How to Get Luxe Decor For Less: Designer Style on a Budget

Do you want to make your home look like one of those homes straight out of a magazine, but you're working with a small budget? Well in today's video, I'll show you seven ways to get that expensive look on a budget. Are you ready to get started? I know I am.

1. The rule of three

Tip number one is the rule of three. The rule of three is an interior design principle that designers live by. It's when we arrange decor items in groupings of three, and there is a scientific reason why this works.

Three is the smallest number that can be used to form a pattern in our heads. Plus, an odd number of items creates more visual interest.

When looking at your color scheme, always start with three colors: your wall color, floor color, and accent color. Your accent color should be found among your accessory items.

You may have more than one accent color, but there should be one dominant accent color when pulling in those accessories.

Placing them in groupings of three is also important.

You should make sure the items vary in height as well.

Note that your accessories don't have to be expensive. I buy a lot of my items at HomeGoods and TJ Maxx.

2. Be consistent

Tip number two is being consistent throughout your home.

Choosing a design style and running it throughout your home will make it look like a designer came in and planned your entire space.

You don't want each room to look exactly the same, but you do want there to be a level of continuity between the spaces so they flow nicely and don't come off as disjointed.

Your first step should be to identify the design style you want to use in your home and then make sure the dominant design style shows up in every room.

If not in every room, then in all of the communal spaces in your house.

A good starting point is to be consistent with your flooring, walls, paint color, and even your light fixtures. Stores like Lowe's and Home Depot offer great convenient designs at budget-friendly prices.

3. Large scale artwork

Tip number three is large-scale artwork. Large-scale artwork has a big impact on any space.

It creates a dominant presence.

You can have one big piece or cluster of large artwork.

Bold color choices are striking and create that wow factor.

You can find inexpensive artwork on sites like Great Big Canvas, Etsy, and BIG Wall Decor. Don't sleep on large-scale artwork. It can be impressive and inexpensive at the same time.

4. Use knockoffs or replicas

Tip number four is to use knockoffs or replicas, whichever one you prefer to say. Here's my tip. Find your favorite piece of furniture or accessory and then look for its knockoff. Trust me, it's out there.

For example, Restoration Hardware's Cloud couch, which generally runs from six to ten thousand dollars, can be substituted for West Elm's Harmony sofa, which is roughly two thousand dollars, or Crate & Barrel’s Oceanside sofa, which also runs for about two thousand dollars.

Both knockoffs have many color options, deep seating, and a pillowy feeling like the Cloud sofa.

They just don't cost the same, and let me state for the record that if I had the space and money, I too would own that beautiful Cloud sofa, so you know I'm not hating. I'm just saying, look for a replica.

And another example, let's look at the Saarinen table, a.k.a. the tulip table. An authentic sixty-inch oval tulip table can cost you around fifty-five hundred dollars, but you can find great knockoffs on this table on Overstock or Wayfair.

And their prices tend to be less than a thousand dollars, so I think you get the point. If there is a designer piece of furniture or accessory out there, I promise you there is a knockoff out there that will cost you much less.

5. Consistent flooring throughout

Tip number five is to have one consistent flooring throughout.

Multiple floors on one level cheapens the look of your entire home. Yes, I said it, and the goal here today is to make your interior look expensive.

So try using a luxury vinyl tile. This flooring is super hot right now but more importantly, it is scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and moderately priced.

Now you can get the expensive look of hardwood floors without the expensive hardwood floors price. So to recap, choose one flooring type that suits your family's needs and then stick with it.

6. Lighting

Tip number six is lighting. Another way to make your home feel more expensive is through your lighting.

In particular, I am talking about artisan lighting.

These lights look like pieces of expensive artwork while they light up your space.

You can find these beautifully designed lights on sites like Article or believe it or not, Amazon.

Allow these light fixtures to make your home look expensive while not breaking the bank.

7. Pillows

Tip number seven is pillows. Don't sleep on the power of pillows.

With that being said, avoid the poly-filled pillow. They tend to look flat and cheap.

If you want your pillows to look a little more expensive, a little more high-end, use down feather inserts in your pillows.

Down feather pillows look plush and allow you to mold them to fit your space.

Now if you go and buy a beautiful textured down pillow, that can run you upward of a hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars, but you can go on sites like Amazon and buy the pillow covers and the down feather inserts separately, and this will run you less than fifty dollars most of the time.

Here's a small hack. If your pillow cover is eighteen inches make sure to buy and insert one size larger or, in this case, twenty inches. It will fill out the pillow cover nicely, adding to that plush, expensive look and feel nice.

Luxe for less

Which tip are you ready to try out now? Let me know in the comments section.