refinished, or have a go yourself with metal paint. Replacing old-style handles with up-to-the minute hardware can be an easy update for kitchens and bathrooms.

Mirror me
Creating an illusion of light and space is an all-important ingredient for a luxurious home. If your house isn’t naturally gifted, cheat with oversized mirrors, such as this gigantic mirror used to beautiful effect in this San Francisco home.