Knowing how to make your home look expensive on a budget is not only a useful skill in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis – it can also be an exercise in creativity as it pushes you to think outside the box and go out there on something of a treasure hunt. This has become even clearer to us after talking to interior designer, stylist and TV presenter Anouska Lancaster who’s shared some of her top budget decorating ideas with us.
Being a resident presenter on QVC and an award-winning interior designer to the stars - having recently renovated her QVC co-presenter Amanda Holden’s home - Anouska Lancaster knows a thing or two about how to go about injecting a space with a bit of wow factor.
While Anouska is a celebrity interior designer, she also believes interior design should be accessible to everyone and loves to bring rooms and homes alive with the use of colour and pattern. And if the budget is tight, these are her 3 top tips to make your space look elevated without the high price tag.
1. Know where to shop
While most would love to shop in high-end designer shops and boutiques, more often than not it's not a viable option for the majority of people. Instead, you should focus on finding platforms and stores where you can get great, high end-looking pieces for less.
‘Shops like TK Maxx and Homesense are a godsend because they're great brands at much lower prices,’ Anouska recommends. ‘Or go on eBay, where I buy loads of fringe lampshades.’
Apart from eBay, another great source Anouska recommends is charity shops where you can score both vintage items that are either timeless or have come back in style or brand new ones that previous owners got rid of far too quickly.
2. Mix old with new
Speaking of eBay, charity shops and vintage, Anouska shares another tip of making a home look more expensive – and that is by mixing old pieces with new, modern ones.
‘What works is mixing old and new, so I buy loads of things from flea markets and charity shops. I buy lampshades for a few pounds and my local charity shop is brilliant because they're all house clearances.
'All those trends are coming around again, and things our grandparents used to have are now cool. I love beautiful old bowls and vases and awful old ornaments that used to look really bad but look cool now,’ she explains before adding, ‘I think go for things you really love, there's no rules, just anything that you see that brings you joy and you really love, just go for it.’
After all, bringing in your personality and interests into your interiors is one of the most influential home decor trends of the year – and a personalised home looks more thought-out and considered. Which can translate to elevated and expensive.
3. Look for designer-inspired pieces
High street can be a great option to look at if there is a designer style you love but its price point is way too high – because high street brands take note of what the high end of the market puts out.
‘If you love something expensive but you're on a budget then shop around as there's so many brands watching what the designers are doing. Do some research because those brands are keeping an eye on what the really cool boutique designers are doing,’ Anouska advises.
These are some of our favourite budget-friendly designer lookalikes we’ve come across recently and would be happy to have in our homes.
One of the most well-known designer lighting styles are Tom Dixon's Melt Pendants with their irregular shape and reflective finish. But while those sell for hundreds of pounds, Dunelm's take on the look in the form of the Alexis pendant is only £79.
Curved furniture is a style favoured by high-end designers in the past couple of years - a look that has trickled down to high street, giving rise to such elevated and cosy-looking seating options as the Homebase Lars boucle armchair.
Bubble chandeliers are very popular in the interior design circles but most of them tend to be very pricey, unfortunately. But not this design from Wayfair, retailing for reasonable £257.
These interior designer tricks are sure to help you in turning your abode into an elevated space similar to those of the rich and famous. But most importantly, one that you love and feel comfortable in.
