I Transformed My Living Room from “Sad Shoebox” to Sophisticated with This One Trick

I look at enough images of beautiful, expensive homes in my job as a design writer that I’m proud to say I’ve figured out how to replicate some of these luxurious design elements for less. While my New York City apartment may be pretty unassuming from the outside, I’ve taken some key steps to make the inside — specifically my living room — look much more high-end than it did before. 

It’s safe to say no matter where I end up next, I’ll definitely be drawing upon these hacks in that place, too. You might be surprised by my top tip — it’s a one-and-done that doesn’t require any tools! — but the rest of my ideas really round out the space as well.

Every luxe designer home tour seems to feature a gigantic potted tree in the living room. Go ahead: Try to find one that doesn’t, and I’ll wait. I’d been lusting over this look for a long time when a friend of mine told me she’d scored two gigantic plaster plant pots off of Facebook Marketplace for $100 each. Did I want to buy one of them from her? You bet! This oversized pot (and the faux tree I’ve placed inside of it) have added so much visual interest to my living room. 

While the pot is super heavy and cumbersome to move, I can’t imagine parting ways with it any time soon. And when I say this pot is oversized, I mean oversized — I could stand inside of it if I wanted to! Going big here and there with furnishings or decorative accessories, like a plant or tree, is a great way to make your space look more high-end, and designers will agree with me. Even if your living room is small, you shouldn’t fill it with dollhouse-sized pieces; that only cheapens its look.

Say goodbye to your plain walls and liven them up over the course of a weekend with some DIY picture frame molding. Depending on how you install it, picture frame molding is a viable solution for homeowners and renters alike. I called in a Tasker from TaskRabbit to help me with my own molding project, but if you’re handy you can definitely tackle this upgrade yourself. You’d never guess by looking at my walls that the molding wasn’t original to my space, and it really does make such a difference in taking my NYC apartment from sad shoebox to sophisticated.

Once the picture frame molding project was complete, I wanted to give my living room ceiling a little attention, too, so I installed this $38 medallion. Again, it looks right at home in my space, and it adds that sense of grandeur that many people associate with the finest houses, museums, and hotels. Every time I look up and see the medallion, it makes me smile!

If you still think matching furniture sets are the way to go, I’m going to urge you to change your mind. Say goodbye to the “room in a box” look and instead embrace a variety of materials and textures in your space. 

Of course, you will still want everything you select to be complementary, but you can enjoy experimenting a bit with different colors and shapes and finishes. For example, in my own living room I paired a fluted wooden credenza with a green marble and brass coffee table from the thrift store and layered in a jute rug and striped lamp bases. Nothing is matchy-matchy, and yet, these different pieces still look cohesive styled together. If you only stick to one hue, shape, or wood tone, your room will fall flat — trust me!

Vintage and antique accents will work wonders in adding an elegant feel to your living room. You definitely don’t need to shop at super-high-end stores to source charming trays, bar accessories, candle holders, and the like for your space. Flea markets and estate sales are excellent resources here, as are websites like Etsy and eBay. 

I’ve adorned my bar cart with all kinds of vintage goods — some of which I bought for as little as $5 — and I like that these are pieces that are meaningful to me, as opposed to mass-produced trinkets everyone else has in their homes. These are items I’ve scooped up over time during travels near and far or just while browsing my favorite neighborhood thrift store. Building a collection can become a fun, low-stakes hobby that will elevate the look of any room you place storied pieces in.

Most people don’t hear the words “original art” and think of affordable finds. While artwork — especially one-of-a-kind works — can certainly cost a pretty penny, this isn’t always the case. For example, I’ve had great luck shopping for original sketches at my favorite flea markets (just pop one into an inexpensive frame, and you’re golden). 

Additionally, some of my go-to online vintage retailers, including June Taylor and Brick Alley Co., offer gorgeous abstract paintings that don’t break the bank. There’s something extra elevated about beautiful original artwork (be it a portrait, landscape, or abstract) that will make even the smallest apartment living room look more luxe.