How to Make Your Home Look Elegant on a Budget

We all want our homes to be beautiful and elegant inside and we tend to drool with envy over images in luxury magazines. But sometimes our budgets don't allow it. If you are looking for home decorating ideas on a budget, you've come to the right place.

It may seem like an impossible dream, but there are ways to make your home amazingly beautiful on a small budget. Drawing on creativity and innovation can take you a long way when exploring ways to beautify your home on a budget.

Guidelines for creating an elegant interior space:

• Simplify the layout – a simple and organized layout keeps your rooms from looking disorganized and messy.
• Place a rug in the middle – a nice rug enhances the look of the space.
• Be creative with textiles – a mix of patterns and colors that go together makes the room look dynamic.
• Let your curtains hit the floor – hanging your curtains so that they pool on the floor makes your room look luxurious and expensive.
• Feature some vintage pieces – vintage pieces or antiques mixed with new items give your space a classy, curated look.
• Add metallics – using metallics makes a room look a little fancier, but don't go overboard, just a few touches will do.

Keeping these guidelines in mind, here are 12 ideas and tips to help you turn your home into an elegant oasis where you can relax and spend time with family and friends.

Declutter Your Home

Begin by decluttering your home. This is the fastest way to make your home look elegant, classy, and unique is to declutter it. Of course, we all live in our homes and have stuff we need to use every day. Get rid of anything you don't or haven't used in quite a while, and find places to store them, out of sight and out of mind. This will cost almost nothing, except maybe some new shelving or storage, and will give your home a fresh new vibe. Find a wide variety of affordable home storage organizers at Old Time Pottery.

Add Decorative Home Accent Pieces

No matter how nice your furniture or how great the art on the walls if you have no decorative accent pieces your house will look empty and unfinished. Adding home accent pieces brings grace and elegance to a space. And it doesn't have to be expensive. Create a new look by rearranging accessories and accent pieces you already own.

Those luxury magazines? Don't throw them away. Use them for inspiration and decorating ideas on how to accessorize your home. You can get great ideas and find a budget-friendly version for your home.

Accent pieces are a great way to personalize your space. It is a misperception to think that elegant homes are cold, sterile, and impersonal. But you have to choose mindfully to craft an elegant look and feel on a budget.

Buy the necessary items first, such as area rugs, lamps, and accent furniture, as these items will be useful as well at adding décor to your home. Less is more when adding home accent pieces, you can make your home chic and elegant with a few mindfully selected items.

Light up Your Home with Lamps

Lighting has always been crucial to the design of a home. Changing out lamps and shades is an instant way to update to the space. You don't have to fall for designer lighting, you can dress up a plain lamp base with a shade that brings a little glam into the space.

Layer the lighting in your home to get the same look you see in magazines. This means ambient lighting that sheds a warm glow, task lighting for reading or working in the kitchen, and accent lighting to set the mood.

Make sure whatever lighting you choose goes with the style of your rooms. The key words here are "go with, not match." Making a space too matchy-matchy in color or style makes it feel one-dimensional. Add something a little unusual, such as a classic or traditional lamp in an industrial-style room.

Updating Cushions & Throw Pillows

Cushions and pillows play a strong role in the look and feel of your home. They make a significant impact and are the easiest to update. There's a reason why changing out your throw pillows is almost always the first bit of advice you get when updating your decor: because it is so easy to do, and it works.

Replacing your throw pillows and cushions can easily punch up the class factor in your living room, family room, and bedroom décor. Not only do they offer family and friends extra comfort, they also provide warmth and texture to your home.

Mix and match textures and colors, and blend them in different groupings. But keep in mind that more is not better. If you like, you can even change out your pillows every season.

Not only do throw pillows provide your guests with extra comfort, but they also bring a feeling of warmth to your home. Speaking of size, avoid those that are larger than life. You don't want them to overpower the space. The exception: floor cushions discretely stored offer additional seating for game night.

Accent Furniture

When styling the rooms in your home, it is sometimes the small things that matter. Nothing adds timeless elegance to a space more than a piece of furniture. But, you may not be ready to replace your furniture. Adding an accent chair is an easy and affordable way to bring the style of a room together.

Get New Linens

Check your linens and get rid of any that are dingy, old, and discolored. Crisp, fluffy white towels and sheets give your bathroom and bedroom a fancy, spa-like feel. You don't have to choose white, a color you love is fine if that's what you prefer. New towels will have a more luxurious feel, and they will make the space feel more elegant.

Add Wall Art

Another quick, easy, and budget-friendly home décor idea for the living room, bedroom, and bathroom is to hang a special piece of art on the wall. From family photos to simple prints, framed artwork makes a house feel like a home. Buy a set of frames for your family photos to create cohesion when you hang them on the wall. This gives your home an appealing, elegant look.

Before hanging any artwork on your wall, figure out where everything will be placed and how to hang it. This gives you a chance to make sure the art you've chosen is right for the wall and the room you're decorating. However, you don't need to cover every inch of your walls with art. One large piece can make a beautiful, elegant statement in the living room or dining room.

Everyone admires the beauty of artwork on your walls, and looking at beautiful things will make you feel uplifted.

Add Visual Space with Mirrors

Another tried-and-true decorator's trick is to hang mirrors on the wall. This makes your space look bigger and bounces light around the space to make it feel lighter and brighter. Large mirrors reflect the room back to you, making it feel bigger and more spacious. Hanging a mirror across from a window can give the impression of another window and bring more light into the space. Or just arrange a trio as wall art. There are so many ways to use mirrors to make your home look more elegant.

Style Your Bookshelves

Lines of books on your shelves don't have to look like a stuffy library. Style your bookshelves by mixing interesting bookends with framed photos. Lay some books on their sides to use as risers and highlight small ceramic pieces. Keep it neat and tidy so that the items you display get the appropriate amount of attention.

Paint Your Walls Neutral Colors

Painting the walls is another relatively quick and easy change to make in your home. It also sets the stage for any new décor you may bring in. Neutral colors such as white, off-white, cream, and other neutrals will make your home look casually elegant, sophisticated, and alluring.

If you like bright and vibrant colors, use them on throw pillows and other accent pieces. The same goes for sheen or shine. Great for throw pillows, but on the walls, not so much. If you do choose to paint the wall a color, bold colors can scream elegance. Choose deep, saturated colors that exude glamorous energy.

Add an Area Rug

Area rugs can really change the look and feel of a space. They ground furniture groupings, add definition to rooms, and create more interest in an area. If possible, all your furniture should sit on the area rug, if not, make sure the feet of your furniture are touching part of the rug. For example, the front legs of the sofa or bed should be on the rug. This will add an elegantly simple look to your home. Keeping it simple and elegant will give your home a beautiful look and feel.

Bring in Nature

You always see vases full of fresh flowers or indoor plants in images of elegant homes, so bring in some natural elements such as plants or flowers. They will make your home look appealing and alluring. Natural elements enhance the overall look of your home and make it look elegant and classy. If you are allergic to flowers, there are many dried and silk flower arrangements that are just as pretty as the real ones.

Stop by Old Time Pottery Today

When you are looking for home decorating ideas on a budget, make Old Time Pottery your first stop. From vases and wall décor to home accents and area rugs, you'll find everything to add elegance and style to your home. Find a location near you so you can browse the store or order online and select delivery or free in-store pickup.