Attainable Luxury

Touches that add sparkle on a budget

Achieve luxury without breaking the bank

Many of today's new-home buyers are looking for ways to achieve a feeling of luxury without adding significant expense. Here are five areas of the home where you can make that happen.

Flooring

You don't need to spend a fortune on flooring to achieve a dramatic, upscale look, said William Caligari, designer of record for the Canyon Ranch resorts. An inexpensive stain can transform a hardwood floor into a dramatic focal point, he says. A simple herringbone trim inset can set off and define a space, such as a dining room.

Tile also offers a host of flooring options that appear high-end, but are very affordable, said Caligari. "There are tons and tons of beautiful tiles available that don't have luxury prices," he said. "There are beautiful porcelains that look like limestone without screaming, ‘I'm trying to look expensive.'"

Cabinetry

Door handles and drawer pulls are a very simple way to dial up the luxury on cabinets. "Hardware is the jewelry of cabinetry," said Mary Bell, president of Houston-based BellReed. "And it doesn't all have to match. You can use three or four different styles of hardware."

Another high-end touch is to swap two or three wooden door fronts with glass panels. But don't go with clear glass. On traditional cabinets, seeded glass is a great look; for contemporary styles, consider frosted glass, said Los Angeles-based interior designer Jennifer Farrell, who hosts the A&E television show, "Find & Design."

Lighting

To achieve elegant lighting while staying on a budget, focus on the home's public spaces — the foyer, the dining room and the powder room. "If you have to put an inexpensive fixture in your home, put it in the fourth bedroom that doubles as a storage room or in the kids' bathroom — put your dollars in the public spaces," said Kichler Lighting senior product manager Jeffrey Dross. "Also, think about your exterior. Typically, you have one or two light fixtures outside and it's the first thing people see when they're standing outside. It really is immediate."

Christopher P. Ramely, chairman of the Florida Luxury Marketing Council, agreed. "Lighting, used strategically, creates drama in a room," said Ramey. "Lighting used outside can make a home look regal."

Bath

It's easy to add luxury to bathrooms without significant expense. Upgraded finishes, such as Moen's new Icon brushed bronze, provide an understated elegance — especially when used on the full suite of bath fixtures. Electric radiant floors are economical to install during construction and add a tremendous wow factor, said Madeleine Boos, design architect with Chicago-based high-end design firm Hudson Home.

While you're heating things up, consider adding a heated towel rack — a standard feature in almost all European hotels.

And remember to set the right mood with lighting, advised Dross. "Don't even think about that 60-watt mushroom fixture," he said. "To add elegance, put in a chandelier, a pendant or inverted pendant, and put it on a dimmer to create a soft, ambient glow."

Appliances

Many high-end kitchens now feature options like dual dishwashers, refrigerator drawers and second sinks. "If you have the space, make it possible to have more than one person cooking and entertaining at the same time," said Boos.

Paneling appliances to match the cabinetry creates the feeling of much more expensive built-ins. Speaking of built-ins, consider built-in coffee systems and refrigerator drawers — in the kitchen, or elsewhere in the home. "I'm doing a coffee system and a refrigerator in a master suite," she said. "It's like being in a luxe hotel."


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