Give your home a professionally designed look on the cheap with these simple adjustments and styling techniques

Do you often find yourself lost in the pages of luxury home decor magazines? Or scouring for designer inspiration online, wishing you could conjure a similar look in your home? If you’re guilty of either, take heart. Take a look at our Houzz directory of interior designers and find a professional that can help you with your home’s transformation.And to further aide the journey – here are ideas that can turn your living space into an abode à la mode, without breaking the bank.

Demarcate, decompress, declutter

Clutter can give your home a mad-hatter look that diverts attention away from the core aesthetic. Clutter results not just from everyday-living items lying around (which can be hidden away) but can also happen when there are too many items or styles of decor sharing the same space. While that’s not to say you can’t style surfaces generously, it is important to be purposeful with your approach. Minimise your decorative accessories by curating a collection that’s personal and special, for a look that spells classic style and sophistication.

Introduce furniture in various shapes and sizes

Developing the right furniture mix is an art. Avoid grouping too many small, skinny pieces together. A space with sinewy chairs, size-zero tables and an assortment of tchotchkes can overwhelm the eyes and jar your decor scheme. Try marrying an assortment of furniture pieces for a curated, well-balanced look. A large statement sofa, a sleek divan, a couple of sumptuous armchairs and slender coffee tables grouped together can give you a stylish visual composition.

Bring in an area rug

By its sheer size, an area rug can introduce a regal quality to your room. Not only can it anchor your furniture into a cohesive frame, it can also serve as a head-turning centrepiece, infusing warmth, colour, pattern and texture into your space.

Tip: The larger your rug and the more furniture it can hold, the richer your room will look.

Get high with curtains

High ceilings and ritzy designer spaces go hand in hand. In India, given urban space constraints, most homes in the city don’t feature high ceilings, but with a few simple measures, you can trick the eyes into believing otherwise. Hang your curtains as close to the ceiling as possible to optically heighten your room. Another surefire way to give your space a luxurious air is to introduce a layer of sheer curtains. These can gently filter the light and envelop your room in a soft, warm aura that suggests lavish salon-style vibes.

Go for a gallery wall

There’s something inherently personal about a gallery wall; it makes a home feel more intimate and meaningful, and serves to showcase its owners’ personalities and passions. At the same time, it exudes a polished, dignified air. Go for well-coordinated, matching frames to host your pictures and postcards, and arrange them in a deliberate way, symmetrically or otherwise.

Embrace minimalism

Opting for fewer decor pieces is not only lighter on your pocket, but also great for giving your space a modish, minimalist edge. Consider what furniture and accents are necessary to each room and pare down your decor to a bare minimum. Also, restrict your palette to two or three colours, and introduce visual variety through coordinated textures, patterns and prints in the same cohesive composition. What you’ll get is an aesthetic that looks wonderfully understated – all on a dream budget.

Use swish, well-matched containers

Picture matching tea-and-coffee canisters on your kitchen counter, an apothecary jar with cotton buds on your bathroom shelf, or a classy liquid soap dispenser on your powder room counter. There’s nothing more designer-esque than charmingly arranged containers for your kitchen ingredients, bathroom essentials and routine storage. Take the time to source voguish jars, bowls, baskets and canisters for these everyday items.

Accent touches

Spread the spring light around by decorating with reflective accents, said Betsy Helmuth of Affordable Interior Design. The obvious way to do this is by hanging mirrors, but items like a silver Morrocan pouf or a metal tray on your entry console will add a personal touch.Gorokhovskaya added that gold is making a comeback this year, and layering it with silver is on-trend this season as well.Helmuth also recommends investing in one artistic piece to hang about your bed or sofa. A tip: Search on Etsy.“Type in the price, size and colors you are looking for and voila! You will find a trove of fabulous originals,” she said.