Design Tips: How to Add Elegance on a Budget

by Ann Hayward 12/19/2021

When building and decorating a new home, there are many things you can do to make the space look more elegant and refined. If your home building and decorating budget is tighter, there are some things you can do to elevate the look of your home without spending a large amount of money. These tips will help you get there.

1. Add Some Crown Molding

Crown molding is an elegant finishing touch to your space. Whether at the ceiling or at chair-rail height, crown molding gives your room and your home a finished look. It’s actually quite affordable, even with the elegant look that it creates, making it a good finishing touch to your home. Get creative with higher baseboard molding, ceiling beams, medallions and more.

2. Paint with Color

Many newly built homes are painted all white. While this is a great neutral palette, it does not add character to the space. Instead, add a color to your home. For an elegant finishing touch, choose either a bold and dramatic palette or a soft, understated one.

3. Invest in Unique Hardware

When building or re-decorating a home, you have to have drawer pulls, knobs and other hardware, so why not elevate them a bit? Instead of the common styles you see in just about any home, consider choosing something unique. This will make your home more interesting and give you a more elegant feel. The bulk pieces you can pick out at any hardware store won’t do, however. If your budget is tight, look at small local hardware stores, antique shops and flea markets to find something elegant to elevate your space.

4. Ditch the Standard Light Fixtures

Light fixtures are another place where you can easily add elegance to your new home. Most builders will have standard light fixtures they use. Either during the building phase or as soon as you move into the home, ditch these for something more elegant and unique. This is another place where you can find interesting pieces by shopping second-hand, if your budget is tight, or spring for one particularly elegant light for your main living room or dining room, and build your decor around it.

5. Choose Hardwood-Look Floors

When building a new home, you have some options for flooring. If possible, choose something that resembles hardwood rather than choosing to carpet the home from one end to the other. Even if you don’t have the budget for actual hardwood, a luxury vinyl or laminate floor can give your home that elegant, timeless look you crave, and you can always add a rug for some softness.

Having a beautiful, elegant home is a goal worth reaching for, and it is achievable on a budget. Use these tips to give your home that finishing touch that you will be proud to call your own, all while staying within your home building and decorating budget.

About the Author

Ann Hayward

Born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs, Ann Hayward got her Pennsylvania real estate license at age 18 even before going to college. This second-generation real estate professional followed in the footsteps of her father and two uncles, inheriting their passion for the business. Licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Ann is accomplished in her career, with numerous designations including SFR, SRES, PSA, WHC, and multiunit Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council. She specializes in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, all jurisdictions where Ann has lived and knows very well. In addition to her professional expertise, she owns and manages personal investment property, understands and has been involved in the renovation/remodeling process, and has great resources which she shares with clients. When you hire Ann to represent you, she will make your buying or selling experience an enjoyable, rewarding one. Her compassion, sensitivity to her clients’ needs, eye for detail, and ability to see the big picture when guiding you through a purchase or sale are unique assets that will ensure your success. A diverse and relevant background also gives Ann a distinct edge. For 30 years, she worked in fast-paced, high-pressure television and theatrical production, attaining the highest achievement – DGA membership as a Director, and as an award-winning staff and freelance writer. Her keen audio visual skills and design sense benefit sellers in marketing their properties, and are invaluable in helping buyers see the potential of space. A true renaissance woman, Ann was also an income tax professional and office manager for H&R Block, so she thoroughly understands the tax and financial implications of acquiring and selling real estate. Her superior organizational skills are further evidenced as owner of a downsizing/professional organizing business, Managed For You, which allows her to connect with everyone from millennials to boomers and seniors, whether for small space planning or assisting with major decluttering and transitioning. Ann holds an AB in American History from Simmons College, Boston, plus attended Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration where she was a candidate for Doctorate. She additionally studied Film Direction at the American Film Institute in LA, and was a Stanford University post-graduate Professional Journalism Fellow. Personally, Ann is an avid if not very good golfer, and the co-founder of a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering educational guidance, tutoring and counseling for youngsters from elementary school through college admission. She sits on the board of trustees of a nonprofit educational film production corporation as well. (202) 494-6252 [email protected]