Cheap Home Decor Ideas That Look Expensive: 15 Easy Ways to Get the Look for Less
Updated: Sep 8
You don’t need a designer budget, a full renovation, or a house where nobody apparently owns chargers or laundry to create a beautiful home.
Some of the most expensive-looking rooms just get the little details right: the curtains are hung properly, the lighting feels warm and layered, the rug actually fits the room, and everything looks like it belongs there.
If your home is feeling a little unfinished, dated, or just not quite there, there are plenty of affordable changes that can make a surprisingly big difference.
Some cost absolutely nothing. Some involve moving things you already own from one room to another. And yes, some may result in a small and entirely justifiable Amazon order.
Here are my favourite cheap home decor ideas that look expensive — without the expensive part.
Disclosure: Some of the products featured in this post are affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting My Iconic Finds 💗
🛒 Want to skip the searching?
I’ve rounded up my favourite affordable pieces that give you the expensive look in my Affordable Finds That Look Expensive Amazon Storefront →
Start With What You Already Own
Before buying anything new, have a little wander around your house.
That vase you've had in the hallway for three years? Try it on the coffee table.
Move a lamp from the bedroom into the living room. Stack a few books under something decorative. Steal a cushion from the spare room. Move your artwork around.
A room might actually not need more stuff. It could just need the stuff you already own to be arranged differently.
One of my favourite things to do is completely clear a surface — a console, coffee table or shelf — and then style it again from scratch. You'll usually put far less back than you took off, and suddenly the things you've owned for years feel new again.
Change Your Cushion Covers
Not the cushions, just the covers. This is probably one of the easiest affordable home decor updates because you can completely change the colour and texture of a sofa without replacing anything substantial.
Look for fabrics such as:
linen or linen-look
velvet
boucle
woven cotton
subtle stripes
textured neutrals
I particularly like mixing textures rather than buying six matching cushions. A linen cushion next to something woven or velvety immediately makes the sofa feel more layered.
And if you already have perfectly good cushion inserts, please don't buy new ones just because you're bored of the colour. We're decorating, not opening a cushion warehouse.
MY CUSHION COVERS PICKS:
Layer Your Lighting
Lighting changes a room more dramatically than almost anything else, so instead of relying entirely on one ceiling light, try creating several smaller pools of light around the room with a combination of:
floor lamp + table lamp + small accent lamp
Layered lighting is one of the affordable updates designers consistently recommend because it changes how the entire room feels, not just the lamp itself.
And you don't need enormous statement lamps everywhere. One lovely floor lamp beside an armchair and a little rechargeable lamp on a bookshelf can make a room feel completely different in the evening.
EASY LIGHTING UPGRADES:
🛒 Good lighting is one of the easiest upgrades to shop for, so I’ve included some of my favourite lamps and affordable lighting finds in my Amazon Storefront edit →
💡 If lighting is your current obsession too, have a look at my Boutique Hotel Lighting Guide for more ideas on creating that expensive hotel feeling at home.
Hang Your Curtains Higher and Wider
This is one of those decorating tricks that costs almost nothing but can completely change the proportions of a room.
Instead of mounting the curtain rod right against the window frame, take it higher and wider. It makes the window appear larger, draws your eye upward and can make the whole room feel taller.
And let those curtains actually reach the floor. Tiny floating curtains are doing nobody any favours. 😂
This isn't just Pinterest mythology either — hanging curtains higher is a commonly recommended way of visually elongating a room.
GET THE LOOK:
Go Bigger With Your Art
A common mistake is choosing artwork that's far too small for the wall.
One substantial piece above a sofa, bed or console often looks much more polished than several tiny pieces floating around with no relationship to the furniture underneath.
And oversized art doesn't necessarily mean expensive art. Printable artwork, canvas prints and affordable framed pieces can create plenty of impact without gallery prices.
💡 Getting the scale right is the important bit. I have a whole guide on How to Choose Large Wall Art, including sizing, placement and the mistakes that can make even beautiful art look wrong.
Add an Oversized Mirror
Mirrors are another brilliant way to make a room feel larger, brighter and more finished.
A large leaning mirror in a bedroom or living room can almost behave like another window, especially when positioned somewhere that allows it to bounce natural light around the room.
I tend to prefer one substantial mirror over a collection of tiny decorative ones when the goal is making a space feel more expensive.
Arched, thin-framed and vintage-inspired mirrors are particularly easy to work into different interior styles.
MIRRORS I'VE PICKED:
Change the Hardware
Never underestimate what a $20 bag of handles can do. 😂
Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, wardrobes and even inexpensive flat-pack furniture can look surprisingly different after swapping basic handles for something more considered.
Try:
antique brass
brushed brass
matte black
aged bronze
simple wooden knobs
It's especially useful if the actual furniture is perfectly fine but feels slightly generic.
Small hardware changes are another budget upgrade regularly recommended by interior designers because they can change the finish of an existing piece without replacing it.
MY HARDWARE PICKS:
Add Texture Before Adding More Colour
If a room feels flat, your first instinct might be to add another colour. Try texture first.
A room containing linen, wood, woven fibres, ceramics, glass and soft textiles can be almost completely neutral and still feel warm and interesting.
