Not all of us can have a luxury home with extravagant furniture and exotic fabrics draped over the backs of Victorian-era chairs. However, even if you are on a budget or just redecorating, you can add luxurious touches to your home that will make it look and feel extravagant yet comfortable.
No matter what décor you have in your home now, there are some simple improvements you can make pretty easily. Here are eight simple things you can add to make your home more luxurious.
Furniture Materials
One of the things you can add simply is the use of certain luxurious materials strategically placed. For instance, a phone table in the entryway with a marble top, a walnut coat tree, or a sterling silver framed mirror adds a luxurious look to that space with one simple piece of furniture.
Think of simple things, like the wood your furniture is made of, the coverings, or tabletops. Marble, granite, glass, silk, and even bronze and other metals add luxury to otherwise simple pieces.
Balanced Lighting
One simple thing to do is to move your existing lighting around and add new lighting where need be. Having balanced lighting will show off the furniture and art you already have in your home. What does balanced lighting mean? It means using soft light in such a way as to minimize shadows and “blind spots.”
It also relates to the appearance of your lamps and other lights, and how they are placed on either side of furniture to create an “even” look. Using the same style of table and standing lamps, or the same style of lampshades helps, as does using similar wattage bulbs with a similar light output.
Lighting affects how your rooms look and feel, but also your mood and emotions. Unbalanced lighting can be unsettling and even cause anxiety, so deploy lights with care.
Frame Art and Photos Well
Speaking of art, photos and art that are well-framed speak volumes. The right matting, quality frames, and glass that is not too reflective and in some cases is even archival will help your photos and art look better and last longer too.
This means more than just a good print, but the right color and style of mat and frame, professional placement and settling, and good lighting too. The other aspect is how you arrange your art on your walls. A well-balanced arrangement centered around a theme looks luxurious and well done.
Pillows and Rugs
Accents often make a room and can make a space look and feel even more luxurious than it is. This is where pillows and rugs come in. Silk pillows with intricate patterns and even fringe and other accents can really make the color of your chairs and sofas pop especially if the two contrast.
A good area rug will also make your room look more luxurious, whether it is set on hardwood floors or carpet. Be sure to invest in high quality rugs with great materials. They will lay better, look better, and wear better. The right arrangement of your area rug matters as well and the placement under your furniture will make a difference in how it sets the room apart. Look at these types of arrangements ahead of time and be sure you get the right sized rug as well.
Go Metal
Metal accents do a lot to make a room or a piece of furniture look more luxurious. Even a polished steel accent on a wooden table or a single bronze or copper lamp adds an air of extravagance and luxury to a room.
In the kitchen especially, stainless steel and other metal fixtures and décor will add an air of cleanliness and luxury to the space that makes it rival professional kitchens in look and feel. Instead of wood, a metal knife block, stainless appliances, and metal accents where practical set the room apart.
From bathrooms to bedrooms to even your home office, metal accents add luxury and extravagance in unique ways.
Light a Candle
It might sound silly outside of romantic movies, but lighting a candle can make a huge difference in the atmosphere of a room, and strategically placed they add an air of elegance and luxury.
This is partially related to what the candle is on. Candle stands, candlesticks, and Himalayan salt candles all have their own unique properties and add an earthy element to a shelf, table, dresser, or bar. The flickering candlelight adds a feel of luxury to the décor surrounding it.
Add Fresh Flowers
Fresh flowers are not overly expensive, nor are they an extravagance especially when in season. You can get fresh flowers a number of places, and they add a unique feel and scent to any room. Here are some ways to keep fresh flowers in your home on a regular basis:
- Grow Your Own: Picking flowers from your own flowerbeds come with a certain amount of satisfaction at having grown something yourself, and as long as they bloom, you can have your own fresh flowers in your home.
- Make it a Habit: When you are doing regular shopping, pick up flowers for yourself from the store and replace the aging ones in your home. That way you will always have a fresh, active bouquet.
- Have them delivered regularly. Getting regular flower deliveries is one way to ensure that you have fresh flowers on a regular basis, and if you order from a reputable florist they will last a long time, and the cost will not be too prohibitive.
Keep in mind that some people are allergic, so make your arrangements portable for when you have guests. The vase that the flowers are in matters too, so select them to match your décor and the themes in your rooms.
Compare and Contrast
As mentioned above with pillows and rugs, sometimes contrast really makes luxury stand out, and can make your room look elegant. Contrasting art, bold colors, and even small contrasting accents make a room look and feel bolder. That boldness translates to luxury and elegance.
Through comparison and contrast, you can get balanced lighting, add various touches like metal, flowers, pillows, rugs, and more to your space to bring out the feel of luxury and extravagance without spending a fortune. Use these 8 things to make your home look and feel more luxurious.
