From posh egg cups to secondhand lamps: 22 cheap ways to make your home look more expensive

Good taste doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Whether it’s designer-looking cutlery or affordable art, these clever buys start from £2 – but punch well above their price tag

You don’t need the budget of a boutique hotel to make your home look a bit more pulled together. It’s all down to knowing where to look, picking a few well-made objects, choosing good-quality fabrics and materials, and spotting timeless classics (or designs inspired by them) that won’t date too quickly.

Here are some tricks, hidden gems and affordable-but-stylish finds, from egg cups to art, that will elevate your space – and prove good taste and quality needn’t cost the earth.

***

How to make your home look more expensive

***

The cover-up

Easy chair cover

£60 at Bemz

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 – and I am now the proud owner of an armchair that looks more Architectural Digest than aisle 78.

***

Light work

Hay Common Oblong rice paper shade

£34 at Holloways of Ludlow £45 at End

Akari has been following traditional methods since the 1950s to make beautiful rice paper lamps that are rightfully a modern classic. If you can’t 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.

***

In bloom

Geraniums

From £14.99 at Thompson & Morgan £24.99 at B&Q

Geraniums and pelargoniums exude the sort of taste vibes you’d find in Charleston House. Plus, they’re 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 – according to the RHS they need “full light but shade from scorching midday sun”.

***

Bowl-ed over

Blue spot bowl

£35 at Baltic Trader

Choose your hero pieces wisely – 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’t age – and there are plenty of lovely dishes and custard jugs where that came from.

***

Picture this

Steve Camps fine art print

£45 at Not Another Bill

If you’re a fan of the bluey-grey maritime-themed works of Cornish painter Alfred Wallis but can’t afford their £30,000+ price tag, perhaps you could stretch to £46 + 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’s Yard in no time.

***

Eggs-actly right

Stainless steel egg cup

£2 at Nordic Muse

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’t look out of place at Service Projects, the home of chic tableware and (for me) many lost hours.

***

Frame game

Marbled paper

£32.75 at Cloth House

There’s something unnerving about seeing the same affordable art you have on your walls in the backgrounds of numerous other people’s interiors on Instagram. This beautifully marbled handmade paper is an alternative approach – just add a frame, and you have a piece of abstract art that probably isn’t also hanging next door.

***

Rock solid

Reclaimed Jaisalmer sandstone bowls, each

£20 at English Salvage

I hope it doesn’t detract from the craftsmanship of these handmade sandstone bowls to suggest they’d look lovely filled with easy peelers. No two are the same. Available via a reclamation yard based in Herefordshire, but also available online.

***

Soft touch

Stripe hand towel

£5.95 at John Lewis

The impeccably tasteful Danish company Tekla makes undeniably good-quality striped towels in beautiful colours. But they’re not cheap. So while you’re waiting for your Isa to mature, these designs from John Lewis, especially the dove grey stripe, should elevate your bathroom.

***

Candle in the wind-ow

Twisted candles

£4.68 at Søstrene Grene

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 Søstrene Grene are a more timeless way to add class to your dinner table.

***

Wrap star

£29 at Yorkshire Blankets

Made in Yorkshire and hand-cut and finished, this cosy blanket wouldn’t look out of place in even the fanciest homes of Harrogate. The fact it’s wool-blend, and not pure wool, keeps the price down, but the look of it transcends its price tag.

***

Set piece

Blue leaf dinner set, 12 pieces

£45 at Argos

If you’re after a dinner set that channels Finland’s heritage ceramics company, Arabia, then look no further. This Habitat design is straight out of Tove Jansson’s summer house, and the whole thing costs far less than a one-way ticket to Helsinki.

***

Shelf life

Three-tier coffee shelves

From £40 at Etsy

I’m seeing a lot of love online for coffee stations – 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’s made in the UK, from reclaimed wood.

***

Table manners

Stainless steel cutlery set with resin handles

£17.99 at Mango

Made from resin and stainless steel, this cutlery set – more David Mellor than Mango – will instantly zhoosh up your table. I love the emerald green and mustard yellow options.

***

Bright idea

Vintage alabaster lamp

£26.99 at eBay

If an alabaster sculpture doesn’t fit your price tag – or the look of your one-bed – but you like the vibe of the soft, cool stone, secondhand sites offer an Uffizi’s worth of alabaster lamps. We found this one on eBay, and this one on Vinterior. Just search “mid century alabaster lamp” and take your pick.

***

Light relief

Wall-mounted candle sconce

£37 at Nordic Nest

Wall-mounting a candle sconce instantly brings calm to a space (which is a sentence I never thought I’d type). The internet seems to be awash with them right now – many in beautifully handmade ceramics, which cost hundreds of pounds. This recycled one from Ferm Living isn’t cheap for something entirely decorative, but it will lift a quiet corner of a flat.

***

French fancy

Le Provendi rotating soap holder and soap

£25.50 at Le Provendi £25.50 at Amazon

I love the idea of a wall-mounted soap, known in France as the porte-savon écolier. 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’s passed its baccalaureate.

***

Light fantastic

Silver candlestick holder

£9 at Ikea

There’s something sculptural and Scandinavian about this curved candlestick holder, and not just because it’s 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.

***

Sew simple

Striped Irish linen fabric for napkins

£13.50 per metre at Dalston Mill Fabrics

Do you find yourself lusting after the kind of napkins available at fancy shops for £16, but can’t bring yourself to spend that much on something you’re just going to wipe your hands on? Consider buying linen fabric and either knocking some out yourself (this tutorial might help), or seeing if an affordable, local seamster would. It’s an easy enough job, and your dinner table and bank balance will thank you for it.

***

Take a seat

Red dining chairs, pair

£165 at Argos

These scarlet dining chairs look a little Josef Frank, but at a fraction of the price. Pair with whatever other chairs you have: there’s nothing wrong with mismatched.

***

Shade better

Hand-painted lampshade

From £99 at Cressida Bell

Nearly £100 is not nothing for a lampshade, but I’ve 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 – and there are tropical, topiary-inspired and geometric prints available, too.

***

On the table

Checkered washed cotton tablecloth

From £29.99 at La Redoute

Made from 100% cotton, this tablecloth is neutral enough to provide a versatile backdrop for brighter colours via dishes and glasses. Alone, it will also add a touch of Toast-like charm to your kitchen table.

***

Don’t buy anything until you’ve read the Filter, the Guardian’s home for truly independent product reviews and recommendations. Whether you’re after rigorous tests or shopping inspiration, affordable gifts or advice on how to make your belongings last longer, we’re here to help you make smarter, more sustainable choices.

The Filter is packed with trustworthy buying advice on everything from coffee machines to hiking boots, mascara to secateurs. So visit us today and start buying better and smarter, and wasting less.

Explore the Filter