14 Things That Make a Home Look Cheap (And What to Do Instead)
Your home can be clean and organized. It can still feel a little tacky. Usually it is not about how money you have. It is just those small things that make your home feel cheap.
These things can be easy to miss. Find out in this post the things that make a home look cheap.
A home does not look expensive because of how money you spend on it.
A home looks nice and fancy because of the choices you make when it comes to the home decor and interior choices.
The choices you make are what make a home look elevated, not the amount of money you spend on the home.
The good news is that most things that make a home look bad are easy to fix.
These things are usually the styling habits that people, like you and homeowners, have picked up over time.
Once you notice these things, you cannot unsee them. Fixing even a few of these things can completely change how your home feels.
Let us go through these and discuss sophisticated alternatives to make things better.
1. Too Many Small Decor Items
A home can feel really messy when there are lots of decor pieces all over the place.
Tiny decor pieces can make a home feel cluttered. They can also make a home feel busy.
What to do instead:
Having larger pieces of decoration in a space makes the space feel calmer and more intentional.
For example, it is better to have one big statement vase than five small vases. This way, the room looks nicer.
The room will also look like you put a lot of thought into how you decorated it, which is what people mean by intentional.
2. Cheap-Looking Lighting
Old light fixtures or those harsh white bulbs can really make a room look bad.
Harsh white bulbs are especially bad because they can be really overwhelming.
What to do instead:
Warm bulbs make everything look nicer. You should also buy lights that will not go out of style.
Warm light is always a great choice. It makes our home feel cozy and visually calming.
3. Cluttered Countertops
When you have a lot of things on your kitchen counter or bathroom counter it can make your home feel really messy.
This is true even if the rest of your home is clean. A busy kitchen counter or a busy bathroom counter can make a difference, in how your home feels.
What to do instead:
Try to clear up all the surfaces in your home as much as you can.
This means putting away the things you use every day in a tidy way.
Just leave out one or two things that look nice, like a vase or a fun decoration.
This will make your space look really nice and calm.
4. Furniture that is too small for the Room
I mean, think about it, the furniture is supposed to fit in the room and enhance its comfort and visual appeal.
The same thing happens with rugs and tables that’re not the right size.
They can make a space feel really awkward and, like something is missing.
A small rug can make the room feel unfinished. This is also true for tables that’re too tiny.
What to do instead:
When you are picking out things for your home, go for the appropriate size.
The rug should be big enough to go under all of the furniture, so it does not look like the furniture is floating on top of it.
5. Too Many Trends at Once
Mixing every trending style in one space can feel messy and dated quickly.
What to do instead:
When it comes to style, it is an idea to pick one main style that you like and then add some trends to it
Do not overdo it with the trends. You should always start with pieces. Timeless pieces are the foundation of a style.
They are the base that you build on.
6. Exposed Wires and Cords
You can really tell when there are cables all around the TVs and lamps and other electronics in a room.
It just makes the whole space look of cheap. I mean, think about it, when you see a bunch of cables just hanging everywhere, it is not a good look.
What to do instead:
You can hide cords with things, like cable covers or baskets.. You can just use your furniture to cover them up.
It really makes a difference when you hide these cords with cable covers.
7. Overcrowded Walls
If you have a lot of frames or random things on your wall, it can look messy.
This is not what you want you want your wall to look like you picked each thing carefully, like the frames and the decorations, and that they all go together nicely.
What to do instead:
Make some space to breathe. You can use one piece of art or a lot of smaller pieces that are spaced out nicely, like a gallery wall, and it will look really nice and neat.
This way the room will look more put together. It will be easier to look at the art because there is breathing room around each piece of art.
8. Poorly Styled Shelves
Shelves that are completely full of all sorts of things can be really overwhelming.
When the shelves are packed tight with items it can feel like everything is a big mess.
That is what makes them feel chaotic.
What to do instead:
When you are arranging things in a group try to use numbers, like three or five items together.
Do not forget to leave some space around the items. You should also mix your books with decorative things to get a good balance.
This way, the books and the decor will look nice together.
9. Cheap-Looking Curtains
Curtains that are too thin or too short can really mess up a room that’s otherwise very nice.
If the curtains are hung in a way that does not look good this can also be a problem.
Curtains are a part of the room so it is worth it to get them just right.
What to do instead:
To make your room look nice you should hang your curtains high and make sure they are wide too.
It is also an idea to pick curtains that are made of thicker fabric. The thing is, even curtains that do not cost a lot can look really great when you hang them in a way.
10. Mismatched Hardware
Different metals and finishes all over the place. This can make the home feel like it does not really go together.
The home just does not feel like it has a style when you have different metals and finishes everywhere.
What to do instead:
Stick to one or two finishes throughout your home for a more cohesive look.
11. Too Many Decorative Words or Signs
Wall quotes and word decor can look old-fashioned and too cluttered.
Most times, they just do not look good in a room.
What to do instead:
We should use art or photography or even simple mirrors to make the space look nice.
These things add something to look at without being too much.
The art or photography can be really interesting to look at. The simple mirrors can make the space feel bigger.
12. Ignoring Scale in Decor
When you have tiny art in a room with large furniture or really big decorations it can make the space feel weird.
Tiny art over furniture or oversized decor, in small spaces can really throw things off.
When you are dealing with small spaces, you have to be careful what you put in them.
What to do instead:
When you are decorating a room you should always think about proportion.
The decor you choose should feel balanced with the furniture that’s around it.
This means that the decor and the furniture should look like they go together and that one is not too big or too small for the other.
13. Worn or Outdated Soft Furnishings
Things like flattened cushions and old throws can make a home feel really tired.
A faded rug can also make a place feel old. When you have these things in your home it can make the whole place feel tired.
Old things, like these can really bring down the feeling of a home.
What to do instead:
You should refresh your textiles on a regular basis. When you get cushion covers or a fresh throw, it can instantly make a space look different.
This is a way to update a room with the textiles, like the cushion covers and the throw.
14. No Clear Focal Point
A room that does not have a point can feel really unfinished, and it is confusing to look at.
A focal point is what makes a room feel nice. It gives you something to look at.
What to do instead:
Think about what makes the room special. Is it the fireplace, the artwork, the coffee table, or the sofa?
Whatever it is, use that as the thing and decorate the rest of the room around it. This will help the room feel like it has a purpose.
The fireplace, for example, can be the center of attention. Maybe it is the artwork that you want people to notice.
You can use the coffee table or the sofa as a thing too.
Just pick one thing, like the fireplace or the artwork, and style the room around that thing.
Final thoughts
Making a home look good is not about making it perfect or spending a lot of money.
It is about being careful with what you do, getting rid of things you do not need, and paying attention to the things that make a home look really good.
Fix just a few of these, and your home will instantly feel calmer, more polished, and far more expensive, without a full makeover.
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