An interiors expert who dresses up multi-million pound homes has revealed how to make a space look more expensive without breaking the bank. Amelia Johnson has been styling some of the most glamorous homes in the UK since joining Omaze as the company's art director. This includes a £3.5million 'modernist-style', sea-facing property in Cornwall that whispers quiet luxury - but her formula for 'elevated living' works everywhere.
It hinges on making intentional and considered choices over time, as most homes evolve gradually. 'Aiming for flow is crucial,' she explained. 'You want to be able to create a sense of continuity from room to room, so everything from the colour palette to the soft furnishings makes a difference.' Sharing her best-kept styling secrets, Amelia has broken down her best, hassle-free suggestions for making each room in your home look both considered and classy.
Living Room or Lounge
Amelia noted homeowners tend to make the same mistakes when decorating their living rooms and suggested simplifying the process by focussing on three things. Her checklist for an elevated lounge includes layered lighting, 'balance and weight', and finally the right rugs. 'The rug can really anchor your space if you get it right. So, one of the tips I would give is making sure that it is either fully underneath key pieces of furniture, or touching the front legs of sofas and armchairs,' Amelia said. You want to avoid 'floating' undersized rugs as this can visually shrink the room. 'You want to be able to have all of your key pieces of furniture touching at least the edge of the rug,' she added.
The second element to carefully consider is the room's lighting. 'In a lounge, you really want to layer your lighting with table lamps, wall sconces, ceiling-mounted fixtures and floor lamps,' she explained. Amelia's third tip is to balance heavier pieces of furniture like a couch with 'something that creates a lightness' to achieve a more 'considered' and 'modern' home.
Kitchen
Function is key in a kitchen, so Amelia recommends breaking the space down into different zones. 'You want to think about the prep, cooking, the cleaning, and the storage, while aiming for an efficient flow incorporating all of those elements,' she told the Daily Mail. The positions of the fridge, sink, and oven are crucial. 'They should feel accessible to one another. You don't want to be battling with your kitchen every day,' she said. She also recommended swapping out traditional cabinets with open shelving - but there's a big caveat. 'The second thing, which has actually become a lot more of a popular trend in kitchens, is open shelving. And it can look beautiful, but you have to be very selective in order to create that elevated luxury look, because it's all about how you style it,' she said.
Her top tip is to steer clear of perfection and symmetry; instead play around with objects of different shapes and sizes to create that 'elevated luxury look'. These can include everything from stacked bowls, glasses and vases to artwork or personal souvenirs that create a lived-in and warm feeling. Lastly, Amelia thinks the right colours can make all the difference. 'You can do this by painting the cabinetry, kitchen hardware, and even little details like door and cupboard handles. People have always been willing to experiment with colour in bedrooms, but tend to prefer a more minimal aesthetic in their kitchens. A lick of paint can instantly refresh the space and give it some personality,' she said.
Bedroom
If your kitchen needs to be engineered for efficiency, the bedroom should be your oasis of calm. One of the ways to create an 'intimate cocooning effect' is through colour drenching, or matching the colour of the ceiling to the walls, Amelia said. When picking the shade, consider whether the room is north or south facing. If it's the former, Amelia suggests going with warmer tones like pink, orange, and yellow. Otherwise, shades like blues and greens are better picks. When it comes to picking out cushion covers, bedding, and throws, stick to the 'rule of three' by combining large, medium, and small-scale patterns. 'Using just one or the other means the room will either end up looking very busy or disjointed,' she explained. 'People tend to go either all big or all small when actually it's better to have mix so that there's not any one thing that's really busy or really stark in your face.'
Bathroom
As far as bathrooms go, the devil is in the details. Everything from the hand towels and bath mats to the soap is important to create that perfect 'zen feeling', Omaze's design expert said. She also suggested thinking of durability over trendiness when choosing finishes. While matte black accents are very popular right now, Amelia cautioned they tend to 'wear very quickly'. 'On top of that, because it's black, you can see things like limescale buildup on it a lot faster,' she explained. She prefers brushed brass, nickel, or chrome finishings that look expensive but are much more forgiving.
