Make your home look expensive without going broke

The first and most important rule is to pick exotic colours. Be it a plush purple bedroom room like this one or an all burgandy kitchen, exotic colours always make a subtle statement that neutral colours never can. Too many colours too often make a home look like a hippie's haven, which is alright but definitely doesn't make a home look 'expensive'. If you want the understated, classy style of design magazines, opt for light neutral colours like – white, cream, blush, nude and browns and stick to shades of a single colour in a room.

Next don't crowd your home with too many things. A lot of useless junk often ends up making a room look more like a warehouse than a home. Invest only in special pieces that are both stylish yet will fit into the existing decor of your home. For example don't buy a rustic coffee table if your home is entirely minimal. Be it a striking modern navy sofa like the one here curated by ESTUDIO DELIER, or an eye catching painting, make sure there is a proper place for each object you buy for your home.

Another way to make your home look 'rich' without digging a hole in your pocket is to add a vintage piece to it. If you have a family heirloom that's great, but if you don't, you can pick up a vintage piece of furniture at a thrift shop or even a second hand furniture shop. Be it an ornate Victorian bed canopy like the one here, or your grandmother's four poster bed, bring in a bit of vintage beauty to your home to make it look more exquisite.

And while adding new statement pieces to one's home is good, don't add too many things. Less is more is a time-tested principle that always helps to make a home look classy and understated. Having a few stylish and unique pieces always makes a room look more plush than a room cramped to the hilt with regular furniture. Open spaces and minimal furniture bring in a modern minimal vibe to your home, that will definitely up its style quotient.

Always pay attention to details. Too often homes look like a mish-mash of things because little details are glossed over. A modern study with tables with cabriole legs can end up looking as odd as a rustic kitchen with shiny sqaure silver handles on cabinets. Paying attention to details, like matching the cushions on the bed and the seating area with the wallpaper behind the bed here, has helped the various elements blend together better and brought in an overall unity of theme.

And finally a catalogue room may not need to smell good to feel good, but your home does. A stylish home will lose its impact and beauty if it smells bad. Keep your home clean, neat and tidy and always keep a bunch of flowers in the living or dining area to make your home look and smell perfect. If getting fresh flowers everyday is a hassle, you can opt for potpourri and air fresheners to keep your home fragrant. If you want to make the outside of your home look as good as indoors, here are 6 wonderful outdoor lighting ideas.