Expensive Looking Home: 15 Cheap Tricks That Make Rooms Feel High End

An expensive looking home is not about how much you spend. It is about a few smart choices that designers make again and again. Videos on this exact idea are pulling big numbers right now: one on home upgrades that look expensive passed 320,000 views in three weeks, and another on things to remove for a richer look got 134,000 views in two weeks. We picked up so many ideas from this home upgrades video that we had to share them. The best part is that most of these tricks cost very little, and some are free. With guests coming for the holidays, this is the perfect time to try a few. Here are 15 easy changes that make any room feel calm, polished and high end..

Expensive Looking Home Ideas in One Room

Look closely at this room and you will spot almost every trick on our list. The curtains hang high and wide, one big rug holds the whole seating area together, the wall has simple molding, a large piece of art fills the space, and tall branches add height. Lamps glow instead of one harsh ceiling light. None of it is fancy furniture. An expensive looking home is really about scale, light and calm. Start with one idea below and you will see the difference..

You will need: a tape measure, a free afternoon, and a willingness to move a few things around.

How to make it: 1. Pick one room to start. 2. Clear out anything you do not love. 3. Work through the list one idea at a time.

Hang Curtains High and Wide

This is the trick designers mention first. Hang the curtain rod close to the ceiling, not right above the window frame, and let it extend 8 to 12 inches past each side. The window suddenly looks bigger and the ceiling looks taller. Choose curtains long enough to just kiss the floor. Light linen colors let sunshine through and feel airy. It is one of the cheapest ways to get an expensive looking home. Are your rods hung too low right now?

You will need: a longer curtain rod, extra length curtains, a drill and level (adult help), a tape measure.

How to make it: 1. Mark the rod height a few inches below the ceiling. 2. Extend the brackets well past the window frame. 3. Hang curtains that just touch the floor.

Expensive Looking Home Rule: One Big Rug

In an expensive looking home, a small rug is rare. A small rug floating in the middle of a room makes everything look smaller and a little cheap. One large rug, big enough that the front legs of every chair and sofa sit on it, pulls the whole seating area together. It instantly feels finished and calm. Big rugs do not have to cost a lot. Look for flatweave or jute styles, or join two runners side by side. Would a bigger rug change your living room?

You will need: a large rug, about 8 by 10 feet for most living rooms, a rug pad, a tape measure.

How to make it: 1. Measure the seating area. 2. Pick a rug large enough for all front legs to sit on it. 3. Add a rug pad so it stays flat and in place.

Add Battery Picture Lights Over Art

A small brass picture light over a painting makes even a thrift store frame look like a treasure. Battery LED versions need no wiring, and many come with a remote and a timer. The soft glow in the evening feels like a gallery or an old library. It is one of the most loved expensive looking home tricks this year because it costs so little. Hang it just above the frame so the light washes down. Which piece of art would you light first?

You will need: a battery LED picture light with a remote, a small nail or adhesive hook, rechargeable batteries.

How to make it: 1. Center the light above the frame. 2. Mount it on the wall or the frame. 3. Set the timer so it glows every evening.

Group Decor in Odd Numbers

Rows of small things in a straight line can look cluttered. Designers group decor in threes or fives, with one tall piece, one medium and one low. A tall vase, a stack of books with a small bowl on top and a little plant is an easy formula. Leave some empty space around each group so it can breathe. This simple rule makes an expensive looking home feel styled, not busy. How many little things are on your console right now?

You will need: a tall vase, three or four books, a small bowl, a small plant.

How to make it: 1. Clear the surface completely. 2. Place the tallest item first, toward one side. 3. Add a medium stack and a low piece, then step back.

Upgrade Knobs to Brass

Swapping basic knobs for brushed brass ones is one of the fastest upgrades you can make. It works on dressers, bathroom vanities and hallway cabinets, not just kitchens. Measure the hole spacing on your old pulls so the new ones fit without drilling. Heavier hardware feels solid in your hand, and that is part of the high end feeling. You can change a whole dresser in fifteen minutes. Which piece of furniture would you start with?

You will need: brushed brass knobs or pulls, a screwdriver, a tape measure.

How to make it: 1. Measure the distance between screw holes. 2. Unscrew the old hardware. 3. Screw on the new knobs and pulls.

Expensive Looking Home Art: One Large Piece

Lots of small frames scattered on a big wall can look busy. One large piece of art, about two thirds the width of the sofa, looks calm and confident. You do not need to buy an original. Try a large canvas print, an oversized poster in a simple frame, or paint your own abstract with a few colors. Hang it 8 to 10 inches above the sofa. It is a key part of an expensive looking home. Would you try painting your own?

You will need: a large canvas or framed print, picture hanging hooks, a level, a pencil.

How to make it: 1. Measure your sofa and pick art about two thirds of its width. 2. Mark the center 8 to 10 inches above the sofa back. 3. Hang it level with two hooks.

