10 Inexpensive Ways To Make Your Home Look Expensive
May 08, 2024
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These are ten of my favorite ways to elevate the look of your home, both inside and out!
Over the years I've discovered some easy decor and DIY changes that make a
big difference in our home.
I could make an endless list of ways to do this with bigger projects like
crown molding, wall trim and built ins, but these examples are
much simpler and less involved.
Most of these can be done in a few minutes. A few of them are projects that
will take a little more time, but thankfully I have tutorials that will help
you out if you decide to tackle them. ;)
I've always thought that some of the more subtle changes make a big difference
in a house, especially when repeated throughout.
They are the little touches that give your home a high-end look!
A few of these are splurges, so when I update multiple like items all over the
house, I do it over time. I'll grab one or two on trips to the store as the
budget allows.
Some of these have taken me a year to finish, some aren't done and some I've
just started!
ALL are little details that I think give our home that extra little something.
:)
1. Replace or paint floor HVAC grates
For years I've
spray painted our inexpensive floor vents
to a darker color that flows with our floors better:
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I've done that with all of the basic tan floor grates that we've had in both
of our houses over the years. They hold up surprisingly well!
Last year I was strolling down an aisle at Lowe's when I noticed how many
pretty floor vent options were available. I tried one of these cast iron
metal grates in a room that day and fell in love:
Over the past year I've been grabbing one on trips to the hardware store
here and there. Since we only have the floor vents on the main floor, I
didn't have as many to replace as I thought.
I love the pretty Marquis design that fits in well with our
modern Craftsman home details:
There are a ton of designs available, in both metal and the heavier duty
iron versions I've used. These are still operational like the previous grates -- we can adjust the
air flow no problem.
I also updated one of our air intake vents with a DIY vent cover that looks SO much better!:
2. Change out your light bulbs
Now this one may seem trivial at first (and honestly, in the scheme of
things, all this stuff is!), but over the years as we've had to
change out light bulbs, I've replaced some with these round bulbs instead:
If you have exposed bulbs or clear glass, they just give the whole light
fixture a higher end look:
Overall I prefer the white bulbs over clear ones, and the white ones soften
the cast a bit, which is nice.
I've only added these on a few lights so far, but they really do elevate the
look of the light fixture! They don't cost that much more than regular LED
light bulbs, so this one won't break the bank.
I like
these round LED bulbs
because they don't have the white plastic base that so many have:
They look better, and let off a bit more light.
Of course, if you know the basics of electrical,
replacing your regular switches with dimmer switches
allows for softer, dimmed light in the evening that is just lovely!
You can also update your light fixtures with new decorative glass globes or covers, found at most hardware stores.
3. Paint a (interior or exterior!) door
The first time I painted a door in our home black, I was HOOKED. At our last
house I got all of the doors in our basement and main floor painted:
That was probably 15 years ago and I haven't looked back. :)
No, you don't have to paint them all at once!
It took me years to paint all of our white doors black, and I didn't even touch the upstairs doors.
I've started the process in this home, but it's gone much slower since I've
been so focused on bigger projects:
|
| See our pantry reveal here! |
This DIY takes some time but isn't difficult. I shared my
tips for painting interior doors black
-- using this tutorial will give you a super smooth finish that looks like it
was sprayed on!
AND, did you know that
painting your front door
is one of the easiest ways to improve your curb appeal?
4. Dress up the base of your indoor plants
This small change is one of the easiest! I have a ton of plants around the
house (mostly these
fiddle leaf figs):
Plants like this come with small containers that can look a little wimpy. I
suggest replanting into a large pot and placing that in a simple basket or
pretty vessel.
This adds some texture and weight to the plant.
I use large, cheap plastic pots all the time! You don't even notice when they're placed in a basket.
The added width at the bottom makes the whole thing look bigger...which is
especially helpful if you don't have a green thumb!:
And it's just a nice decorative touch that adds a little something throughout
the house.
I used to place rocks on top of the plant soil (we have a cat that used to
love peeing on the plant bases and the rocks deterred her), but over the years
as I've replanted, I left those out.
Recently I've been adding something different at the base of the plant. I had
a ton of this pretty, soft moss in my craft stash and tried laying it out over
the dirt:
LOVED it. Such a simple thing, but the added greenery makes the plant
look even more lovely!
I love
this deep green reindeer moss
-- it's super soft and easy to spread, but stays put.
