How to fool your guests: 3 tricks to create an "expensive" interior for pennies

Do your friends think you're rich after seeing your new decor?

They are unlikely to guess that the “designer” chair was bought on sale, and the crystal chandelier is a fake for 500 rubles.

Professionals have been hiding these life hacks for years so that you will continue to pay for their services. But today we are revealing the cards: here is how to turn your apartment into a masterpiece, spending less than a dinner at a cafe.

Start with cabinet knobs. Yes, those seemingly insignificant ones. Replacing the standard knobs on cabinets and dressers is like plastic surgery for old furniture. Buy matte brass knobs with geometric patterns or ceramic Art Deco knobs. They will instantly transform an ordinary cabinet into a vintage piece from a boutique collection.

The secret is in the details: even expensive furniture looks cheap with plastic handles. But a cheap chest of drawers with bronze accents will make guests ask: “Where did you find that?” Don’t believe me? Look at hotel design: there, every handle emphasizes style, not functionality.

Now about textiles. A sofa for 10 thousand rubles can look like a sofa for 100 thousand if you put the right "suit" on it. Buy a cover made of thick linen or velour in a neutral shade - beige, gray, olive. Add a blanket with a voluminous texture (for example, large knit) and a couple of pillows with a contrasting print - stripes or geometry.

Important: textiles should be perfectly ironed. Wrinkled covers give away a budget approach, even if the fabric is expensive. Also, tuck in bedspreads so that the folds lie in “waves”, like in hotel rooms. This creates the illusion that a whole team of maids is looking after the interior.

The most dangerous trick is the artificial "history". Expensive interiors look as if generations of aristocrats lived in them. But you can fake it in one evening.

Take a picture frame, paint it gold with distressed paint, and insert a black and white photo (you can find it online and print it out). Put an old leather-bound book (buy it at a flea market) on the shelf, and put a pair of 1950s-style glasses next to it.

Guests will think these are family heirlooms, not a second-hand set. The main thing is not to overdo it. One or two "stories" are enough to add depth. Ten fake antiques will turn the room into a junk shop.

Lighting is your ally in deception. No one will be able to tell an expensive chandelier from a cheap one if the light is soft and multi-layered. Buy three cheap lamps: a floor lamp with a fabric shade, a table lamp with a black metal base, and a garland with warm LEDs. Place them in different corners of the room.

A floor lamp will illuminate the sofa area, a table lamp will create a cozy reading corner, and a garland will add magic in the dark. Turn off the overhead light - and the room will be transformed. Cheap lamps are not conspicuous when the light is directed not at them, but at the walls or textiles.

Don't forget about smells. The aroma of vanilla, freshly baked goods or expensive wood is an invisible touch that makes the brain believe in luxury.

Buy a diffuser with a neutral scent (white tea, bergamot) or a soy candle without bright labels. Place them in ceramic candlesticks or simple glass vessels. The scent should be subtle - like in boutiques, where the aroma is felt, but not overwhelming.

Research confirms that properly selected scents increase the perception of a space as “expensive” by 40%.

Framed mirrors are another way to add flair. Don't hang a bare mirror: buy a baroque frame (available at craft stores) and glue it around the perimeter.

Even plastic imitation gold will create an antique effect. Place the mirror so that it reflects the most advantageous corner of the room - for example, a sofa with pillows or a bookcase with books. The reflection will double the visual "value" of the interior, and no one will notice that the frame is held on with glue.

The final touch is order. Yes, disorder betrays poverty even in palaces. Arrange books on shelves with their spines outward, put wires in boxes, hide remote controls in wicker baskets. Put a vase with a single eucalyptus branch on the table instead of cheap artificial flowers. The fewer details, the easier it is to believe that each of them was chosen with a special meaning.

After a week of this, your guests will swear you hired a designer. And when they ask how much the renovation cost, just smile and say, "It's a family secret." After all, the best lie is the one you start believing yourself.