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Ever wonder why some homes feel more expensive than others, even if they are filled with similar decor? It’s often the small details that can unintentionally downgrade the look of your home.
No need to stress – I’m here to shed light on those sneaky details, helping you avoid them and give your home that designer feel!
Here are things that may make your home look cheap – continue reading for easy ways to fix them!
- Keeping old builder-grade features
- Not paying attention to your lighting
- Having the wrong-sized rug for your space
- Letting clutter take over
- Buying an entire matching furniture set
- Filling your home with too much word art
- Being too trendy
- Shopping at only one store for decor
- Skipping a headboard for your bed
- Overlooking the finishing touches in your design
- Ignoring window treatments completely
- Leaving cables and wires exposed
- Hanging wall art that’s too small
- Decorating with only mass-produced art
#1 Keeping Old Builder-Grade Features
Between light fixtures, faucets, and large one-panel mirrors in bathrooms, outdated builder-grade features can make your home lack a personal touch.
Just by switching out these features, your home is already going to start having a bit more character.
And chances are you weren’t the one to pick these features out so you probably never loved them to begin with. Now you have the opportunity to pick out something that truly makes you happy!
How to fix it: Slowly replace these features over time with ones you truly love!
- Light fixtures: Swap out outdated ceiling lights for something more modern—whether that’s a cute flush mount, a statement pendant, or pretty sconces. Even small changes, like new shades, can make a big difference!
- Vanity Lighting: When it comes to bathroom vanity lighting, just about anything is better than the builder-grade fixture your house came with. If you need some inspiration, check out my post on inexpensive vanity light fixtures.
- Faucets: Faucets can get pricey. You can find brands at Home Depot and Lowe’s that look high-end but without the high price. When you replace a builder-grade faucet, it’s your chance to update the finish. You can mix metals if you want to get fancy with it!
- Bathroom mirrors: That big, frameless mirror stuck to the wall? It’s time for that to go. Swapping it for a framed mirror (or even two smaller ones for a double vanity) adds instant charm.
One of my most popular posts is the best Amazon vanity mirrors – if you are looking for some incredibly cute inspo!
#2 Not Paying Attention To Your Lighting
When I mention bad lighting, I’m mainly talking about color temperature and a general lack of lighting.
Good lighting is so important – it’s one of the easiest ways to make your home feel more cozy and inviting.
Gone are the days of harsh overhead lighting. Instead, lamps are always the answer!
Color temperature is just as important. Do you ever walk around your home and it feels a bit blue? There is a difference between warm light and bright light – typically it’s the difference between buying “soft white” and “daylight” lightbulbs.
How to fix it: Stick with warm-colored lights and always avoid overhead lighting.
Avoid “daylight” colored lightbulbs and other overhead lighting sources. Stick to a cozier light color which falls in the range of 2700K-3000K. The standard lightbulb color is 2700K for reference.
Don’t rely on harsh overhead lighting. Buy table lamps, or floor lamps, or incorporate other means of ambient lighting such as under cabinet lighting to make your rooms feel cozy and inviting.
#3 Having the Wrong-Sized Rug For Your Space
Most of the time, people shy away from large rugs. This results in a super tiny rug that doesn’t fill your room appropriately.
In short, don’t be afraid of large rugs! For things that make your home look cheap, disproportionate rugs are not a good look.
But finding the right size rug isn’t as hard as it seems – I have an easy-to-follow rug size guide to use for all of your rooms.
How to fix it: Confirm the correct rug size for your space and get a cozy big rug!
- Living Room Rug: The common rug sizes for a living room rug are 8’x10’, 9’x12’, and 10’x14’.
- Dining Room Rug: The best rug sizes for a dining room rug are 8’x10’ or 9’x12’.
- Queen Size Bed Rug: The common rug sizes for a queen bed are either 6’x9’ or 8’x10’.
- King Size Bed Rug: The best rug size for a king bed is either 8’x10’ or 9’x12’.
For all other rooms, make your way over to the rug size guide to make sure you get your rug size right every time!
#4 Letting Clutter Take Over
Cluttering shelves, mantels, and any other corner of your home can make it feel crowded and small.
One of the biggest offenders is the kitchen countertop, and I give you all the tips for decluttering a kitchen counter here.
Let it be known that 99% of home photos you see online are staged – they simply aren’t realistic. We all live in our homes, after all, they can’t be treated as museums.
But when I say clutter, I’m talking about random objects piling up in one place simply because they don’t have another home or anywhere else to go. This can be the case even with really nice stuff – a lot of anything can be a bit much.
How to fix it: Use the less is more approach.
Ask yourself, “Do I love each one of these items enough to display them”? If the answer is no, it’s easy to keep what you want and donate what you don’t.
If the answer is yes, I recommend dedicating space to the majority of items elsewhere in your home. Utilize a shelf in an office or bedroom if you want to declutter some of your main living space. You can even put some things in a storage tote and rotate them throughout the year.
