5 cost-effective tricks that instantly elevate your interior

Interior designers are privy to key tips and tricks that immediately upscale the look of an interior space. If you aren’t aware of them, you may be unwittingly downgrading the look of your interior. We’ve collated five top tips that interior designers almost always stick to when creating luxury looking spaces.

1) Pay attention to drapery

One of the most obvious “misses” in interiors is when a homeowner hasn’t paid attention to the window treatments. Whether it’s blinds, shutters or drapes, they should be carefully considered as part of the overall interior scheme.

Top tip: if you want to instantly elevate the look of a space, have a ceiling-hung track installed, and choose a luxury-look fabric (such as linen or velvet) in a wave-pleat. The bonus of wave-pleat is that it uses less fabric than other heavily pleated options, such as French-pleat, which involves folding the fabric three times for each pleat, so you can save money and upscale the look at the same time.

2) Soften the lighting

Downlights were de rigueur in the 1990s, but the overall lighting effect they create is very bright and harsh. You want your lighting to make your guests (and yourself!) feel comfortable and shown in the best light, so soft lighting is essential.

Top tip: Install dimmable switches in living spaces and bedrooms to soften the room and create a mood. Some lighting isn’t compatible with dimmer switches, so if this is the case, invest in a couple of large-scale lamps to turn on in the evening instead of your main lighting. They can doubly elevate your space with their sculptural quality.

3) Upsize your rugs

When it comes to rugs, size does matter. One of the most common interior faux-pas that interior designers see is when a beautiful rug doesn’t reach the sofa legs.

Top tip: Rugs should be large enough to sit under the front legs of armchairs and sofas, yet small enough to leave at least a foot between the rug and wall. Don’t be afraid of using them in the bedroom too (even if you have carpet), to give the room a “hotel” feel. Just make sure they are wide enough and long enough so that when you’re sitting on the bed your feet are resting on the rug with a couple of feet of space between the bed and the edge of the rug. When it comes to rugs, buy generously!

4) Squishy cushions

A very obvious downgrade homeowners make when it comes to interiors is leaving the original polyester inners in the cushions. Feather and down cushion inners are fairly inexpensive and they give the room an entirely more comfortable and upscale feel.

Top tip: When it comes to cushions less can be more. Picking out two 60x60 sized cushions in luxury fabrics with feather inners can look far more expensive than four 40x40 cushions on the same sofa.

5) Contrast with one “anchor” piece

A room without a feature piece of furniture can feel a little under-whelming. Particularly if every bit of furniture is bright, new and smooth, or conversely, if each piece is old, weathered and rustic.

Top tip: Same-same across an interior can make the space look bland. In a modern white space, it’s a great idea to choose a significant antique piece such as a sideboard to “anchor” or “ground” the space. Equally in a character space, a modern piece such as a slick coffee table can really uplift a heavily antique interior scheme.