Creating an Elevated Home on a Budget
Amelia Johnson, an interiors expert known for transforming multi-million-pound homes, has shared her secrets to making a space look luxurious without spending a fortune. As the art director at Omaze, she has worked on some of the most glamorous properties in the UK, including a £3.5 million modernist-style home in Cornwall that exudes quiet luxury. Her approach to ‘elevated living’ is based on intentional and considered choices over time.
‘Aiming for flow is crucial,’ Amelia 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.’ Below are her top tips for creating a classy and considered home.
Living Room or Lounge
When it comes to decorating a living room, homeowners often make common mistakes. Amelia suggests simplifying the process by focusing on three key elements: layered lighting, balance and weight, and the right rugs.
The rug can really anchor your space if you get it right. One of Amelia’s tips is to ensure that it is either fully underneath key pieces of furniture or touching the front legs of sofas and armchairs. Avoid ‘floating’ undersized rugs as this can visually shrink the room. You want all of your key pieces of furniture to touch at least the edge of the rug.
Lighting is another important aspect. In a lounge, layer your lighting with table lamps, wall sconces, ceiling-mounted fixtures, and floor lamps. The second element to consider is balancing heavier pieces of furniture like a couch with something that creates a lightness, resulting in a more ‘considered’ and ‘modern’ home.
Kitchen
Functionality is key in a kitchen. Amelia recommends breaking the space down into different zones—prep, cooking, cleaning, and storage. Ensure that the fridge, sink, and oven are accessible to each other for an efficient flow.
Swapping out traditional cabinets for open shelving is a popular trend, but there’s a caveat. Open shelving can look beautiful, but you must be selective to create that elevated luxury look. It’s all about how you style it. Avoid perfection and symmetry; instead, play around with objects of different shapes and sizes to create a lived-in and warm feeling.
These can include stacked bowls, glasses, vases, artwork, or personal souvenirs. Lastly, the right colours can make all the difference. Painting the cabinetry, kitchen hardware, and even small details like door and cupboard handles can instantly refresh the space and add personality.
Bedroom
If your kitchen needs to be engineered for efficiency, the bedroom should be your oasis of calm. One way to create an ‘intimate cocooning effect’ is through colour drenching, which involves matching the colour of the ceiling to the walls. When choosing the shade, consider whether the room is north or south facing.
For north-facing rooms, Amelia suggests warmer tones like pink, orange, and yellow. For south-facing rooms, shades like blues and greens are better picks. When selecting 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 can make the room look busy or disjointed.
Bathroom
As far as bathrooms go, the devil is in the details. Everything from hand towels and bath mats to soap is important to create that perfect ‘zen feeling’. Amelia also advises thinking about durability over trendiness when choosing finishes.
While matte black accents are currently popular, they tend to wear quickly and show limescale buildup faster. She prefers brushed brass, nickel, or chrome finishes that look expensive but are more forgiving. These subtle touches can elevate the overall look of your bathroom without breaking the bank.