Add Plug In Wall Sconces

Wall sconces feel custom and built in, but plug in versions need no electrician. Mount them on either side of the bed or a sofa, then hide the cord with a slim cord cover painted the same color as the wall. It frees up nightstand space and gives soft, warm light for reading. Choose LED bulbs so they stay cool. This trick shows up in almost every expensive looking home video. Would you put them by your bed?

You will need: two plug in wall sconces, LED bulbs, paintable cord covers, wall paint, a drill (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Mount the sconces at the same height on each side. 2. Stick on the cord covers and run the cords inside. 3. Paint the covers to match the wall.

Style Books in Stacks

A bookshelf packed tight with bright spines can look messy. Mix it up: stand some books upright, lay others flat in small stacks, and put a plant or a ceramic piece on top of a stack. For a calm look, wrap a few covers in plain cream or kraft paper. Leave a little empty space on each shelf. It turns a cluttered shelf into a pretty display. Would you wrap your books or keep the colors?

You will need: your books, plain cream or kraft paper, tape, a few small plants or ceramics.

How to make it: 1. Take everything off the shelf. 2. Put books back in mixed upright and flat stacks. 3. Add a plant or object on top of some stacks.

Corral Items on a Real Wood Tray

Remotes, coasters and little things spread across a coffee table look like clutter. Put them all on one large wood tray and they suddenly look styled on purpose. A tray also makes a soft ottoman usable as a table. Add a small vase of flowers and a book to finish it. Wood, marble or rattan trays all look rich. Thrift stores are full of good ones. What is sitting loose on your coffee table right now?

You will need: a large wood tray, a small vase, a few favorite things, coasters.

How to make it: 1. Clear the coffee table or ottoman. 2. Set the tray in the center. 3. Group the small items on the tray and add flowers.

Frame a Plain Mirror With Molding

Plain builder mirrors are in so many bathrooms. Adding a simple wood frame makes them look custom. Cut molding to size, paint it black, white or wood tone, and stick it right onto the mirror with mirror safe adhesive. It takes an afternoon and costs far less than a new mirror. It is one of our favorite bathroom upgrades for an expensive looking home. For more ideas like this, see our renter friendly upgrades. Which color frame would you choose?

You will need: flat wood molding, a miter box and saw (adult help), paint, mirror safe adhesive, painter’s tape.

How to make it: 1. Measure each side of the mirror. 2. Cut the molding with mitered corners and paint it. 3. Glue it to the mirror edges and tape until dry.

Add Panel Molding for an Expensive Looking Home

Box panel molding gives a plain wall the look of an old Paris apartment. You only need thin strips of molding, a level and some patience. Lay out the boxes with painter’s tape first, then glue and nail the strips on. Paint the whole wall, molding and all, in one soft color for a calm, rich look. It works behind a bed, in a dining room or down a hallway. Which wall would you choose?

You will need: thin wood molding strips, a miter saw or box (adult help), construction adhesive, small nails, a level, paint.

How to make it: 1. Plan the boxes with painter’s tape. 2. Cut and attach the molding with glue and small nails. 3. Fill gaps, then paint the whole wall one color.

Bring In Tall Branches

Fresh flowers are lovely but they do not last. Tall branches in a big vase look grand, last for weeks and are often free from your own yard. In fall and winter, try bare branches, eucalyptus or evergreen boughs. The height draws your eye up and makes a room feel bigger. A tall clear vase or a big ceramic jug works well. This is the cheapest trick for an expensive looking home. What grows near your house?

You will need: pruners, a tall heavy vase, water, branches from your yard or a market.

How to make it: 1. Cut branches at an angle. 2. Strip any leaves that would sit under water. 3. Arrange them in the vase so they fan out naturally.

Expensive Looking Home Lighting: Layer Lamps

A single bright ceiling light makes a room flat and a little harsh. Designers use several lamps at different heights, like a floor lamp, two table lamps and a small accent light. The room fills with soft pools of warm light, and it suddenly feels cozy and rich. Use warm white LED bulbs and put a few on smart plugs or timers. Your evenings will feel completely different. How many lamps are in your living room?

You will need: two or three lamps in different heights, warm white LED bulbs, smart plugs or timers.

How to make it: 1. Place lamps in at least three corners of the room. 2. Use warm white LED bulbs. 3. Turn off the ceiling light in the evening.

Use Linen Look Pillows in Two Sizes

Pillows are the easiest way to change a sofa. Choose linen look covers in soft, matching tones and use two sizes, like 22 inch in the back and 18 inch in front. Down feel inserts that are one size larger than the cover look full and plump. Add one chunky knit throw folded on the arm. It is the last and easiest step to an expensive looking home. Do your pillows look plump or flat right now?

You will need: linen look pillow covers in two sizes, inserts one size larger, a knit throw.

How to make it: 1. Pick two or three soft colors that match. 2. Put larger pillows in back and smaller in front. 3. Fold a throw over one arm.