7 More Subtle Ways to Create a 'Luxury' Interior

How to make your interior look more expensive? We've already shared six proven ways with you. Continuing our must-have list.

1. Budget Natural Materials

Furniture made from wood can be cheaper than that made from particleboard (MDF or HDF). For example, pine. You just need to look for private carpentry workshops in your city. It's not possible to buy completely natural furniture – order wooden doors for ready-made modular frames from particleboard. Buy accent handles from a premium segment. These details greatly change the appearance of mass-market furniture.

Design: Nadya Zотова

2. Textiles

Natural textiles also make the interior more status-oriented. But you should choose textiles in large shopping centers or online stores, not missing sales – custom tailoring will cost three times more.

Design: Interior Box

Regarding curtains separately: they should be voluminous and reach the floor, even lying on it, if possible – covering the entire width of the window. But if a shelf or table is planned next to the window, for example, curtains should end at the boundary with furniture, not extending beyond it.

Design: Enjoy Home

If curtains have a lining, it should also be made from high-quality material. Voluminous two-layer curtains look expensive, whereas short and narrow curtains visually reduce the window space and appear cheap.

Design: Inna Velichko

3. Avoid Furniture Sets

These are sofas and armchairs from one set. Currently, harmonious and functional combinations of different furniture pieces are in vogue: for example, a sofa and an armchair (or two) with a side table and a floor lamp.

In this case, you can combine modern furniture items with vintage ones, and there are more layout options in the room. Identical items in an interior are acceptable only in one case: when they form a symmetrical composition as paired elements. 

Design: Ekaterina Kozlova

4. Wardrobe Room and Utility Cabinets

Space for a wardrobe is especially important in small-sized apartments. It’s not necessary to separate it with a solid wall and door; instead, hang curtains from ceiling to floor. This trick creates the feeling of a window and expands the space further.

Design: Nadya Zотова

In bedrooms, it's better to place chests of drawers for clothing, and move the main garments to a separate wardrobe. Besides the fact that wardrobes spoil the interior visually, they look bulky, and expensive. Having a wardrobe is more ergonomic and eco-friendly: if clothes aren’t stored or changed in the rooms, there will be less dust and more space.

Design: Zhenya Zhudanova

Also, for household items – vacuum cleaner, clothes dryer, ironing board, broom – you can plan a tall cabinet in the kitchen cabinet or a section in the storage system in the hallway, using a shallow niche for the utility block.

Design: Studio 40

5. Design Trick – Distraction Maneuver

This refers to an art object. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece from an exhibition for a fortune. It could be a colorful door, a vibrant armchair, a vintage console table or cabinet, an antique set of dishes, or grandma's embroidery – as long as the item is original, noticeable, and fits well in your home and life.

However, an art object should be placed in the interior so that it stands out rather than gets lost among other items: visible, well-lit, and not blocked by other furniture.

Design Ekaterina Kozlova

6. Painting

When planning wall decor, it’s important to remember that even a child’s drawing, photo, or watercolor by an unknown artist doesn't compare at all to mass-produced posters. A 'living' painting adds glamour to the interior and makes it more personal.

Works framed in a wide simple frame or passepartout look more status-oriented. Passepartout can be of any color and size.

Design: Marina Zhukova

7. Simple Shapes, Minimalism

This isn’t about minimalism but rather the principle of “less is more.” There should be no visual clutter or poorly planned space – ergonomics is also a tool that can make the interior look more luxurious.

The main rule is not to overdo it with details, colors, and accessories. One or two accent colors, a few textures, and several pictures are enough – otherwise, instead of a stylish interior, you risk creating an over-decorated, stuffy space.

Design: Arch.Предмет

Read also:

• What Is Considered 'Yesterday' in Interior Design?
  
• Change This Immediately: 10 Interior Design Trends to Forget About
  
• 10 Ways to Ruin a Perfect Interior