I swear this has helped our plants! It seems to help retain water and prevent
them from drying out. I could be imagining that, but I think it makes a
difference.
I also use these tips to make our fake plants look more realistic. Our visitors think this faux tree is real all the time!:
5. Adding exterior and landscape lighting
I will stand on my hill of landscape lighting forever! Ha! It's always been
that one exterior detail that I've noticed about really lovely (and
expensive!) houses.
Years ago I was determined to add some to our house, and discovered how easy
it was to
add landscape lighting on my own.
There's no electrical knowledge needed!:
I'm telling you, it will make your house look AMAZING at night. I hear from
readers all the time who are shocked at how easy it is to install.
It takes some time, but it's not a difficult DIY!
I've also fallen in love with pretty cafe lights that hang over a patio or
deck:
I've shared
how to hang patio lights when you don't have trees
to attach them to (like above), and showed you how we hung them
over our old patio and under the pergola:
We know what a difference the right lighting inside makes, and I think
it goes double for outside!
6. Replace switch/outlet covers
This is another small detail that on the whole makes a bigger impact than
you'd think!
I shared how I
updated some of our switch and outlet covers
at our last house:
You'll need a flathead screwdriver and about a minute to change out each one.
In our current home I've replaced most of our switch covers on the main floor
to these
new plates with a raised frame around each one:
And the outlets and switches on our kitchen backsplash as well:
I haven't done many of the other outlet covers yet, just because they're not
as noticeable. You can definitely take your time with these small
updates!
The covers I used have an insulated backing that helps to retain both heat and
cool air. Have you ever felt how much cold air comes through outlets in the
winter? It's crazy.
There are a TON of decorative switch plates at most hardware stores, and most
come in all of the configurations you will need. Ours come in multiple
switches options, GFI outlet/switch combos, etc.
7. Change out door knobs
Updating your door knobs is a great way to update your home! If you
have basic door knobs, they are easier than you'd think to change them
out.
I updated ALL of the knobs in our last house and
replaced the shiny brass knobs with lovely dark bronze hardware:
I had to cut out (or mortise) where the door latch goes on EVERY DOOR. But it
was worth it!:
If you don't have to do that, this is a much quicker job! Once you get
the hang of it, each one should only take about five minutes.
When we picked all of the details for our current home, I chose these simple
black handles instead of knobs:
I've loved having handles -- they are especially helpful when your hands are
full. :) You can push them down or up to open so it's a little easier to
maneuver.
Not only do the newer door knobs look better, but they feel more substantial
as well. It's an easy change that definitely makes a home feel higher end.
8. Update or add cabinet hardware
This is one of the easiest upgrades in the kitchen! If you don't have
hardware on your cabinets, adding knobs or pulls is like adding pretty
jewelry to your drawers and doors:
Hardware will reduce the wear and tear on your cabinets as well!
This can get expensive if you're starting from scratch, but there are so
many great options at great prices now! You can buy them in bulk for less
too.
I love these simple brass knobs I used
in my closet redo:
As with many finishes in your home, spray paint will give your cabinet
hardware a quick update for WAY less! If you like your hardware design but not
the color, spray paint is a great solution.
See
how to paint your cabinet hardware
for an easy refresh:
I LOVE adding decorative lighting where we have recessed lights. I think a
pretty fixture goes a long way to updating a space and making a home look more
expensive.
9. Updating drapery rods and adding pleats
Window treatments are huge! Hanging them a bit higher and wider than the
window frame will make the windows feel grander.
Earlier this year I tried a new window treatment update that made my store
bought curtains look SO much more expensive:
I shared
how to add pleating tape to the back of the drapes
-- the difference is truly amazing!
They went from messy and floppy to perfectly spaced and pretty:
I still have one more set of drapes I'd like to add this pleating tape to. I
LOVE the look!
But the drapery hardware makes a big difference too. When we moved in, I
bought the cheapest, skinniest drapery rods I could find.
We've had those up since then, but I've replaced a couple over the years.
I've used this
pretty brass rod with the faux leather detail
in both my office and our basement family room:
Not only is it a little thicker, but that leather finial at the end just
gives it a unique little detail.
By the way, I don't think your drapery hardware needs to match throughout
the house!
I shared where I found really
long curtain rods for a great price a few years ago. The IKEA drapery hardware is excellent!
