Luxury design is a vibe – not a price point. You can own the least expensive house on the block and still give off a luxe vibe that makes people fall in love with your home. It’s all about paying attention to the details and selecting the right upgrades. Here are some helpful hints of professional renovators.
“There are many ways that DIYers – whether novices or pros – can capitalize on any sized budget and inject a little luxury to their homes,” says Beaumont Tiles’ Design Specialist, Christie Wood. “It’s all about being strategic with your choices to create that ‘no expense spared’ feeling minus the associated price tag.”
2021 Luxury Homes Designer of the Year, Adrian Ramsay, also believes that your home can have the stamp of ‘luxury’, on a budget.
We spoke to Christie and Adrian to see if they could tell us how to transform a home into a bougie space, without breaking the bank. Here are their insider tips.
1. Hang new doors
Updating internal doors and door handles makes a huge difference to the overall feel of a house. Invest in solid hardwood, or consider solid-core doors, which offer the same insulation properties as hardwood, but at a lower price point. Glass or metal doors can also be a cost-effective solution if they suit the style of your home. Hanging doors is a job for professionals, so call in your local carpenter.
2. Go faux for floors
Lookalike materials like vinyl, laminate, and bamboo flooring boast all the appeal of natural timber but at a far cheaper cost. Durable and hard-wearing, they can also be laid in one day.
3. Add a home office
Adrian believes that all modern homes need a space for work. “In a modern luxury upgrade, the enhanced home office is one of the first demands most people have. There’s a growing need for it to be separate, so not everyone’s vying for the same space. Since people are going to be in that office during the day, if there’s a view to be had, we’ll try to get them a really productive position on it. That view would usually have been the property of the kitchen, the living room, or the main bedroom, but now we see the home office as equally important, as it’s often the ‘finance engine’ or ‘operation center’ of the home.”
4. Add a home gym
According to Adrian, “another drawcard for modern luxury upgrades is the home gym. Having a space dedicated for exercise: yoga, pilates, weight machines, or treadmills; is what we’d call a luxury item, but it’s fast becoming more essential for people to have. A vast majority of houses didn’t previously have this kind of dedicated space. When upgrading a house, look for a way to add this in or repurpose a bedroom to meet that specific need, while not losing that bedroom if it’s later required.”
5. Engineer your benchtops
Engineered stone now comes in realistic marble- and granite-look finishes – but without the price tag or problems associated with natural stone (hello stains). Laminate is another great-looking lower-cost option.
6. Be smart with tiles
If you’re updating a bathroom, balance your budget by choosing lower-cost tiles for the largest surfaces – usually the walls – and spend more on your floor tiles. “Knowing what to splurge on and where to, will do wonders for your budget (and your home!). For the bathroom or kitchen, pair back styling by selecting one luxury feature. This will not only create a gorgeous focal point for your space, but it will also lift the entire feel of the room,” says Christie. “Hexagons and penny rounds come in an array of shades and create a dramatic impact to any space. They’re easy to lay as they generally come on a meshed backing – making them perfect for DIY projects.”
“Subway tiles are another way to achieve a luxe look for less. The key is to use them in an unexpected way like laying them in herringbone or on an angle. For those who are daring, pair them with a colored grout like navy blue – perfect for a coastal chic or a global fusion-inspired project,” says Christie.
7. Update tapware
Often called the ‘jewelry’ of a bathroom or kitchen, fresh tapware is an instant space-change – try swapping classic chrome for black, brass gold, or copper. A qualified plumber makes installation a cinch.
8. Maximize sunlight
“Sunlight and airflow are vital for our health and wellbeing,” says Adrian, “also I see them as nature’s free gifts, so circulating fresh air into the home and being close to nature is very important. One of the key features of a luxury upgrade is increased light and airflow. To make the most of the Australian climate, we try to minimize the size of openings on the western side of a house, and where we have them we aim to get a big deep veranda or eves to protect us from the late afternoon setting sun and heat.”
9. Light the way
If you don’t have access to lots of natural light, nothing adds ambiance to a room quite like lighting. Table and floor lamps turn a large, open-plan space into an intimate zone while swapping old oyster fittings for downlights instantly update a living space. Go with LED lighting for energy efficiency, and choose the warm light for living areas. Your local electrician can help.
