Here are some tricks, hidden gems and affordable-but-stylish finds, from egg cups to art, that will elevate your space \u2013 and prove good taste and quality needn\u2019t cost the earth.<\/p>\n
How to make your home look more expensiveThe cover-up<\/p>\n
Easy chair cover<\/p>\n
\u00a360 at Bemz<\/a><\/p>\n I recently bought an inexpensive Ikea armchair that looked a bit Identikit. So I added a made-to-order cover. This swirly pattern from Bemz spoke to me \u2013 and I am now the proud owner of an armchair that looks more Architectural Digest than aisle 78.<\/p>\n Light work<\/p>\n Hay Common Oblong rice paper shade<\/p>\n \u00a334 at Holloways of Ludlow<\/a>\u00a345 at End<\/a><\/p>\n Akari<\/a> has been following traditional methods since the 1950s to make beautiful rice paper lamps that are rightfully a modern classic. If you can\u2019t afford one, tasteful Danish design brand Hay has some beautiful options, adding serenity to even the most hectic home for a sixth of the price.<\/p>\n In bloom<\/p>\n Geraniums<\/p>\n From \u00a314.99 at Thompson & Morgan<\/a>\u00a324.99 at B&Q<\/a><\/p>\n Geraniums and pelargoniums exude the sort of taste vibes you\u2019d find in Charleston House<\/a>. Plus, they\u2019re hardy, perennial, easy to grow (I managed to keep them alive and flowering for an unusually long time), and they look great in any old terracotta plant pot. Just make sure to pop them on a sunny windowsill \u2013 according to the RHS<\/a> they need \u201cfull light but shade from scorching midday sun\u201d.<\/p>\n Bowl-ed over<\/p>\n Blue spot bowl<\/p>\n \u00a335 at Baltic Trader<\/a><\/p>\n Choose your hero pieces wisely \u2013 by which I mean that the things that will be out on display should look nice to you. This 25cm-diameter fruit bowl, from a Polish ceramics shop in Lewes, features an elegant polka-dot design that won\u2019t age \u2013 and there are plenty of lovely dishes and custard jugs where that came from.<\/p>\n Picture this<\/p>\n Steve Camps fine art print<\/p>\n \u00a345 at Not Another Bill<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fan of the bluey-grey maritime-themed works of Cornish painter Alfred Wallis but can\u2019t afford their \u00a330,000+ price tag, perhaps you could stretch to \u00a346 + postage? Steve Camps, a retired builder from Cornwall, is an artist who sells high-quality prints of his nautical-themed art on Not Another Bill. Your home will look like Kettle\u2019s Yard<\/a> in no time.<\/p>\n Eggs-actly right<\/p>\n Stainless steel egg cup<\/p>\n \u00a32 at Nordic Muse<\/a><\/p>\n These stainless steel egg cups might seem like a piffling little thing, but anything that adds design wattage to a basic is a win. These wouldn\u2019t look out of place at Service Projects<\/a>, the home of chic tableware and (for me) many lost hours.<\/p>\n Frame game<\/p>\n Marbled paper<\/p>\n \u00a332.75 at Cloth House<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s something unnerving about seeing the same affordable art you have on your walls in the backgrounds of numerous other people\u2019s interiors on Instagram. This beautifully marbled handmade paper is an alternative approach \u2013 just add a frame, and you have a piece of abstract art that probably isn\u2019t also hanging next door.<\/p>\n Rock solid<\/p>\n Reclaimed Jaisalmer sandstone bowls, each<\/p>\n \u00a320 at English Salvage<\/a><\/p>\n I hope it doesn\u2019t detract from the craftsmanship of these handmade sandstone bowls to suggest they\u2019d look lovely filled with easy peelers. No two are the same. Available via a reclamation yard based in Herefordshire, but also available online.<\/p>\n Soft touch<\/p>\n Stripe hand towel<\/p>\n \u00a35.95 at John Lewis<\/a><\/p>\n The impeccably tasteful Danish company Tekla<\/a> makes undeniably good-quality striped towels in beautiful colours. But they\u2019re not cheap. So while you\u2019re waiting for your Isa to mature, these designs from John Lewis, especially the dove grey stripe, should elevate your bathroom.<\/p>\n Candle in the wind-ow<\/p>\n Twisted candles<\/p>\n \u00a34.68 at S\u00f8strene Grene<\/a><\/p>\n Wax candles in sweet-shop pastels and quirky patterns have become a major (and often pricey) trend in recent years, but these more muted moss-green twirly ones from Danish chain S\u00f8strene Grene are a more timeless way to add class to your dinner table.<\/p>\n Wrap star\u00a329 at Yorkshire Blankets<\/a><\/p>\n Made in Yorkshire and hand-cut and finished, this cosy blanket wouldn\u2019t look out of place in even the fanciest homes of Harrogate. The fact it\u2019s wool-blend, and not pure wool, keeps the price down, but the look of it transcends its price tag.