An NYC Interior Designer Reveals How to Make Your Home Look Elegant

While the kitchen and bathroom often take priority when it's time to renovate, the living room is the first place decorators look when a home needs a revamp. As the first room guests see, your living room says a lot about your personal taste and style, so if you're wondering how to make your home look elegant, we recommend starting there. But what if your vintage Champagne style is at odds with your canned-beer budget? Luckily for you, we got the inside scoop on how to make your home look more expensive, and we're more than willing to share her tricks of the trade.

To get you started, we compiled 11 of Melanie's best design tips to help you create that perfectly fancy living room that looks luxurious and timeless (and only seems expensive). Explore some of the most gorgeous living spaces and then try out a few of Melanie's tricks for yourself.

01 Employ Large-Scale Art

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Vintage Crystal Raindrop Elegance Chandelier - Faceted-Glass Crystals and Rain Drops Display for Dining Room and Living Room Lighting

Create a stunning focal point and give your space a touch of glamour by installing a magnificent crystal chandelier in your living room. The look is elegant and high-impact, with minimal effort. Melanie adds, "Large-scale art in a room always makes a huge impact. You don’t necessarily have to spend a ton of money either."

02 Simplify Your Styling

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A cluttered, over-accessorized living room can look messy and disorganized, rather than stylish and sophisticated. Pare down your collection and only retain pieces that have sentimental value. "The accessories must reflect your style, in addition, to tie into the look of the room," Melanie mentions. A simplified space will enable the remaining elements to really shine, and it will keep you on your budget.

03 Choose Accessories Wisely

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Modern Aluminum Taper Candle Holder with Powdercoated Finish - Elegant Candle Stand for Home Decor, Perfect for Living Room and Dining Room

"Accessories help to create a more luxurious look. Wherever you have flat surfaces like coffee tables, side tables, and bookcases, place great coffee table books, small sculptures, candles, bowls, etc.," Melanie advises. Not to mention, accessories are a great way to add your personal style and make the space feel like it's truly yours.

04 Add a Sculptural Item

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Prevent your room from becoming a sea of straight lines and circular forms by introducing an element with an interesting shape or unique silhouette. A tree-root coffee table or unusual side chair will feel like a piece of art in your living room, adding an unexpected and wholly artistic component to your design (even on a budget).

05 Mix Textures

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A layered, thoughtful mix of materials and textures will give your space a custom-designed, luxurious look. Mix metals, glass, wood, textiles, and leather items to create a dynamic and inviting space.

06 Embrace Scale

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If your living room has soaring ceilings, try to avoid heavy, dark window treatments that will offer the illusion of a smaller space. Go for something more light and airy, like linen. Melanie admits, "I prefer simple Romans or ripple fold drapery, depending on the window." On the other hand, if your living room has low ceilings and smaller windows, perhaps you should avoid window treatments altogether to take advantage of the limited natural light.

07 Rethink the Lighting

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Dimmable Bronze Glow Chandelier - Candelabra-Inspired with Forged Iron and Dimmable Lights - Traditional Design Perfect as a Living Room Chandelier or Modern Hanging Light Fixture

Simply updating light fixtures can instantly change the feel of your living room, without overhauling the space. Try different lampshades, or swapping out your chandelier, or even just rearranging your light sources to see where you can call attention to high-use areas.

08 Tell Stories With Vignettes

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If you think a singular piece of décor may look out of place on its own, try arranging a collection of similar pieces to create a unique vignette. They could tell a story on your coffee or console table; family heirlooms or travel mementos, for example.

09 Mount Your Television

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Another way to give your living room a clean, streamlined look is by mounting your television to the wall (goodbye, tangled chords!). But first, determine whether your wall can handle the weight and remember to measure your walls.

10 Add Vintage Pieces

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"One exceptional vintage piece of furniture is another way to help add luxe to a living room. No matter what your style is, a vintage piece of furniture adds history and a sense of importance to the room," Melanie instructs. Whether you want to go big and buy a 60-year-old chair or keep it simple and purchase a petite end table, the piece's intrigue will speak for itself.

11 Plunge Into Makeover Mode

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Contrary to some opinions, there are instances in which working with a professional designer may offer cost-savings. Because designers pay trade pricing on materials, their clients enjoy these discounted prices. Their expertise also means they can show you exactly where to invest or to cut corners.