How to make your home look expensive on a budget

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home look high-end. Here are my favourite easy & low cost ways on how to make your home look expensive on a budget!

Watch my YouTube video to get easy hacks to make your home look expensive:

See how a dated honey oak kitchen was transformed into a coastal modern farmhouse kitchen with an eat-in layout, white shaker cabinets and white oak accents.

I love the challenge of making homes look luxurious on a smaller budget. If I had an unlimited budget to decorate, what fun would that be?! These simple tricks can make any home look like a million bucks... without spending a million bucks. Let's go!

Upgrade cabinet hardware

Swapping out hardware can make a surprisingly big difference in how your home feels. Change your dated, chunky hardware for something a little more modern and sleek and you'll see what I mean! I like to find hardware at Home Depot or Wayfair online. For an even cheaper option, you can paint your current hardware for a whole new look. Brass is still hot right now, and here's my favourite gold / brass coloured spray paint.

Install architectural details

Simple trim work can make all the difference in how high-end a home can feel. I love the look of board & batten or picture frame trim. Crown moulding can also give a room a grand, luxurious look. You can DIY your own trim work by following my board & batten tutorial right here, or see how I installed picture frame trim in my niece's nursery here.

Keep a minimal look

A few well appointed pieces of furniture and accessories usually looks more expensive than a room jammed full of multiple pieces. Having lots of white space for the eye to rest creates a modern and elegant look in any room. I'm happy we kept the furniture and accessories in our Little Lake House minimal. Not only does it make the space look more modern, but it's also a lot easier to clean!

How to make a gorgeous velvet pillow with an exposed metallic zipper - full sewing tutorial

Use luxurious looking fabrics

Another easy way to make your home look expensive? Fabrics like velvet, faux fur and linen always look luxe and high end. Use them for floor-to-ceiling drapes or upholstery, or for throw pillow covers for a more budget-friendly alternative. You can DIY custom pillow covers in a luxurious fabric using this tutorial. Make a custom faux fur throw for your living room using this simple tutorial.

Modern coastal bedroom makeover with deep blue shiplap wall, vinyl plank flooring, IKEA furniture, and gold accents

Add custom look lighting

Lighting accents add glamour to your space, and if you don't want to spend the money and time to wire in custom lighting there are alternatives. Use battery operate puck lights to light the underside of your kitchen cabinets, or use battery operated puck lights in wall sconces in your bedroom or living room.

Make grocery store flowers look expensive and beautiful with these simple arranging tips

Accessorize with real flowers & greenery

There's nothing quite like real flowers and greenery, and adding these to accent tables in your home will instantly elevate the look. If you can't afford designer floral arrangements, you can arrange grocery store flowers to look more expensive using these tips here. Gathering greenery from your yard or flowers from your garden in the summer are also fantastic ways to get the look for less!

Make drapery look luxe

I'm always a huge proponent of floor-to-ceiling drapery. To make your drapes look even more luxurious, double the panels on either side of your windows for a more gathered, fuller look. This will instantly make your room feel more high-end, and don't forget to extend your curtain rods a few feet on either side of your window for even more glam. Use inexpensive IKEA drapery to get this look on a budget.

Which idea do YOU want to try?