The home is where the heart is, so it makes sense that you want to heart your home! After all, it’s where we eat and sleep and relax. However, unfortunately, not all of us are fortunate enough to be multimillionaires and we can’t all employ A-list interior designers to transform our rooms. With this in mind, we’re going to explore some of the best ways you can introduce glamour into your home without breaking the bank.

Soft furnishings

Luxury sofas and beds can be super expensive but there are cost-effective ways to vamp up what you already have. For instance, you can brighten up your pre-existing couch with fancy pillows and throws to add color, texture and elegance to its aesthetic. Moreover, if you’d like a bed that a 5-star hotel would envy, invest in some good quality Egyptian cotton sheets. Finally, think about fabric choices when you’re decorating your home — for instance, if you really want to add opulence to your interior, choose fabrics such as silks, damasks, and linen for soft furnishings like curtains and bedding.

Devil is in the detail

Attention to detail is a must if you want to achieve a luxurious haven for you and your family. Sometimes we can easily overlook the small things and forget that they can be just as important as the big things like bathroom suites and kitchens. Things to think about:

• High quality hand soaps for your bathroom.
• Replacing plain door knobs with ornate or glass ones.
• Choose lavish towels to put on display in your bathroom.
• Indoor plants in large decorative pots carefully placed throughout rooms.
• Artwork — if you can’t afford to get a painting commissioned, why not opt for a print and mount it in a lavish frame?
• Radiator covers — although a necessity, sometimes radiators can look a little unsightly.
• Expensive wall paper — if you can’t wallpaper a whole room, simply paper one wall to create a stylish feature.

Lighting

You want airy and well lit rooms in your home, so consider the importance of lighting. It’s not simply for seeing better in the dark; indeed, the right kind of lighting can add ambience, the wrong kind of lighting can be unpleasant, unwelcoming and even headache-inducing.

• Hanging pendulum lights are a great way to add drama to a room and can offer a central talking point. Whereas, subtle downlighting can help to create a soft glow which can be ideal for dining rooms.
• Candles are another cheap way to add some atmosphere into your interiors, and scented candles, in particular, are fantastic when you have visitors coming over. Place some around your bath for that lavish look and feel.
  
• Cut to size mirrors, available from Cut My Plastic, are great ways to incorporate more light around your house.

Flowers

A home with floral centerpieces always adds that bit of sophistication, so often seen in all those glossy homestyle magazines. Indeed, they’re perfect for adding a splash of color and are particularly welcoming in hallways and kitchens. However, fresh flowers can be expensive and sadly they don’t last forever, so if you want pretty petals all year round, opt for artificial ones that look as realistic as possible.

Flooring

A good quality floor that runs through the entirety of your home is vital if you want to achieve that luxurious effect. Nonetheless, it can be tricky if you have messy children and/or pets; in these cases, it might be best to consider a floor that can be easily cleaned and maintained like hard-wooden flooring or elegant parquet.

However, for bedrooms, it’s advised to go for something a little bit warmer such as dense fluffy carpets to keep you cosy in the winter. Finally, if you want to be super self-indulgent, then marble and granite tiling are ideal choices for bathrooms and kitchens and really provide that wow factor.

More permanent solutions

If you have a bit of extra cash saved up and you’d like to do something a little bit more drastic, then why not opt for an extension? Although they can be pricey, extensions are a great way to add space and light into your living spaces and can even increase the overall value of your home. However, if you decide to extend, always do your research and make sure you choose a certified and reliable architect.

There are some amazing houses all around from which you can draw inspiration for your own décor. Look online for design ideas and try to incorporate their themes into your home to create your own unique style. Many great films and TV shows are often renowned for their awe-inspiring backdrops and visual indulgence, which viewers get to see in the characters’ homes. Take the mid-century style that is so elegantly displayed in Mad men. Or how about the offbeat and quirky design so flawlessly used in Friends? The creators of the hit 90s sitcom decided to give Monica’s apartment its own personality as a means to perfectly showcase and bring to life her eccentric personality.

Homes can also be the inspiration for film sets; take The Razor House as an example. This breathtaking and unique estate was designed by Wallace E. Cunningham himself, one of Architectural Digest’s Top 100 Designers. His vision was supported and funded by the businessman Donald Burns; who oversees an LLC that holds a major financial interest in the phenomenal house. So stunning is the property that it was used for the filming of Iron Man. The Cliffside Californian property boosts panoramic views, and is now known as the “Iron Man house”. The home is an architectural wonder, which Don Burns of the Iron Man House has showcased online through his website. You can view the inside of the house and try to incorporate the clean lines and airy interiors in your home; it’s a great demonstration of how minimalist interiors can be made warm and inviting.

Another way to add some grandeur into your home is by installing a wood-burner — these on-trend stoves can add a focal feature to any living room as well as being practical on those colder evenings. Or, why not do away with radiator’s altogether and go for under-floor heating for that opulent toasty feel on your feet.

Luxury doesn't have to be reserved for the rich and famous; indeed, by following these simple and cost-effective tips, you too can transform your place into a palace.