A beautiful house does not always mean an expensive house. In fact, being able to create a good design in your apartment can cost you little more than some paint, good lighting, and the magic of turning old belongings into something interesting and new.
The best budget home decoration tips show that instead of buying things, it is better to give a new style to something you already have in your possession.
Even if you are a tenant or your house is small, you can make it look luxurious by applying the following hacks.
1. Turn the Place into a Gallery
Print your favorite photos, drawings, sayings, and pictures and hang them on the walls. To make the gallery look more expensive, use second-hand frames in the same color.
2. Paint the Mirror Frame
All you need to do is to paint your mirror frame in your favorite color. A matte black, warm white, dark green, and gilded yellow are all great options.
3. Make Vases from Old Jars
Before throwing your old glass jars away, wash them and turn them into vases. For a more expensive look, paint and decorate them with jute rope, raffia, and other materials.
4. Make a Decorative Tray
You can find plenty of wooden trays in second-hand shops for a relatively cheap price. Paint and decorate them and use them as a surface for holding your candles, books, a vase with fresh flowers, and other decorating essentials.
5. Paint Plain Flower Pots
Most flower potted plants usually come in the blandest colors imaginable. Liven them up by painting them in different stripes, patterns, or colors. You can also use neutral tones. Set them in threes and create a composition.
6. Make Cushion Covers
Make your old sarees, curtains, scarves, and other textile goods into cushion covers. They will make your favorite sofa or bed look more expensive and comfortable.
7. Make a Shelf
A small wooden board and some brackets can be a great addition to your shelf. Fill it with a few books, your favorite plant, candles, and one additional decorative item. However, avoid overloading.
8. Make DIY Wall Art
You do not need to be an artist to make beautiful hand-made art. All you need to do is to paint abstract art or create geometric patterns on a cheap canvas. You can also frame the interesting pages you have ripped out from old magazines and books.
9. Paint Old Furniture
Instead of buying new furniture, try to refresh the old one with paint. Remember that you will need to sand it a bit and add a primer.
10. Change Cabinet Handles
Sometimes, it is not necessary to do a lot of hard work to make your home look significantly better. For instance, you can accentuate the furniture by changing its cabinet handles.
11. Make a Headboard
You do not need to buy an expensive headboard if you know how to make one. All you need to do is to hang a nice piece of fabric, a weaving, or a nice rug behind your bed.
12. Create a Cozy Lighting Corner
Proper lighting can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your room. Add string lights around your mirror for brightness. You can even set up a bedside lamp or put fairy lights in a glass jar for a glimmering decoration.
13. Repurpose Your Old Glass Bottles as Flower Vases
Paint the glass bottle or a wine bottle in a beautiful color and use it as your flower vase. You can further enhance its looks by wrapping the bottle in jute or twine for a rustic look. To create a perfect centerpiece, you can arrange dried flowers in the bottle.
14. Build a DIY Photo Collage
You don’t have to frame your images traditionally anymore. Create an entire photo collage instead. Not only does this reinforce your personality, but it also allows you to update your images whenever you want.
15. Refurbish a Small Table
You can use a small table behind your sofa or TV stand as a nightstand or a side table. You will need to paint it and equip it with new handles to refresh its look.
In the case of the last project, you can go for a monochrome design.
16. Make a Mirror Illusion
As a cheap way to make the room look more expensive, hang a mirror facing a bright source of light. In addition, the mirror will also make the room look more airy and spacious.
17. Make Candle Holders
You can utilize some old mugs, glass jars, a small vase, or a flower pot to create beautiful candle holders. Simply paint them, add some decorations, and put in a candle.
18. Use Books as Decor
Using books is more convenient than people might assume. For example, you can put the books horizontally on the coffee table or nightstand and place a favorite plant or candle on top of them.
19. Put Fabric on the Wall
In case you are not able to paint the walls of your rented apartment or house, you may use some fabric instead. This can be put on the wall behind the bed or sofa.
20. Rearrange Your Furniture
This trick does not require any financial investments but a lot of effort. For instance, you can move your favorite couch from one side of the room to another. You can also change the location of your furniture and decorate objects so that each room looks different.
How to Make DIY Decor Look Expensive
Although it seems counter-intuitive, the best way to make your home look more expensive is to spend less money.
Choose a neutral color palette, leave some space between objects, and invest in good finishing. It will be enough to make your home look several times more expensive.
In addition, instead of trying to complete all the projects mentioned above, choose the ones that will make the most difference in your apartment or house. A shelf with the right lighting, fresh paint, and new furniture will make your home look more expensive than a dozen of other projects.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to make your house look luxurious without spending a fortune. Some of the best ideas may even include your old and never-used items. So, try to make your home look more expensive before buying new and spendy stuff.
