This year is the year of adding a little more luxuriance into your life. Don’t think you’ve got the budget to lux up your life? Think again. With a little creativity and, yes a little spending, you can bring some real decadence and luxury into your interiors that will help you feel a million dollars.

We take a look at ten design and furnishing hacks that are guaranteed to look and feel like you’ve spent a fortune. If you’re looking to ditch the minimal look and bring about some more softness to your designs, then look no further.

Think Architecture

You might not have a mansion, or a castle, or even a house but even the most economic of apartments can benefit from some clever interior architecture. Think mouldings. They can add a seriously decadent look to your living space and are not expensive to buy.

They’re also reasonably straightforward to fit, so if you’re looking to do the work yourself, then this is a great place to start.

Moulding has the ability to help a room lose its box-like qualities and bring about a more softer, ornate finish. While it can be left to blend seamlessly with your existing paintwork, if you’re feeling brave, it can also be painted a contrasting colour to add extra drama.

Create a focus

Find a spot in your room, where your eye will naturally travel to and build it up into a feature. You might, for example, have an old fireplace or beautiful antique dining table that could become an exquisite focal point.

Take an objective look and find some ways of making it look  even more attractive. Create a fabulous set of place settings for your table and some extravagant centrepieces or polish up that ironwork around the fireplace to create some interest and style.

All rooms will have somewhere to create a focal point and if you’re limited for space, think about creating drama with a large, ornate mirror or picture.

Think warm

If you’ve previously preferred chic, minimal tones, then it’s time to get out the rollers. Luxurious living prefers deeper, warmer colours to give a feeling of comfort and decadence.

You don’t need to go overboard and create an Alpine cabin feel but by adding some richness to your décor, in terms of colour, you’re creating a strong statement about your interiors and your commitment to stylish comfort.

Plush

If you’re going to spend money on one thing, it’s probably going to be your furniture. Throw out the thread worn, hard sofas and opt for high quality, plush, comfortable seating. This is an investment well worth making.

Remember to find beautiful cushions and blankets to complement your new statement sofas and chairs. Check out these from Bemboka for example.

Think feet

Nothing says the opposite of luxurious living then cold, hard flooring underfoot. It might be the last piece of the puzzle but having flooring that gives that ‘aaah’ factor when you walk across it, is the final word in luxury.

Whether you opt for deep, cozy floor rugs or a whole carpet, choose a padded underlay for extra depth.

If you’re sticking with a hard floor consider covering it with a faux wood option. There are some excellent, high quality, realistic options out there and the benefit is, not only the range of colours and styles, but also their additional comfort levels over hardwood.

Find your quirkiness factor

We don’t all like the same styles and the best way to express your individuality is in the little extras, the soft furnishings and one-off pieces of furniture and ornaments.

This is where money can be saved but the fun can really start. Keep an open mind and spend an afternoon casually browsing your local antique shops to see if there are any little things that might add a more personal touch to your interior. Bear in mind your colour scheme but don’t let that put you off buying something you really love.

For real antique fans, head down to your architectural salvage yard to dig around old fireplaces, church pews and other hidden gems for a really authentic feel.

Avoid over cluttering your new interior but instead opt for a few cleverly placed one-offs to get people talking.

Think lighting

Our final tip is to think about the overall ambience of your living space and how to add those final touches of luxury.

You might be a fan of a more natural light source in which case, ditch the main light and top up your ambience with some candleholders. If you’re looking to create a subtle lighting system take a look at uplights rather than overheads and see how they can add drama and shadows by focusing on some of the more interesting areas of your living room.

Or you might just go the whole hog and bring in a feature lighting scheme. Make a dramatic statement with a beautiful chandelier or similar large-scale system. Depending on budget, you’ll want to install matching lamps around your interior, creating an impressive statement in luxury lighting and adding a real sense of richness to your room.

Whatever your budget, whatever your style, creating a luxurious interior is possible. Whether you’re in an apartment, house or castle putting together a space that makes you feel like a king or queen is just a few simple steps away.

Choose architectural features that can be easily added and adapted, choose paintwork that brings richness and depth, choose furnishings that help you sink in to them and lose yourself under soft blankets and cushions.

Finally think about the top and bottom of your room; floor and ceiling.  Whether you go all out and choose statement lighting and plush carpets or go for a less-is-more approach don’t be afraid to find furnishings you really love.

Then, all that’s left to do is to add the ‘you’ into your space. Even all the design blogs in the world can’t add your unique touch so dream big and luxurious and picture yourself in your next grand design.