Who doesn’t want to get a designer home without spending an exorbitant amount of money?
Truth is, all homeowners are on the lookout for new building materials and creative ideas to achieve a completed, splurged look for less. Good thing, modern technology produced affordable dupes of the expensive stuff you use at home.
Here’s how you can get the lavish home without breaking the bank:
Vinyl and Laminate flooring vs. Wood
We live in a year where vinyl and laminate floors are making a comeback. Homeowners started to notice them again, mainly because of its realistic design. It’s already hard to distinguish it from real wood! Plus, there are varieties with a texture which enhances the faux wooden flooring.
PET or Thermofoil Finish vs. Traditional Wooden Cabinet Painting
One of the things that make kitchen cabinets expensive is its finish. Think of the effort that goes in making wood cabinets traditionally—sanding, drying, and painting. That’s a lot of labour. Good thing we have smooth Polyethene terephthalate (PET) finished cabinets that are readily available in home improvement stores. You can buy a matte or a high-gloss version of it in a wide variety of colours and designs.
If you find the PET kitchen cabinets too mainstream, you can go for the Thermofoil cabinets. Thermofoil is not a resin but a layer of plastic that’s heated and molded over wood. These cabinets may have embossed or carved designs in them.
Electric vs. Gas Fireplaces
We’ve come a long way from blazing a gas fireplace to plugging an electric fireplace. In fact, the modern design of fireplaces makes it hard to pinpoint a gas from the electric ones. You’ll recognise one if you see the plug. Also, there are fewer code requirements because you don’t need a gas line and a chimney with the electric fireplace.
Butcher block vs. Natural Stone Countertops
Natural stone countertops are already expensive and its price will increase depending on where the quarrel is. If you want more texture and character in your kitchen, you can explore the butcher block. It’s real hardwood hence its strength and durability is innate. However, it needs regular maintenance.
Porcelain vs. Marble
Speaking of natural stones, marble is on top of the most expensive ones. It’s also one of the hardest to maintain. This luxury yet porous stone is the star of statement bathrooms of the royal family and some of the world’s famous stars.
If you want to get the marble look without spending most of your life savings, turn your heads to porcelain. According to our Melbourne architects, you can buy porcelain slabs which look like the expensive marble in the market today. Tho it’s a dupe, it still has the beautiful Calacatta and Carrara lines of real marble. Of course, these tiles are not that cheap but if you compare it with original marble tiles, it’s already a steal. For best results, get the 5×10 square foot tiles.
Melamine wood vs. Dark wood
Melamine wood is perhaps one of the best inventions of man. Without it, we’d still mercilessly cut down trees for construction. It’s used as a substitute for wood in the manufacture of furniture. As time pass by, melamine furniture becomes stronger and comes in colours closer to real wood.
Wallpaper vs. Expensive art
Art is everywhere but some art pieces are just expensive. If you can’t afford a painter’s art, you might want to use a stunning wallpaper to accentuate your walls. Today’s wallpaper looks better, maybe because it’s a product of another unknown artist. In addition, it’s a better material to create a focal wall at home.
Charlene Ara Gonzales is a design writer in Superdraft Australia. She features the most useful and stunning home design and office interiors they create on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