I've since added the pleats to these basement drapes as well. You can see the difference in how full they look (on the left) compared to the grommet curtains on the right: 
10. Add a fixture to recessed lights
There are two ways to replace a canned or recessed light with a hanging
fixture. The simplest is to use a
simple screw in kit and a large shade
like I did in this small hallway:
You don't even need to turn off the breaker -- this is almost as easy as
replacing a light bulb!
Those kits allow you adjust the length of the cord and everything.
If you want to
install an actual wired fixture in a recessed light spot, that's possible too! It takes a little more work, but isn't a hard job if
you know how to change out a light fixture:
I had a horrible time with one version of these converter kits, so be sure
to check out that post before trying this DIY.
Both options allow you to hang a pretty light where there was none!
We later added this
long brass and black pendant light
in our tall stairway too:
Notice those pretty round bulbs? 😂 I love them!
**By the way, last year I also replaced all of our metal/light bulb recessed lights with energy efficient LED
versions that are SO much nicer. (And you can adjust the light from cool to
warm.)
They look more streamlined, won't yellow over time and save money on our
electric bill!
Bonus idea! Put your products in pretty containers
Now I know this one can get out of control, but after a few years of putting our most used products into pretty glass containers, I absolutely love how they look and function.
I empty our laundry detergent and cleaners into these basic glass containers with lids:
Not only is it cute, but I can easily see when we're running low on products. And it's just as easy to access (if not easier) than the containers they come in.
I also love decanting our hand and dish soap into glass dispensers:
You can find all of those cute soap and detergent labels here. They are waterproof and have held up great for years now.
Anything that makes cleaning the house more enjoyable is a win for me! :)
Have you added any of these decor and DIY updates to your home? Remember, it
doesn't all have to be done at once. Take your time as your budget
allows.
I promise no one will notice that your switch covers don't match in every
room. :)
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I love all these tips!!! You were the first to inspire me to paint a door -- after you painted your garage door black I did too and loved it. Recently I changed out ALL the doors in our house from the off-white builder base (that was some sort of enamel so it took a few tries) to pure white. I can't get my husband "into" the colored door look, although I painted some atrium doors that we were going to replace anyway just to show him how good a color would look. It didn't work, but the new doors are still on order and I'm hoping the color has grown on him :).
ReplyDeleteWhen I painted all the doors we ordered light switches (again, the builder and/or previous owner had all the off-white light switches in) and new oil-rubbed bronze door knobs. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I tried painting the door knobs, but it was a lot of work and they just weren't holding up. When ordering in bulk it does come out a bit cheaper.
I paint our vents, too, but would love to change out to decorative ones eventually :)
Looks like, with your inspiration, we need to switch out lightbulbs (I would never have thought of that!) and drawer pulls. I'm "big" into that decorative element too but it can get expensive.
Everything looks so great and custom in your home. . .just love watching your updates and changes through the years.
Love your blog, from a 75 year old still doing Reno decor changes on our home we built back in 1981
ReplyDeleteYou are extremely talented
June Newhouse
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada
Could you please share the name and brand of wood flooring you have in your home? I love it
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love my almost black doors! I also totally agree with the addition of exterior lighting and switch plate/outlet cover replacement. I went the other direction...simple, screwless style, and they have made a huge difference. I have replaced about 75% of mine so far. I am excited to try the recessed light make over. My 40 YO one on the front porch is UGLY! Thanks for sharing you talent and ideas through your site!
ReplyDeleteCould you share a picture of your replacement outlet covers?
DeleteThese were great tips! I have been following you for a long time and you have wonderful ideas. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your suggestions. Your home looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post years ago about black doors inspired me to have all our doors painted in Wrought Iron by BM back in 2018 when we bought our "good bones/needs updating" house. 4 years later, everyone still comments on how pretty the black doors are. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLove hearing that!
DeleteLove all your tips! I've been a follower for years and have incorporated some of your tutorials in my own home, they've been very helpful. =) Also, can you share the source of the plaid curtains in your office? Plaid is my favorite! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI am a long time follower of Sarah's blog. I think those are from her previous house. I like them too.
DeleteThank you! I found those at HomeGoods years ago, but I share links to similar versions about mid-way through this post: https://www.thriftydecorchick.com/2022/02/DIY-pinch-pleat-store-bought-drapes.html
DeleteSo many great tips!! Thank you
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah Lovely Ideas here!! I have been a fan of your blog for years and use many tips from you in my home... Do you happen to have any ideas for dispensing liquid laundry detergent? I find the bulk store dispensers boring and want to pretty up the laundry space. Thank you !
ReplyDelete