Who doesn’t want a living room that looks like it could be on the cover of an interior design magazine, right? But decorating your living room can get expensive. Especially so if you’re looking for a high end, luxurious look and feel. We design living rooms every day and we are still surprised by how easily everything adds up to an expensive price tag.
Good news is that you don’t have to win the lottery to get that luxurious living room. There are a few affordable design tips that will make your living room look like it belongs on the cover of Elle Decor.
When we say affordable here, it does not mean cheap. Unfortunately, there’s really no cheap way to get a luxurious look. These tips are all about how to make wise investments when you’re purchasing your furnishings so that your money goes further to create an upscale look for your living room.
Here are our affordable interior design tips for getting a million dollar look for your living room on a budget.
Images via Pinterest.
Affordable Interior design Tip #1:
Start with a Monochromatic Colour Palette
Whether or not you’re a Meghan Markle fan, have you noticed that she’s been rocking monochromatic looks ever since she became a royal? There’s a good reason for that. It’s one of the easiest ways to look like a million bucks, if you know how to layer on tones and shades of the same colour.
It’s the same with a living room. Or any other room for that matter! This is our #1 affordable interior design tip because this one makes such a big difference in a room. A monochromatic colour palette in your living room automatically upgrades your style quotient in that room.
So what exactly is a monochromatic colour palette? It’s a colour palette that’s made of different shades, tones and tints of one colour. The secret to making a monochromatic colour palette work is to use a lot of textures and patterns in the same colour, in your decorating.
At Daakor, we love using neutrals to create monochromatic colour palettes but pretty much any colour will lend itself to a colour palette like this.
Monochromatic colour palettes create a harmonious feel in a space and makes us feel relaxed. And being relaxed is the ultimate state of luxury, right?
We think of a colour palette as an affordable interior design tip because you’re going to need a colour palette for your room anyway. Choosing items in a similar colour is not going to cost you more necessarily, but it will need you to search around to find those items.
Images Via Pinterest.
Affordable Interior Design Tip #2:
Define Your Space with a Rug
You don’t have to splurge on buying the most expensive rug but make sure that the rug you buy is the biggest you can afford for the size of the room and it should look like a million bucks.
We’ve mentioned before that we often see clients reluctant to use rugs in their spaces but this is one of the key elements of a living room that is well put together. Rugs help define your space, soften the look of your room and do wonders for controlling noise.
If your rug is too small for your space, that is equivalent to wearing an outfit that’s too tight for you. You can learn more about how to choose the right rug for your space in this post.
Rugs can be expensive. So why do we think this affordable? Because you can find a great rug for any price point. And even if you pay a little more for a rug, the impact it will have in creating a room that looks like you won the lottery is huge.
Images Via Pinterest.
Affordable Interior Design Tip #3:
Double Up on Window Coverings
The first thing to remember about choosing the right window covering is that it has to be functional for you. That means you might need two separate layers of window coverings, like sheers and drapes for the windows in your living room.
For both these types of window coverings, choose a fabric that drapes beautifully and feels luxurious. For sheers especially, choose a fabric that is light, bright and airy.
Did you know that you need at least twice the width of your windows in the length of your window covering to create a full look for your curtains? Having skimpy drapes won’t give you that coveted luxurious look in your living room. .
Whether you’re looking to maintain privacy or control the amount of light you get in the room, you can learn more about window coverings in this post. And these tips will help you hang those curtains and drapes perfectly. We also wrote everything you need to know about the hardware you need to hang your window coverings properly in this post.
Window coverings are on our affordable interior design tip list because it’s something you need to have in your room anyway. If you do it right, it will help you create that grandeur you’re looking for in your living room.
Images via Pinterest.
Affordable Interior Design Tip #4:
Get the Right Scale in Your Artwork
We often talk about getting the right scale in furniture and decor in a room. If you are looking to create a look of an expensive living room, you will need to invest in some large scale art.
There are lots of amazing local artists that post their work regularly on Instagram and on online marketplaces. These can be a great way to acquire some large, original pieces of art.
Art can be expensive, especially when you’re searching for a large piece. But it’s one of those things where the impact it has in a room will amplify the value of the space.
But what can you do if you just don’t have the budget for a large piece of art? If you are into abstract art, why not head over to the local art supply store and buy yourself a canvas and some paint and unleash your creativity.
You will have a one of a kind piece that shows off your personality better than any other piece of art. You can’t go wrong and no one is going to judge your artistic talent. Even better is that it cost you a fraction of what you would’ve paid for someone else’s creation.
If you’re looking to purchase some wall art, checkout this post here for some tips.
Affordable Interior Design Tip #5:
Accessorize to the Nines
Accessories play a big part in creating a living room that looks and feels high end. Two areas that you can focus on in a living room are how you style your coffee table and seating.
When you are choosing throw pillows for your sofa, opt for texture and pattern. Be sure to purchase pillows that are the right scale for the sofa. Right now, bigger throw pillows are all the rage.
I personally like pillows that can sit properly on the sofa when I chop them. You can check out these tips on how to style your sofa for more tips on finding the right combo of throw pillows for your couch.
When it comes to decorating your coffee table, the key is to avoid clutter. Go with a few key pieces that leverage the rule of thirds and show off your personality. Read more about our tips for getting your coffee table decor right in this post.
Images via Pinterest.
Affordable Interior Design Tip #6:
Light up Your Space
I always think of lighting as the jewelry in a space. If you browse through those luxurious spaces you see in interior design magazines, you’ll notice a theme when it comes to lighting. It’s always extravagant.
So how do you make this into an affordable interior design trick? Look for options to combine multiple smaller, less expensive fixtures to create the effect of a grand fixture. Invest in one great lighting feature in the room. Most of the time, it makes sense to have this one feature be the chandelier in the room.
It’s important to understand how to layer different types of light to create a harmonious look for your living room. You can grab some tips on how to do this over here.
While most of these affordable design tips might not look or sound so affordable on the surface, keep in mind the investments you make in these areas will amplify the look and feel of luxuriousness in your living room.
