Are you wanting or needing a full-on home renovation but can’t afford one? Maybe a better option for you right now is incorporating these inexpensive upgrades or updates. You truly can have a more expensive and lavish look by making these few MINOR changes. The key is WHERE you make those changes and choosing certain colors. Here are seven updates that won’t break the budget.

BLOG POST BY:

Carla Gentle with Design Realign, Inc.

Remember now, we are talking about creating A MORE EXPENSIVE AND LAVISH LOOK; so keep that in mind as I walk you through these seven updates.

OUTSIDE FIRST …

None of this can be pulled off without having a good first impression, so let’s imagine someone pulling into your driveway. We will start there and then touch areas inside your home.

Spruce Up the Front Entryway. Create a memorable first impression by giving your home’s entrance a simple, yet effective, makeover. Simple updates that go a long way include placing pathway lights—solar or electric—that lead to the front door, painting the door a bright or unexpected color, and placing big pots of luscious greenery or colorful flowers on the steps. NOTE: You only need one large pot to make a statement by a door that pops. Make sure the door color coordinates well with the exterior brick or siding.

Source: Gambrick

THEN, INSIDE …

Now, that first impression needs to happen when someone first steps INSIDE your home. As a former Realtor, I always stressed to my sellers the importance of having a nice entrance when you first walk in as it is the first impression buyers have and the last thing they see before they leave.

Choose Color Wisely. Consider what I am saying, because coming from a design standpoint, the best and easiest way (but not the only way) to create an ELEGANT opulence and CALM ambiance—which speaks LUXURY—is to work with neutrals (THIS INCLUDES EARTHY GREENS AND BROWNS). You can always add pops of color, but tastefully! If you like lots of bold color, you will start to lose the luxe feel … UNLESS you use velvet jewel toned furniture, etc. It’s best to tone it down with neutrals in the mix to get the luxe feel.

Now the last couple years, black has really come to the forefront as THE color choice to add a luxurious look to a room and I am all for it! Having black kitchen cabinets, a black fireplace to the ceiling, and black bookcases are a gorgeous way to make a room look expensive. More on that in a second.

I know bright colors are in right now but that is a trend. If I were to choose between bright colors and black, I would go with black as it will never go out of style. You can accessorize with selective color.

Getting back to the neutrals, a neutral décor, from the paint on the walls to the rugs on the floor, creates depth, which tricks the eye into making the space look bigger. Mix and match neutrals to customize a stunning look. Still not sure how to pull it off? Look at some pictures for inspiration.

Source: Unknown from Pinterest

CHECK OUT THE BLACK BRICK AND WALLPAPER in the bar above. Note all the beautiful elements used in the room. Neutral and earthy colors with black painted brick bar and wallpaper, finished off with gold accents and light fixture to bring it all together.

Update the Kitchen Cabinets. Most people think of the kitchen when it comes to renovation or making upgrades in their home. It can also be very pricey. If your cabinets are in good shape but look outdated, give them a more contemporary appearance by refurbishing them. One way is by refacing them, which involves covering your current doors with a wood veneer.

Another option is painting them. Spray painting cabinets really helps to speed up the process and can create a flawless look, if done properly (see my before & after pic below of my clients’ sprayed cabinets). Bright colored cabinets are really in right now, but I advise against it unless you are working with a designer who understands color and can help you make it work with everything else in your home. While white doors will always be in style, earth tones like taupe and mushroom are popular shades, as is black! With a modern style and finish for your lighting and hardware (brass is back with a vengeance), you can make the kitchen a showstopper. Brass is stunning on black cabinetry!

ABOVE: I staged this home in 2015 (was also their Realtor) and these cabinets were spray painted when spray painting was not common practice. They were so perfect and flawless that people actually asked me if that was the real color of the wood. This color scheme was a hit!

Add Eye-Catching Detail to Walls. A win every time is to have detail on the wall. A sure win is installing a feature wall or accent wall with board and batten. It is amazing how installing strips of wood onto the wall can dramatically change the look. NOTE: Since board and batten can be expensive (the price varies depending on the size of the room or wall and what type of design you want on the wall), to save money, I suggest doing one wall of 3” vertical strips from floor to ceiling every 18” – 24” apart. This would be simple enough for you to do on your own and save you potentially thousands of dollars if you were to hire a professional.

Source: Ornamental.com

Source: Kaleidoscope Living

(ABOVE: A budget option can be to wallpaper a small room or accent wall to add a luxurious look, as long as you don’t use crazy colors. Another budget option is to simply add crown molding to a plain wall for an inexpensive but beautiful update.)

Hang Oversized Artwork. Try decorating one wall in your living room with a large oil painting like I did for my clients in the example below. Another fun way to display artwork for a luxe feel is to display it on an easel. Save the easel display for mid-to-large pictures but not oversized.

I have an easel to display artwork which is a unique and elegant way to display artwork. Have several around the home to give a gallery feel. You can find affordable, interesting art at Burlington Coat Factory (my go to for artwork) as well as flea markets and thrift shops. Don’t skimp on size; the bigger the better to make a statement.

BELOW: The floral canvas below is a piece I chose for a client of mine. It is 59" wide, just 1" shy of 5'. That is a LARGE print. We hung it about 10' high, above the entertainment center. I grouped it with beautiful neutrals, organic material, and brass accents.

Lighting. Use lighting luxuriously and upcycle lamp shades. Lighting can dramatically affect the general mood in your home, so it is important to get the right lighting. One simple touch is to add dimmers or install dramatic lighting like a beautiful chandelier above the bed or bathtub to bring a sense of luxury to your home.

A cheaper alternative to installing new lighting is to swap out lamp shades for something more current and modern. You can also get creative with spray paint by painting the inside of a white drum shade with gold paint or spray paint a chandelier or base of a lamp, as long as it is a color that gives a luxe vibe.

Declutter Rooms. Decluttering rooms isn’t just for staging a home. Most of you know that a big design move when preparing a home for sale is to declutter it to make the home more appealing to buyers. Well, I can tell you after seeing thousands of homes as a Realtor, most homes need to be decluttered even if the owners aren’t moving or trying to sell.

There’s something about a room with limited furniture and accessories that creates a calm, uncluttered ambiance. Take a look around and remove all those extra chairs, small tables, overflowing bookshelves and anything else that is unnecessary and crowds the space. In many cases, less is more.

IN CONCLUSION

If you need a home remodel but are pressed for money, think of alternative options to hold you over. Do an ‘update’ instead of an upgrade. Many times, that is all you need to give you the sense of accomplishment by changing the look of your home with minor updates. People get bored with their home or décor and many times making simple changes is enough.

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