W ho doesn’t want their home to look lavish and luxurious? Even if you’re on a budget, there are ways to make your home look like a million bucks.
We show you how you can do that in twelve different ways:
Light up with love
Replace the standard wall fixtures with a good-looking one. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive — even a string of fairy lights in a wine bottle looks good at night.
Give the ceiling a trim
Moulding may not be a very Indian thing but adding a trim of moulding — be it on the ceiling or at skirting level — can give your room a whole new look.
Paint doors charcoal
Doors are routinely left the way the builder gives them to us.
We suggest you call in a painter, get him to sandpaper them and apply a couple of layers of glossy charcoal paint. See the difference it makes!
Try ceiling medallions
A chandelier looks much more glam and opulent when it's hanging from a POP medallion. They’re not expensive at all and an easy way to up the luxe factor.
Try textiles
Nothing makes as strong an impression as a vivid textile. Be it a rug or an indigenous fabric — say ikat — that’s cut up to make fancy cushion covers, textiles can amp up the sophistication.
Take curtains higher
Sure you’ve got new curtains for the living room and your bedrooms for the festive season. But hanging them high up — just under the ceiling line — makes your space look more expansive and expensive.
Get a sculptural detail
You may have ensured that you have the right mix of straight lines and circular forms in the room, but consider getting an element with an interesting shape or unique silhouette.
An unusual lamp or side chair will feel almost like a piece of sculpture.
Add a piece that’s old
Balance the sea or new furniture and décor artefacts with something old — it could be a chair that belonged to your grandfather or an chest of drawers that you picked up at a juna bazaar.
Incorporating a piece with some patina and age adds age-old luxury.
Choose brass planters
There’s only one simple to add style and some colour to an empty corner.
Bring in a potted plant: forget those ceramic planters, a brass planter adds a grown-up look and updates your corner with an extravagance that no other planter can. Having an element that brings in shine always helps too.
Stage like a designer
It’s not easy to arrange furniture and objects in your apartment in a way that’s both pleasing and zen.
Do it the way designers do — by considering each corner, each vignette, each space a small part of the composite whole. The whole needs to look good, but so do the parts.
Layer your accents
Be it rugs, pillows or throws, layering helps combine textures and colours and gives your space an uber-sophisticated look. Remember to ensure that your layers have a cohesive look.
Simplify your style
There's a reason the Scandinavians have nailed the stylish yet luxurious look.
They believe that less is more. Instead of a makeover, aim for a make-under. Getting rid of the clutter and overdose of accessories will make your room look chic.
