20+Things You Should Do If You Want to Make Your Home Look More Expensive

Up your thread count

No matter what your bedding style, increasing the thread count for your sheets will instantly make your sleep space more luxe, says Wynter. Your home won’t just look expensive—it will feel it.

Add a centerpiece

No need to wait for a dinner party to elevate your usual table setting. Something as simple as fresh-cut flowers can make it seem like you’ve put time and effort into your dinner table, says Henry.

Hunt for real stone

Real granite and limestone countertops look much more luxe than your typical acrylic, but unfortunately their prices usually reflect that. If you’re willing to do a bit of hunting, though, you might be able to slash the price tag, says Bowry. “You can sometimes find a great deal on a real stone top at your local stone yard, in the remnant section,” she says.

Focus on faucets

If you only have room in the budget for one high-end bathroom feature, make it a quality tap. Pairing it with plain, wallet-friendly tiles will actually highlight the money spent, says interior designer René Dekker. “If you look in the window of any high-end jewelry store, you will see that the finely crafted items, the gold and diamonds, are always displayed against plain neutral backgrounds which show them off much better … the same concept will work in your bathroom,” he says.

Look entertaining-ready

If you have a dining room table you don’t use unless company is visiting, keep the settings there to fake your way to looking like a master host. “A staged tablescape will make the space feel more elegant,” says Henry.

Don’t put form above function

A gorgeous new couch won’t look chic when kids and pets ruin it. That said, durable doesn’t have to be drab. Kelly Barnett, lead designer for Jillian O’Neill Collective in Chicago, recommends indoor/outdoor Sunbrella fabrics and Restoration Hardware’s Perennials line for attractive pieces that can withstand some wear and tear. “I’ve cleaned red wine off of my West Elm performance velvet swivel chairs with a baby wipe,” she says. “These fabrics are extremely durable and give upholstered pieces a much higher-end look than the old microfibers.”