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How to make your apartment look expensive on the cheap

Lifestyle
4 years ago
4 minutes

Furnishing an apartment can be expensive and becomes an unenviable task when you’re on a budget. 

When you have a spending limit, it’s difficult to keep your home stylish — always looking at price tags rather than what looks good and what goes with your sofa and coffee table. 

But fear not, because there are sure-fire ways to not only make your apartment look stylish when you’re strapped for cash, but also be the envy of all your friends. 

Make use of the walls

If you don’t own your apartment, we understand you can’t just go drilling holes and painting a feature wall. But you often have ‘designated’ areas to hang pictures, or you can purchase some non-mark hanging strips — so make use of them.

Doing something to the wall is the most noticeable way to improve the look and feel of your apartment. It also makes your home decor feel more personable and intentional. Coordinating and matching frames can make anything, from family photos to movie posters, look more meaningful. 

If you come across some reasonably priced frames, stock up. A good place to go is IKEA. This Lomviken frame is both cheap and stylish, with the ability to showcase anything you please in a classy fashion.

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credit: shutterfly

Bring the outdoors in

Any home decorating show will tell you that plants instantly transform the feel of a space. They bring an earthy and contemporary vibe into a home and they can be inexpensive. 

Head down to your local Bunnings and fill your car to the brim with as much greenery as you like. Succulents and cacti are a good option, or get a showpiece for the corner of your room, complete with a lovely looking vase, to really bring the outdoors in. 

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credit: thethings

Hide the old 

An old sofa can be an eyesore and really downgrade the look of your living space. They’re also expensive to replace, so it may not be an option if you’re on a budget.

A good solution is to hide the whole thing with an elastic sofa cover. This can transform the look and colour of one of the most dominant pieces in the home. Find some reasonably priced matching (or contrasting if that’s your style) cushions to go with it. Kmart have a wonderful selection, but these from wish will do the job nicely. 

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credit: Qoo10

In the kitchen, benchtops can often look out of date or stained if they’ve been around for a while. There’s nothing you can do about it if you’re a tenant and they’re expensive to replace if you’re an owner. A cheap way to solve this problem can be to use contact paper.

Contact paper works similarly to wallpaper, except it won’t hurt the surface underneath. It comes in a huge roll that looks like wrapping paper, which you can simply cut to the shape you need, and then stick it to the surface.

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credit: yancorp

The little details mean a lot

Yes, having a good looking sofa and a modern-looking kitchen is important, but it’s the little things around a home that really shows how much attention you pay to your interior.

Starting in the bathroom, don’t be afraid to spend a little bit more on a nice towel set. Towels, even when a bit more expensive, don’t exactly break the bank, but are incredibly important to the feel of a bathroom. Sheridan does a fantastic line and often have sales — so look out for these. 

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A richly coloured statement rug really brings the whole living room together and it doesn’t need to break the bank. This one from AU Rugs is a perfect example of how a rug can bring light and character to a living area.

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credit: AUrugs

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