#5 Buying An Entire Matching Furniture Set
Buying matching furniture sets can make your house feel underwhelming and a bit cheap. Sometimes matching makes sense – for instance, if you have a couch and a matching ottoman, or accent chairs on either side of a cute side table.
But if you have an entire bedroom set (bedframe, nightstands, dresser, mirror, table), it doesn’t create much interest or have any personality to it. It won’t feel like you put enough thought into the look, feel, or design of the space.
How to fix it: Don’t be afraid to mix and match your furniture.
Be confident in mixing and matching furniture. If furniture or decor is sold in a pair, this is a good indication it’s okay to match – for example, nightstands, end tables, and lamps will typically match each other.
Incorporate different colors and textures to spice things up!
Your couch can be different from the ottoman, which is different from the love seat, which is different from the recliner, and so on. Mixing and matching furniture gives your room a little bit more of a designer touch. Just be sure to stick to a style and color palette.
#6 Filling Your Home With Too Much Word Art
I walk by word art all the time when shopping and get immediately pulled in by the cute and quirky phrases. But I have to ask myself, “Just because that made me smile now, does that mean it belongs on my wall?” Chances are it’s not going to look good on my wall, it’s going to give cheesy.
When I say “word art”, I’m talking about large letters across a wall that spell “love”, or large signs that say “But first, coffee”.
This doesn’t have to be a bad look – word art can be incorporated into your home tastefully but in small doses. For instance, a small, punny drink sign on a bar cart.
How to fix it: Incorporate unique, one-of-a-kind art in your home.
If your goal is to make your home feel more like the ones you see from the top designers, avoid word art in your decor.
Instead, incorporate something unique on the walls of your home like a gallery wall, hanging textiles, framed vintage pieces, handmade artwork, or large paintings.
#7 Being Too Trendy
When you want to get away from things that make your home look cheap, would you imagine being overly trendy would make the list?
If you go to Instagram or Pinterest and replicate every…single…trend… you see throughout your own home, it’s going to quickly become trend overload.
Board and batten walls throughout your entire home. Rattan everything. Neutrals everywhere you look. Herringbone patterns in everything you see.
While in moderation these features look amazing, too much of anything can sometimes be a bad thing.
How to fix it: Let your OWN style shine through by getting inspired by others, not copying.
It’s incredibly helpful to turn to social media for home inspiration – heck, I’m on Pinterest every day of my life dreaming up the next project. But copying/pasting everything you see into your own home will put you on track to being too trendy.
At the end of the day, it’s your home. Following trends just because they’re trends puts you in a box that doesn’t allow for your own style and personality to shine through.
Trends come and go, but your unapologetic self is here to stay and that should be reflected in your home decor choices.
RELATED POST: What’s Your Home Decor Style?
#8 Shopping At Only One Store For Decor
Go into any store that sells home decor. Look around – what do you notice? All of the decor looks very similar.
For instance, if you go to Target and only buy items from the Magnolia section – when you walk into your house, it will feel exactly like the store.
Buying from different stores will help make your house look a little less staged.
How to fix it: Shop at a variety of different stores including thrift stores.
Gather a list of your favorite home decor stores to have in your back pocket.
A few of my favorites are Anthropologie, Target, HomeGoods, McGee & Co., and Amazon. But I highly recommend thrifting because you can find some one-of-a-kind pieces. It’ll allow you to find items that aren’t mass-produced that everyone has.
Piece together a handful of home decor and furniture across several stores (or sections of stores like Target) to get a wide array of different styles to add to your space.
#9 Skipping A Headboard For Your Bed
A lack of headboards for your beds makes a room feel incomplete and like something is missing.
If your goal in your home is to take it from “cheap” to “expensive”, a headboard is an upgrade that will change the look and feel of your bedroom for the better.
You don’t need anything big or flashy. A standard-size, neutral headboard will round out the room. Plus, headboards make a room feel cozy and homey and not so bland. They’ll give you some much-needed texture and break up the large blank wall behind your bed.
How to fix it: Simply buy a headboard that you love.
If it’s for a guest bed, don’t spend too much time on it. If it’s for your bedroom, just be sure that you get something that goes with the rest of the room.
The good thing is that you don’t have to deplete your bank account for a headboard that looks nice. Amazon has plenty of cute options that are within the under $300 range, and styles that can go with just about any space.
#10 Overlooking the finishing touches in your design
Just like too much can be an issue, having little to no decor at all can make your home feel bare and like no one lives there.
The basics of a room, like furniture, only go so far in terms of making your space look beautiful. I help my friends and family design their rooms, and almost every time the first thing I notice is that art on a wall, or decor on an ottoman tray could make a BIG difference.
How to fix it: Don’t stop at just the furniture, make sure to add meaningful decor details into your design.
You don’t need a lot of decor to help your room out.
