Budget-Friendly Design Tips That Look Expensive

Is the interior of your home starting to look tired, outdated, and generally in need of some tender loving care? If so, it’s probably time for a spot of interior design.

Interior design is a great way to give your home a much-needed face-lift and transform any room into a cozy, comfortable, stylish living space. The main issue that people have with interior design is the cost. We understand that seemingly everything is expensive nowadays, and we’re all feeling the financial pinch, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your home look lavish, without spending a fortune. You just need to know where to look for inspiration.

Here are several budget-friendly affordable interior design tips that look expensive.

DIY Wood Paneling

Wood paneling is very much in trend this season, and for good reason. It was originally used in expensive stately homes and country clubs to provide insulation. Today you’ll find it in homes and businesses all over the country.

If you use the correct tools, take the right measurements, and really take your time, wood paneling any wall is not that difficult. That means you’ll immediately save money on labor. Going one step further, you can use cheaper cuts of wood to achieve the same effects when painted, without the costs associated with expensive cuts of wood such as oak, walnut, and chestnut etc.

Take this 4 set arch MDF wall mounting kit from Nuanchu for example. It’s easy to install, it will give your home a luxurious Edwardian finish, and as it’s MDF it’s considerably cheaper than other woods and materials.

Pine, spruce, and even MDF can all be used to give any room a luxurious, stately feel, without the extortionate fees that come with costly materials.

For those of you who aren’t too savvy when it comes to DIY, this 3 set peel and stick Wainscoting wall paneling kit from Pangda is perfect. Each set contains 20 pieces in total, with a self-adhesive application, just as the name implies. It’s an affordable and simple way to really enhance the ambiance of any room, with minimal effort.

Install Opulent-Looking Chandeliers Made from Affordable Materials

Chandeliers are synonymous with wealth and nobility. To give the inside of a home a makeover resembling look of a British period drama to modern and contemporary look chandeliers play a vital role. This Lynnoland gold dining room farmhouse chandelier would be a great choice. It’s sleek, it’s modern, it’s versatile, and it’s even height adjustable, making it perfect for higher and sloped ceilings.

Instead of cut crystal glass, or gold-plated chandeliers, go with more basic materials and finishes such as glass or crystal-effect resin to achieve the same goal of, look and feel of lavish chandelier, in a budget. This mini crystal design chandelier from Anjiadengshi would be ideal for smaller living spaces. It has the look and feel of a grand crystal chandelier, without the price tag. Add some warm white light bulbs to give the room a warm and welcoming energy.

Create a Gallery Wall with Framed Prints

Cannot beat the awesomeness of genuine artwork, but it comes with the financial crunch.

A great alternative is to go with framed prints by creating your very own gallery wall. Simply select a series of different posters, fabric, tapestry, rattan or grasscloth or art prints you enjoy, along with basic frames, and hang them on your wall of choice. You can go with a symmetrical layout if you wish, or you can opt for different sized pictures hung at different heights. Your world displayed in your ways, so get creative with frames in tons of ways like – with hanging plants, with other wall art, on a string of lights etc.

For those who are looking to achieve a more rural, unmatched feel, this 15 pack gallery frame set from Vittanly is a great choice. Complete with 3 different sizes, it’s a great way to display family photos or your favorite art prints.

Most modern and contemporary designers opt for symmetrical layouts with pictures of the same size and frame hung at an equal distance from one another. If contemporary is your preference, why not create your very own art gallery in your own home with this Umbra hanging exhibit wall frame? Add some wall-mounted lamps to complete the look of an upmarket art gallery.

Replace Handles and Knobs with Decorative Pieces

Yet another way of achieving grand look of your doors, cupboards, drawers etc without much effort or expense, is to simply replace them with more decorative pieces.

Rather than a simple metal door handle, you could give your doors a more rustic, country cottage chic feel by replacing them with black cast iron handles, or even brass. This set of cast iron barn door handles will give your home a rustic western country cottage chic feel and can be installed in a matter of minutes.

Of course, as well as buying brand new, you can also check out salvage and reclamation yards as they often have plenty of items in stock for a fraction of the cost. Most will also be happy to haggle too, so you could save a few extra bucks.

Contrary to popular belief, interior design doesn’t need to cost the world, and if you know what you’re doing and where to look, you can give your home an expensive feel without bankrupting yourself in the process.