<\/p>\n Set piece<\/p>\n Blue leaf dinner set, 12 pieces<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to The Filter<\/p>\n Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u00a345 at Argos<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re after a dinner set that channels Finland\u2019s heritage ceramics company, Arabia<\/a>, then look no further. This Habitat design is straight out of Tove Jansson\u2019s summer house, and the whole thing costs far less than a one-way ticket to Helsinki.<\/p>\n Shelf life<\/p>\n Three-tier coffee shelves<\/p>\n From \u00a340 at Etsy<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m seeing a lot of love online for coffee stations \u2013 yet another way to glorify your morning cup of joe. But if worktop space is limited, this set of shelves is a great place to house your mugs, beans and other coffee paraphernalia. It\u2019s made in the UK, from reclaimed wood.<\/p>\n Table manners<\/p>\n Stainless steel cutlery set with resin handles<\/p>\n \u00a317.99 at Mango<\/a><\/p>\n Made from resin and stainless steel, this cutlery set \u2013 more David Mellor<\/a> than Mango \u2013 will instantly zhoosh up your table. I love the emerald green and mustard yellow options.<\/p>\n Bright idea<\/p>\n Vintage alabaster lamp<\/p>\n \u00a326.99 at eBay<\/a><\/p>\n If an alabaster sculpture doesn\u2019t fit your price tag \u2013 or the look of your one-bed \u2013 but you like the vibe of the soft, cool stone, secondhand sites offer an Uffizi\u2019s worth of alabaster lamps. We found this one on eBay, and this one on Vinterior.<\/a> Just search \u201cmid century alabaster lamp\u201d and take your pick.<\/p>\n Light relief<\/p>\n Wall-mounted candle sconce<\/p>\n \u00a337 at Nordic Nest<\/a><\/p>\n Wall-mounting a candle sconce instantly brings calm to a space (which is a sentence I never thought I\u2019d type). The internet seems to be awash with them right now \u2013 many in beautifully handmade ceramics, which cost hundreds of pounds. This recycled one from Ferm Living isn\u2019t cheap for something entirely decorative, but it will lift a quiet corner of a flat.<\/p>\n French fancy<\/p>\n Le Provendi rotating soap holder and soap<\/p>\n \u00a325.50 at Le Provendi<\/a>\u00a325.50 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n I love the idea of a wall-mounted soap, known in France as the porte-savon \u00e9colier. The classic design is the work of French company Laboratoire Provendi, which has been making soap since the 1950s, and it keeps soap clean, dry and always on hand. This one, the original French school soap holder, will make your house feel like it\u2019s passed its baccalaureate.<\/p>\n Light fantastic<\/p>\n Silver candlestick holder<\/p>\n \u00a39 at Ikea<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s something sculptural and Scandinavian about this curved candlestick holder, and not just because it\u2019s from Ikea. Its design belies its mass-manufactured origins and with the right candle (see above) could bring a little Nordic minimalism to your home.<\/p>\n Sew simple<\/p>\n Striped Irish linen fabric for napkins<\/p>\n \u00a313.50 per metre at Dalston Mill Fabrics<\/a><\/p>\n Do you find yourself lusting after the kind of napkins available at fancy shops for \u00a316, but can\u2019t bring yourself to spend that much on something you\u2019re just going to wipe your hands on? Consider buying linen fabric and either knocking some out yourself (this tutorial might help<\/a>), or seeing if an affordable, local seamster would. It\u2019s an easy enough job, and your dinner table and bank balance will thank you for it.<\/p>\n Take a seat<\/p>\n Red dining chairs, pair<\/p>\n \u00a3165 at Argos<\/a><\/p>\n These scarlet dining chairs look a little Josef Frank, but at a fraction of the price. Pair with whatever other chairs you have: there\u2019s nothing wrong with mismatched.<\/p>\n Shade better<\/p>\n Hand-painted lampshade<\/p>\n From \u00a399 at Cressida Bell<\/a><\/p>\n Nearly \u00a3100 is not nothing for a lampshade, but I\u2019ve been ogling these handmade lampshades by artist Cressida Bell ever since I first set eyes on them. This vivid green oak leaf print with gold highlights has Bloomsbury set written all over it \u2013 and there are tropical<\/a>, topiary-inspired<\/a> and geometric prints<\/a> available, too.<\/p>\n On the table<\/p>\n Checkered washed cotton tablecloth<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/379.jpg\")
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