- Wall Art: A large blank wall can make a room feel unfinished. Adding framed prints, a statement mirror, or a gallery wall can instantly bring it to life.
- Styled Surfaces: Whether it’s a console table, coffee table, or nightstand, layering a mix of books, vases, candles, or small sculptures can add warmth and personality.
- Kitchen Touches: The kitchen isn’t just for cooking—small details like a stylish utensil holder, a bowl of fresh fruit, or a well-placed plant can make it feel inviting and complete.
The key is balance—just a few well-chosen pieces can transform your space without making it feel cluttered.
RELATED POST: 5 Beautiful Nightstand Decor Ideas
#11 Ignoring Window Treatments Completely
You may feel that curtains appear outdated. But you’re probably thinking back to when we grew up with those thick, heavy, floral-splattered window treatments that made the room feel ornate.
The style of curtains that designers use today has come a longgg way. And trust me, a window that doesn’t have a curtain rod or curtains looks dull and has no character.
A lot of builder-grade homes, like mine, have zero trimming around the window to make it look high-end. While trim and molding are always an option, curtains are a super easy alternative to make the window look less like a cookie-cutter hole with a window shoved into it.
Curtains will also make your room feel taller and bigger, which for someone with 8-foot ceilings, like myself, does wonders for adding height.
How to fix it: Add curtains, Roman shades, or woven blinds to your windows.
For starters, look into sheer white curtains. This type of curtain looks good in every home, regardless of your style. Because they are sheer, this creates a lightweight feeling compared to the heavier curtains you may be thinking about.
The sheer white curtains cascading down your windows are going to look stunning when the light shines through. It’ll also give some texture to the wall and break up the single paint color running throughout the entire space.
To avoid curtains themselves looking cheap, you NEED to hang curtains at the right height. Check out my post on whether curtains should touch the floor for some tips.
#12 Leaving Cables and Wires Exposed
Hiding cables and wires, especially to a TV, is simply going to make your room feel clean and organized.
Between home offices, wall-mounted TVs, smart speakers, and home assistants, you’re inevitably going to have cables that need to be hidden appropriately.
How to fix it: Get intentional with your cable management.
The biggest eyesore in a home is cables waterfalling down the wall underneath the TV. I have some extremely easy solutions to hiding these TV wires here.
The paintable cable raceway is a fan favorite when hiding those wires between the TV to the console table.
Cable management is unbelievably important in making a home look and feel beautiful. There are products out there that can help you more purposefully guide wires from point A to point B.
Go to Amazon and type in “cable management” – you’ll undoubtedly find something that can help for your particular situation.
#13 Hanging Wall Art That’s Too Small
A common mistake when buying and hanging art on the wall is using the wrong-sized art.
Just like rugs, people tend to “play it safe” and shy away from large art. But if you have a large wall you’re hanging art on, a small single 8”x10” frame will get lost within the void of the rest of the wall.
This doesn’t mean go buy a massive 7-foot by 7-foot painting to take up the entire wall. There are ways to appropriately fill an empty wall space with small art.
How to fix it: Buy larger artwork 😉 for your walls.
You have some options here:
- Go big with a statement piece: Instead of a small frame, opt for artwork that’s at least 2’3′ to properly fill the space and create a focal point.
- Build a gallery wall: A curated mix of small and medium-sized pieces can make just as much of an impact as one large piece. So consider a gallery wall!
- Incorporate wall sconces: Flanking a mirror or artwork with sconces not only fills extra wall space but also adds a high-end, designer feel.
The right-sized art makes your home look intentional and even more expensive!
#14 Decorating With Only Mass-Produced Art
What is mass-produced art? If you walk into any store, for example, HomeGoods since that’s one of my favorite stores, they have a handful of art options. They are stocked up on these prints. They probably sell hundreds of that same piece of artwork in a single day.
This means that there are thousands of people out there who have this same exact piece of art. It’s not unique by any means.
Now I’m not saying to never buy a piece of mass-produced art. I’m saying to buy it sparingly. I personally have a couple of pieces of mass-produced art in my own home. Just sprinkle them in with the rest of your decor!
How to fix it: Buy art from local artists, or find shops online that support artists.
This will make your home look a little less like the home decor section and a little more curated. Check out these places for some truly unique art – I have purchased from all of these stores in the past!
One of my favorite times to look for art is while I’m on vacation and exploring a new town. Just pop into a local market or shop and find a memento that will look unbelievably cute in your home.
Mass-produced art is one of those things that can make your home look cheap if you flood your walls with it. Local artists are the answer to having those pieces that none of your friends have (of course until they see yours 😊).
These Small Changes Can Make Your Home Feel Expensive
At the end of the day, designing a home you love comes down to the details.
Whether it’s upgrading outdated fixtures, adding the right-sized artwork, or layering in those finishing touches, small changes can make a big impact.
The best part? You don’t have to do it all at once. Tackle one update at a time, and before you know it, your space will feel more polished, intentional, and uniquely you.
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