If you’re like most people, you probably feel like you’ve spent way too much on the furniture in your home. The average person spends over $8,000 furnishing just a new apartment. That total is likely to be higher for larger homes such as single family houses.

But the good news is you don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look like it belongs in a magazine. With a few simple changes you can change your dwelling from shabby to sophisticated looking. Here are some interior design tips to implement.

1. Get Rid of Clutter

Nothing will make a living space look messier and frankly, cheaper than clutter. It isn’t just limited to old magazines and books you have lying around. Footwear, toys, and knicknacks all contribute towards making a living space feel cramped and busy.

Remove unnecessary items from a room and store them in their proper place. Remember that less is usually more when it comes to displaying photographs, mementos, and decorative items. Group them in clusters and keep them confined to one area.

If you find you have too much stuff, it’s time to sell it, recycle it, give it away, or toss it. Freeing up space including that on the walls will instantly make a room feel larger. If your home has any architectural moldings, removing the clutter will put the emphasis on these details.

2. Raise Your Window Treatments

This simple design trick will instantly give the room a touch of Downton Abbey-esque grandness. Have your curtain rods placed a few inches higher and hang longer curtains that nearly reach the floor to make your ceilings feel higher.

3. Invest in a Piece of Large Statement Furniture

Instead of spending a fortune on several furniture pieces for one room, put money into one big statement piece such as a luxurious sofa or bed. This tactic also tends to make a room feel bigger. Go all out on your bed by also investing in a new luxury mattress and bedding that includes sheets you’ll love slipping into and supportive pillows.

4. Change Up the Paint Color

Painting a room is an easy and relatively low-cost way to make over a specific area of your home. Choosing the right paint and finish for your home can transform its feel in less than a day.

To give the room a classy feel, you can’t go wrong with neutrals such as soft gray, off-white, and light tan. A darker hue such as deep navy and warm colors such as dark red and marigold yellow are also popular choices in stately homes.

5. Stick to One Palette/Style

Instead of trying to cram a hodgepodge of different furniture styles and accent colors into one room, create a cohesive look by sticking to a simple palette where everything matches or includes one or two complimentary colors. Most of the furniture style should remain the same as well.

If you want to include differing style, limit it to one minor piece (such as including an antique accent chair alongside mid-century modern furniture.) Keeping the style consistent and using colors that play off each other well will make your home feel more high-end.  

6. Upgrade Smaller Details

You don’t always have to buy new furniture to give your home a new feel. Making smaller updates such as upgrading your kitchen appliances, installing new lighting and light switches, and swapping out old fixtures on your furniture and cabinets can welcome new sophistication into your home.

Installing new hardwood flooring in a different material, such as oak, can give your home a classy look. 

Stay Sophisticated With These Tips

As you can see, you don’t need to spend a fortune to make your home look camera-ready. Making some strategic changes will keep your home looking like you hired an interior decorator.

Home Zenith brings you the best interior design tips to help your home shine. Check out our latest blog posts for more tips on keeping your home looking great on a budget.