People like to say that the kitchen is the heart of the home. And you know what – they couldn’t be more right. No matter whether you want to have a social hub for your family, strive to increase the market value of your property or simply enjoy cooking, the kitchen is the room where your attention should be. Interestingly enough, all of the causes we’ve covered above could greatly benefit from a slight touch of affluence.

Let us then take a look at practical ways to make your kitchen look more expensive that should be on the top of your next remodeling to-do list.

Introduce marble elements

In terms of interior design, marble stands for elegance and exclusivity. As you can probably guess, its price reflects these qualities. But there is a silver lining. If you want to make your kitchen look expensive, you don’t need to replace all the countertops with this material. Instead, you can just as well use pre-cut marble tiles to highlight some of the surfaces (countertop, walls or floors) and produce almost the same effect. The material works well with different color schemes.

Let the matte loose

If marble represents an expensive material that should be used sparingly, there is no good reason why you shouldn’t let loose and drown elements in dark matte colors. What are you going to get with this effort? Well, dark matte surfaces feature a certain streamlined look, heft and masculinity that lend them a modern, almost industrial look. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a much more pleasing visual solution than the cheap-looking glossy surfaces you had before.

Work on the details

We are talking about all the small items you usually don’t give too much thought to but have a tremendous impact on the overall vibe of a room. If you, for example, replace your door handles with some stylish pieces, you will be able to underline the look you are pursuing, make the doors look far more expensive and even draw attention away from some minor imperfections.

Layer the lighting

This small intervention requires relatively little effort and produces extraordinary results. Instead of your tired, flat look, you will split your fixtures in two groups – dim, ambiance lighting that gives the kitchen a very moody vibe, and task lighting that draws attention on your countertops, isles, tables and display pieces. If you go one step further and use visually pleasing fixtures like Edison bulbs and pendant lighting, you will only make the setting more exciting and opulent.

Bring in the mirrors

Mirrors are probably not the first thing that crosses your mind when you imagine an average kitchen, but we are not dealing with the average here. Much like in any other room, kitchen mirrors will visually expand the space and reflect natural light, making the room brighter and lending the room a touch of a modern, streamlined look. Adding them to unexpected surfaces like cabinet doors and the backsplash will go beyond this simple, utilitarian purpose and turn the whole idea into a bold design statement.

Play with patterns

If repainting the walls is the easiest way to make some room look fresh, introducing different patterns lends the space a great deal of personality and makes it more lavish. If you are willing to try out this option, covering sections of the walls with patterned tiles definitely makes the most maintenance-conscious option. Still, you should not rule out accenting your efforts with a couple of bold and cleverly-placed wallpapers.

Shock and awe with unexpected vignettes

This is, by far, the oddest design choice on this list, but also the one that will probably create the strongest visual impression. So, who says that your countertop can’t serve as a perfectly good spot to showcase a massive bust of some historical figure? Or that you can’t fill one of your shelves with vintage 1950s radios? Kitchen walls are just as good for displaying modern art like any other. The less obvious your choices are, the stronger impression you will make.

We hope these seven suggestions of how you can make your kitchen look far more expensive than it is in a fun and exciting manner without spending excessive amounts of money give you some ideas. Of course, you can also use the tips we presented to develop some ideas of your own. Just roll up your sleeves and give your kitchen that long-overdue makeover. No matter what your motifs may be, even you will be stunned with the results.