Many of us dream of living in a home that looks 'expensive'. And by expensive, we mean a place that looks like it came straight out of a magazine.

If you browse through the pages of your favourite home design magazine, you're sure to find photos of luxurious and elegant interiors that look well-designed, expertly curated, and, of course, filled with expensive decor and furniture.

But are these kinds of homes truly out of our reach?

Although we might not be able to replicate them exactly, home styling gurus suggest we can always copy aspects and try to emulate the expensive 'feel' for a lot less money!

So, whether you want to fix up your house to sell it or just want to give it a fresh look, you don't have to spend a lot to make a big difference.

Chantel Mila, a mum-of-two from Melbourne, has already been featured a number of times here at the SDC for her nifty tips and tricks.

Now, she's back again to share her favourite home styling tips to instantly make your home look and feel expensive!

If you don't have the money to go out on luxury furniture and decorations, you may still give your home that 'expensive' look. Credit: Instagram/@ticklehouse_ and @diamondinthevalley_.​

When bed sheets are tucked with hotel corners, they appear more luxurious.

Even though most of your house guests won't be coming into your bedroom, having a bedroom that looks like it came from a five-star hotel sure makes the whole place feel more luxurious.

According to Mila, you can make the entire area feel just a tad bit fancier by merely adding basic hotel or hospital corners to your bedding. ‘I've also used flax linen sheets which have a natural, soft texture — no ironing required,' she added.

Here are some guidelines on how to create a hotel or hospital corner on your bed:

1. With your fitted sheet already on the mattress, lay the flat sheet on top with it hanging evenly on both sides of the bed.
2. Start at one corner at the foot of the bed. Slightly lift the mattress and tuck hanging fabric along the foot of the bed.
3. Grab hold of the excess fabric. Lift it up and place it on top of the mattress. The edge of the sheet should form a 45-degree angle.
4. Hold the fabric forming a 45-degree angle in place. Tuck in hanging fabric along the side of the mattress and let the sheet fall.
5. Adjust the edge of the sheet to the corner of the mattress and tuck it in.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 on the remaining corner.

You can also refer to the video below:

Credit: Crane & Canopy.​

Spray tap water on bed linen to get rid of wrinkles easily.

Another way to make your bedroom feel fancier is to make your sheets crisp, which is another thing that is usually associated with beddings from hotels.

You don't need to spend hours hunched over the iron attempting to smooth out every crease in your bed linens, so there's no need to worry about that.

If you don't feel like ironing your sheets, you can spritz them with tap water in a spray bottle that you can get at Kmart. The wrinkles in the sheets are going to be effortlessly smoothed out by the water, and your bed is going to appear much better as a result.

Credit: The Good Sheet. (Stock photo)​

Hide messy cords to eliminate the visual clutter and potential safety hazards.

Wires and cords around the house aren't very pretty, let's be honest.

They generate a great deal of visual clutter and are not something that we want guests to look at. They can also be a safety risk as people may trip over them unintentionally.

So, if you're having trouble hiding all the wires and tech stuff around your house and just want it to look a little better and fit in with the decor, this home decorating tip is for you!

Mila recommends using clear stick-on hooks that you can attach to the side of the furniture and wrap the cord around.

You can also hide your cords in a cute wicker basket and put them under a desk or TV cabinet. Just tie all the cords together with a velcro tie and thread them through the basket handles in the back.

Here are a few more tips to hide those annoying cables and wires!

Credit: Sophisticated Organisation.​

Declutter your tables and surfaces.

Getting rid of the clutter on your tables and other surfaces will almost instantly make a room feel much larger and is calming to look at as well.

Mila suggests using the rule of thirds when putting back decorative items on a surface that has been cleaned. This means dividing the space into thirds horizontally and vertically and then putting the items along any of the four middle points.

This trick is also used in photography since it is said that when things are put in those spots, the eye knows where to focus.

Check out the video below to learn more about how interior designers use the rule of thirds, or the rule of three, to make rooms that are well-balanced and flow well together:

Credit: Nick Lewis.​

There you have it, folks! Making our home look and feel more 'expensive' doesn't always mean we have to spend a lot of money. Most of the time, it all comes down to how well we take care of our homes and the people who live in them.

We sincerely hope that you find these tips to be helpful, members! If you have anything else that you think would be helpful for us to know, please feel free to leave a comment down below!

 

[Ricci]

I would not like my home to look like it came straight out of a magazine. My home is a place that is lived in, you can relax and feel comfortable without thinking you're messing up the place. I'm not too precious about the furnishings either. I'm a firm believer in if you come to visit me you're welcome any time, if you're coming to view the house, make an appointment and I'll make sure it's tidy!

 

[Elbe]

I would not like my home to look like it came straight out of a magazine. My home is a place that is lived in, you can relax and feel comfortable without thinking you're messing up the place. I'm not too precious about the furnishings either. I'm a firm believer in if you come to visit me you're welcome any time, if you're coming to view the house, make an appointment and I'll make sure it's tidy!

