Luxurious - an adjective meaning extremely comfortable, elegant, or enjoyable, especially in a way that involves great expense…Everyone wants to feel like their home is luxurious, it’s the “great expense” part that is harder to stomach. I have a few tried and true tips to help your home look and feel more lux without the huge price tag.

Hang Them High

Installing curtain panels is one of the easiest ways to add instant elegance to any interior. The key to success is to hang your window treatments directly under the crown molding or as high as possible. This will draw your eye up, making your ceilings look taller and your room feel bigger. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. I have moved several of mine and it makes a HUGE difference. It’s one of those things that once you move one you will want to change them all.

The image above is from my keeping room. The image below, from Cote De Texas blog, shows the same window treated two ways. The one on the right has the panels hung directly under the molding and the ‘dead space” is covered with a woven wood blind. The graphic makes the upgrade undeniable.

If you already have panels that will obviously be too short if you move them, consider adding a coordinating band at the bottom. Pictured below, are some panels I made for my bedroom. When I decided to move the rod up they were much too short, so I added a band of fabric to the bottom and continued the tape trim to cover up the seam.

The Fullness Factor

Skimpy curtain panels are anything but lux. I know having them made can be expensive, but if you are going to the trouble, spend the extra money to have them lined and inner lined. Drapes made of linen you bought with a 50% off coupon from Joann’s that are full and fluffy, will look so much better than skimpy ones made from $125 per yard fabric. As a general rule, never use less than a width and a half (your seamstress will get this) of fabric per panel and preferably make them double width if you have enough space.

I am so much happier with the way my window treatments look in the second picture. The panels in the first photo are 1.5 widths of fabric spread across this massive window. They look ok, but a little on the thin side. When I moved them together they looked so much better and blocked less view!

1.5 width panels

Double width panels

Light It Up

Another way to amp up luxe factor is to use large scale light fixtures. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive. When it comes to light fixtures I would always rather something be overscale than too small.

See how I gave this inexpensive, paper fixture a makeover here. I love the impact this large fixture has in my keeping room.

Pictured below is my living room in my last house. The house is over 100 years old so its charm has always been the star of the show. When I see this picture now, I wish my window treatments were hung up to where the beam meets the side wall and the chandelier, while original to the house, is way too small.

This oversized lantern in a guest room at designer Stacy Jacobi’s home is perfect. It’s a dramatic statement piece. If you missed my post that tours her entire home, you can see it here.

Add Some Animal Print

Every interior needs a little animal print! It's almost a neutral and works with traditional and modern decor. The above image is of an interior by Melanie Turner featured in a recent issue of Veranda magazine. It was insipired by Lee Radziwill's famous tiger sofa. It doesn’t get more luxe than Scalamandre’s Le Tigre fabric. While I appreciate the above sofa, I know I would tire of that much animal print. I prefer it in small doses.

Le Tigre is a beautiful fabric. It also costs a fortune per yard. However, if you use a special fabric in small doses it can still have a huge impact. I purchased this pillow cover from Etsy. It was very reasonable. The back is an inexpensive dark brown velvet. I have two of them and they travel all over my house. They make me smile and definitely amp up the luxe factor wherever they are.

Luxury Designer Amy Berry uses animal print carpet in the interior below. It give this very traditional room a little something extra.

Ballard Designs has a lovely antelope rug starting at $149.

Etsy’s Southern Shades offers these Antelope print pillow covers starting at 60$.

So… take a walk on the wild side. Use some animal print in your decor, add a large light fixture and/or hang some new full and fluffy curtains. Try even one of these tips and you will be on your way to making your home more inviting and luxurious. What could be better than that?!!

XO,

Anne

Four Ways To Get A Luxe Look