Effortlessly elevated: 7 easy ways to make your living room look more luxurious

Imbuing your home with a high-end feel need not mean an entire interior overhaul; a few simple decorating tricks can easily add an air of luxury to a space. The living room is an ideal starting point, and the good news is that achieving impeccable style in this space doesn’t have to break the bank or require a major time investment. As a place to relax and unwind, as well as entertain guests, striking the right balance between welcoming and elegant is key.

Read on to learn all you need to know about how to make your living room look and feel more luxurious.

When it comes to a base colour palette for your living room, neutral hues are both luxurious and timeless. Select a couple of neutral complementary colours to prevent clashing and add interest by changing up your furniture and decor. Hues such as white, cream, olive, grey, and charcoal are always in vogue and serve to make a space look bigger. Plus, they work cohesively with any other upgrades and additions you may want to make to your living room now or in the future.

Intricately carved moulding is a staple in many heritage homes. However, the heritage look can easily be achieved by applying decorative moulding, a job that can be done in a mere day or two. For an elegant effect, paint the moulding the same colour as the walls (all white works particularly well here).

Well-thought-out window treatments can be the difference between a drab living room and an elevated one. Sliding shutters add a touch of European elegance to even the most contemporary home while acting as an efficient way to control the light. Alternatively, outfitting your windows with curtains in a subtle hue can add both character and a sense of luxury to your living room. Sheer curtains bring a light and breezy feel to a space, while letting in the light, but opt for velvet or linen drapery if you'd rather create a cocoon-like feel.

A surefire way to inject a sense of glamour into your living room, metallics lend an opulent feeling to any space. You don’t need to deck your walls in gold to reap the benefits; a few considered items in high-end finishes such as gold, copper, bronze or silver is all it takes to add a sense of luxury to your living room. Accessories such as trays and candlesticks add interest and style to any coffee table or mantelpiece vignette, while handles and other hardware in metallic finishes is an easy way to upgrade larger furniture items such as credenzas.

Artwork is an instant way to add personality to your home. To create a sense of depth, opt for three to four statement pieces of different heights and layer them through the room. Select pieces that speak to your personal style or use art to add a pop of colour to an otherwise neutral room.

While the streamlined look has eternal appeal, a living room with solely rectilinear lines can risk falling flat in terms of individual style. An easy fix is to incorporate a variety of shapes. Curved silhouettes add an undeniable sense of luxury to any room; try introducing a couple of mid-century modern armchairs, or ease into it with an elegant curved credenza or geometric-minded mirror.

High-quality, touchable textiles can be what elevates a room from bland to luxurious. Even if you can't invest in big-ticket items such as a new sofa, try selecting smaller items such accent cushions and throws in materials ranging from velvet and mohair to cashmere and boucle. 

Words by Tanisha Angel