Decorating Guides
16 Little Indulgences to Enhance Your Every Day
You don’t have to go to great lengths or expense to make your home feel sumptuous and yourself feel special
The old saying “It’s the little things in life that make a difference” holds true when it comes to home design. Embellishing your house with special touches throughout can make a simple space feel grand. Here’s a collection of relatively inexpensive ways to add a little luxury to your abode.
1. Bathing beauty. A tray in the boudoir is such an easy addition that it’s a wonder everybody doesn’t have one. This vignette contains four essential little extravagances: a scented candle, fresh flowers, attractive containers and high-quality potions. Any of them is pretty on its own, but placed together on an elegant tray, they create a little corner of joy in everyday life.
2. Flower power. Who on Earth wouldn’t put fresh blooms in every room if they could? If you’re fortunate enough to have a cutting garden, perhaps you can, but for those of us who don’t have the budget to live perpetually among the florist’s bounty, a single stem in a recycled glass bottle is every bit as homey.
3. Lovely lighting. Everything about this bathroom oozes high-end sophistication, but what if you could get the same look without a full-throttle renovation? Discreet LED lights can be mounted under a cabinet or inside a shelf to illuminate the stuff of your day-to-day grooming rituals. Even a roll of toilet paper would look like artwork when showcased in this way.
4. Well-curated shelves. Anyone inspired by the recent trend toward open kitchen shelving has probably read that a great way to populate those shelves is with collections of similar items. The glass canisters of natural scrubbing implements stylishly echo the functionality of the space, and the Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products speak to a commitment to feel-good luxury in the form of Earth-friendly cleaning products.
5. Warm towels. Mounting a heated towel rack is another amenity that won’t break the bank the way many other amendments might, but it will substantially elevate your most mundane post-workout shower. This one change may even zap the dread from your Monday morning routine.
6. Statement bedding. Perhaps no room or piece of furniture is more deserving of enhancement than the bedroom and the bed. Sure, we don’t all get the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, but it’s undeniable that we still spend a large chunk of our lives between the sheets. So why not buy the most sensuous sheets you can afford? Although I’d never advocate spending beyond your means to feather your nest, I’m a firm believer that if ever there was a place to splurge, the bed is it. Not only should your sheets be breathable and supremely soft, but your whole sleeping experience should also be as comforting as possible.
7. Must-have monograms. This may be the Southern transplant in me talking, but a monogrammed pillow is always a good idea. Whether you own your home or rent, a pillow bearing your initials is just one more indulgence that goes a long way toward making a house feel more like a home.
8. A singular splurge. I once helped a client design an entire bedroom around a beloved Hermès throw. The blanket had been a longstanding wish-list item that this humble Southern belle had finally fulfilled, and while it cost a pretty penny, the delight she received every time she snuggled into its caramel-colored mohair far transcended its cost.
9. No wire hangers … ever. Speaking from experience, replacing your mismatched cheapo hangers with identical wooden ones probably won’t be as inexpensive as you’d assume, but on the spectrum of splurges, it’s truly a small price to pay to get a closet that resembles an upscale boutique. Every article of clothing just seems to look nicer on a wooden hanger. Do consider, though, that a closet cluttered with ill-fitting, unloved garments will weigh on its owner’s psyche no matter how coordinated the hangers. Purge, donate and then give the wooden hanger trick a try.
10. Stylish storage. Much like wooden hangers, attractive storage baskets trump ugly plastic ones any day. Widely available for only a nominal investment, they top the list of simple luxuries that pay dividends in peace of mind.
11. Dashing dinnerware. My No. 1 rule for domestic life: Don’t save anything for a special occasion or a special guest. Instead, treat yourself like you’re somebody special and celebrate each and every meal with lovely dishes and silverware that are a pleasure to behold.
Likewise, fancy platters look great as a collection on open shelves and will undoubtedly elevate anything they hold, from Chinese takeout to family-style spaghetti and meatballs.
12. A bucket of bubbly. In the spirit of joie de vivre, let’s take a sip from novelist Hester Browne’s glass: “Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the occasion is that you have a bottle of champagne in the fridge.” An attractive champagne bucket will only encourage impromptu celebration.
13. Chic hardware. It’s amazing what swapping out your cabinet knobs and pulls can do. As is well-documented on Houzz, prettifying your kitchen and bathroom hardware is a fantastic stopgap measure when you know it’s about time for a makeover.
14. Substantial doors. I’d wager a bet that this designer recognized the door’s role as an indicator of quality in a home. We open a cheap, flimsy door, and we subconsciously assume the whole house is a bit flimsy itself. That’s why a nice solid-core door is worth the investment.
15. A warm greeting. Glamorous touches needn’t remain behind closed doors. Mark your entry with classed-up house numbers. Store-bought letters that mount to your siding or porch columns can often be had for a pittance, and you may even be able to find some funky fonts in vintage shops.
16. The great frame-up. OK, custom framing is by no means cheap, but I think it counts as a small extravagance when paired with inexpensive or DIY artwork. Prints of maps and nautical or aviation charts can be purchased economically, and parents of future artists are at no loss for handmade creations that their children would be honored to see framed on the wall.
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