Think:
linen curtains + woven basket + chunky throw + ceramic vase + wood + soft cushions
Nothing is screaming for attention, but together everything feels layered.
This is one of the easiest ways to get that relaxed, collected look without filling the room with more decorative objects.
ADD SOME TEXTURE:
Bring In Some Greenery
Plants have a wonderful ability to make a room feel finished.
A trailing pothos on a shelf, a tall plant in an empty corner or even a few stems in a vase adds softness and life to all those straight furniture lines.
And while I love real plants, I am absolutely not going to pretend everyone needs to become a horticulturist for the sake of their living room.
A convincing faux plant is allowed. Your secret is safe here. 😂
YOUR PLANTS CAN BE STYLISH TOO:
🛒 A little shortcut:
I’ve collected the cushions, mirrors, styling pieces, lighting and other affordable finds I’d actually use for these tricks in one place.
Style Surfaces in Small Groups
When styling a coffee table, console or shelf, try grouping objects instead of spreading lots of little things evenly across the surface.
One of the easiest formulas is:
something tall + something lower + something with texture
For example:
vase + books + decorative bowl
or
lamp + framed photo + candle
Different heights and shapes make the arrangement feel intentional, while leaving some empty space stops everything feeling cluttered.
THE STYLING BITS:
Use Books as Decor
Coffee-table books are basically decor that can read.
Stack two or three under a lamp, vase or decorative object and suddenly whatever is sitting on top looks approximately 37% more important Scientific measurement. Obviously.
Books are particularly useful for adding height when you're styling shelves and tables, and they're an easy way to introduce colour without adding another random ornament.
Whether you've actually read every book in the stack is between you and your bookshelf.
Create a Colour Story
One of the easiest ways to make a room feel cohesive is to choose two or three colours and quietly repeat them.
Look at this room: chocolate brown, cherry red and soft blush pink appear in different places without everything perfectly matching. The brown sofa is echoed in the little stool and shelving, while cherry red pops up in the side table, cushions, flowers and artwork. Blush softens everything through the walls, lamp and rug.
The trick is to repeat, not match. Your colours can appear in different shades, textures and materials — that’s actually what makes the room feel layered rather than overly coordinated.
It’s a tiny styling decision, but suddenly the whole room looks like it was planned that way.
Get the Rug Size Right
A rug can completely change how finished a room feels — but scale matters more than price.
A tiny rug floating underneath a coffee table can make everything around it feel disconnected.
Ideally, your rug should be large enough to visually connect the main pieces of furniture rather than looking like its own little island.
And no, that doesn't automatically mean buying an incredibly expensive rug.
There are some genuinely beautiful affordable options now.
💡Not sure what size you actually need? Read my Rug Size Guide before ordering one. I've broken down the right sizes and placement for different rooms so you don't end up wrestling an enormous return parcel back to the post office. 😂
Mix New Pieces With Second-Hand Finds
Some of the nicest things in a home don't need to come from a home decor shop.
Second-hand is particularly good for things that actually benefit from a little age and character:
wooden frames
mirrors
ceramic vases
baskets
solid wood furniture
little side tables
decorative objects
I especially love mixing something old with something very simple and modern.
An ornate vintage mirror above a clean contemporary console? Gorgeous.
A slightly imperfect ceramic vase beside a modern lamp? Even better.
The goal isn't for your home to look vintage. It's to make it feel like it was collected gradually rather than ordered from one catalogue on Tuesday.
Edit Before You Add
If every inch of a shelf is filled, it's difficult for any individual piece to stand out.
Try clearing one surface and putting back only the things you actually like.
Hide the cables, move the pile of paperwork, give your favourite vase some breathing room.
This doesn't mean creating one of those suspiciously perfect homes where apparently nobody owns a remote control. It just means giving your room a little visual calm.
And conveniently, this particular decorating project costs exactly €0.
Where I Save — and Where I Spend a Little More
There are plenty of things I'd happily buy inexpensively:
SAVE ON:
cushion covers
baskets
decorative bowls
vases
frames
trays
throws
small decorative accessories
But there are other pieces where getting the right size or function matters more than finding the absolute cheapest option:
SPEND A LITTLE MORE ON:
rugs
curtains
everyday lighting
large mirrors
furniture you plan to keep for years
The point isn't to spend more, but to spend where you'll actually notice the difference.
My Affordable Home Decor Finds
I spend an unreasonable amount of time looking at home decor online, so you might as well benefit from it. I've collected my favourite affordable decor finds that look far more expensive than they are in one place — including lighting, cushion covers, vases, baskets, mirrors, throws and all the little finishing pieces that can completely change a room.
You Don't Need to Decorate Everything at Once
A beautiful home rarely happens in one enormous shopping trip.
One good find. One rearranged corner. One lamp moved to the right place. One “wait… why does this suddenly look SO much better?” moment.
And I actually think that's what makes a home feel personal.
Not perfection or not having whatever chair TikTok decided everybody needed this month. Just warmth, personality, good lighting and things you genuinely like living with.
So start with one room — or even one corner — and make one small change.
You may be surprised how little you actually need.
🦌 Elafina Says:
Before buying something new, ask yourself:
Does the room actually need another thing — or does something already in it just need a better place?
If the answer is “No Elafina, I absolutely need the lamp”… Fair enough.
I support the lamp. 😂
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