Yes indeedy! When this craze to live in display homes started it destroyed a lot of the individuality we used to enjoy for a start. Following current trends is one thing but the slavish addiction to what I call 'kmart styling' is another & how sad for children to have to live in places which are designed for show (and for whom during all the lockdowns? Ah yes! Social media!!) I'm so glad I grew up in the 60s with my siblings in a rainbow of colours, chenille bedspreads, comfy (often battered tbh) furniture and a reasonably neat lounge room which visitors were welcomed into. I do not recall Mum, Nana or any of my many aunts, giving anyone tours of the rest of their house (especially not bedrooms) so guests could admire the decor

 

[Luckyus]

Many of us dream of living in a home that looks 'expensive'. And by expensive, we mean a place that looks like it came straight out of a magazine.

If you browse through the pages of your favourite home design magazine, you're sure to find photos of luxurious and elegant interiors that look well-designed, expertly curated, and, of course, filled with expensive decor and furniture.

But are these kinds of homes truly out of our reach?

Although we might not be able to replicate them exactly, home styling gurus suggest we can always copy aspects and try to emulate the expensive 'feel' for a lot less money!

So, whether you want to fix up your house to sell it or just want to give it a fresh look, you don't have to spend a lot to make a big difference.

Chantel Mila, a mum-of-two from Melbourne, has already been featured a number of times here at the SDC for her nifty tips and tricks.

Now, she's back again to share her favourite home styling tips to instantly make your home look and feel expensive!

If you don't have the money to go out on luxury furniture and decorations, you may still give your home that 'expensive' look. Credit: Instagram/@ticklehouse_ and @diamondinthevalley_.​

When bed sheets are tucked with hotel corners, they appear more luxurious.

Even though most of your house guests won't be coming into your bedroom, having a bedroom that looks like it came from a five-star hotel sure makes the whole place feel more luxurious.

According to Mila, you can make the entire area feel just a tad bit fancier by merely adding basic hotel or hospital corners to your bedding. ‘I've also used flax linen sheets which have a natural, soft texture — no ironing required,' she added.

Here are some guidelines on how to create a hotel or hospital corner on your bed:

1. With your fitted sheet already on the mattress, lay the flat sheet on top with it hanging evenly on both sides of the bed.
2. Start at one corner at the foot of the bed. Slightly lift the mattress and tuck hanging fabric along the foot of the bed.
3. Grab hold of the excess fabric. Lift it up and place it on top of the mattress. The edge of the sheet should form a 45-degree angle.
4. Hold the fabric forming a 45-degree angle in place. Tuck in hanging fabric along the side of the mattress and let the sheet fall.
5. Adjust the edge of the sheet to the corner of the mattress and tuck it in.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 on the remaining corner.

You can also refer to the video below:

Credit: Crane & Canopy.​

Spray tap water on bed linen to get rid of wrinkles easily.

Another way to make your bedroom feel fancier is to make your sheets crisp, which is another thing that is usually associated with beddings from hotels.

You don't need to spend hours hunched over the iron attempting to smooth out every crease in your bed linens, so there's no need to worry about that.

If you don't feel like ironing your sheets, you can spritz them with tap water in a spray bottle that you can get at Kmart. The wrinkles in the sheets are going to be effortlessly smoothed out by the water, and your bed is going to appear much better as a result.

Credit: The Good Sheet. (Stock photo)​

Hide messy cords to eliminate the visual clutter and potential safety hazards.

Wires and cords around the house aren't very pretty, let's be honest.

They generate a great deal of visual clutter and are not something that we want guests to look at. They can also be a safety risk as people may trip over them unintentionally.

So, if you're having trouble hiding all the wires and tech stuff around your house and just want it to look a little better and fit in with the decor, this home decorating tip is for you!

Mila recommends using clear stick-on hooks that you can attach to the side of the furniture and wrap the cord around.

You can also hide your cords in a cute wicker basket and put them under a desk or TV cabinet. Just tie all the cords together with a velcro tie and thread them through the basket handles in the back.

Here are a few more tips to hide those annoying cables and wires!

Credit: Sophisticated Organisation.​

Declutter your tables and surfaces.

Getting rid of the clutter on your tables and other surfaces will almost instantly make a room feel much larger and is calming to look at as well.

Mila suggests using the rule of thirds when putting back decorative items on a surface that has been cleaned. This means dividing the space into thirds horizontally and vertically and then putting the items along any of the four middle points.

This trick is also used in photography since it is said that when things are put in those spots, the eye knows where to focus.

Check out the video below to learn more about how interior designers use the rule of thirds, or the rule of three, to make rooms that are well-balanced and flow well together:

Credit: Nick Lewis.​

There you have it, folks! Making our home look and feel more 'expensive' doesn't always mean we have to spend a lot of money. Most of the time, it all comes down to how well we take care of our homes and the people who live in them.

We sincerely hope that you find these tips to be helpful, members! If you have anything else that you think would be helpful for us to know, please feel free to leave a comment down below!

When I was in hospital the nurses gave me a bollocking for making my bed the wrong way. I was used to making a sea bunk, which completely encloses you but allows for rapid movement, unlike beds with hospital corners.