We love authentic influencers because they know how to hack luxury—not with endless budgets, but with smart design moves that make a space feel high-end. Luxury isn’t always about square footage or seven-figure price tags—it’s about how a space feels. The most high-end homes often don’t scream, they whisper—through scale, texture, lighting, and subtle upgrades that make you stop and say, “Ooh, that’s nice.”
Here are five design details that instantly elevate your space—and yes, they’re all within reach and I've done them at my house.
🪞 1. Tall Mirrors: Reflect Like You Mean It
Mirror, mirror on the wall… why are you so small?
One of my biggest pet peeves in new builds is the skimpy standard mirror. Often a cost-cutting line item, short mirrors shrink your space—visually and emotionally. I replaced my basic 30” mirrors with tall 48” ones, and the impact was immediate. My bathroom feels more spacious, more elegant, and more intentional.
Tall mirrors stretch a room. They frame you in light, not limits. Bonus? You no longer have to crouch to see your shoulders.
📸 I swapped out my standard 30” mirrors for 48” tall ones, and WOW—total transformation. I paid an electrician to move the sconce fixtures before patching the old holes. Mirrors from Amazon, total cost of the project was just a few hundred dollars.
🛠️ 2. Mismatch Cabinet Hardware: Curated, Not Cookie-Cutter
Uniform hardware is fine… but it’s also expected. Want to take your cabinetry from builder-basic to designer-built? Mix it up.
Combine knobs, pulls, and even cup handles—in the same finish for cohesion—to create a layered, high-end look. I love pairing a sleek bar pull with a faceted knob or a textured grip. Want to be bolder? Try mixing metals. It’s like wearing a statement belt with a designer watch—it works because it’s intentional. You wouldn't wear black-on-black with black every day—so why should your cabinets? Add a little contrast. Add some drama. That's how you make it look designed, not default.
📸 Mixing knobs and pulls, blending black with polished nickel, and varying the hardware size by function adds not just utility—but that intentional, layered look every luxury kitchen craves. Designed by Kim Marshall of Elevation Homebuilders and featured at 478 Rebekah Court, Coralville.
💡 3. Layer Your Lighting Like a Pro
Lighting is the jewelry of your home. It adds sparkle, depth, and mood. And the secret? You need three types in every room:
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Ambient (your overheads or recessed)
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Task (pendants, sconces, or desk lamps)
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Accent (like picture lights or uplighting)
Even better—many upgrades don’t need an electrician. Swapping outdated fixtures for sculptural or vintage-inspired ones is like giving your home a fresh outfit. Go ahead—give your dining room a glow-up.
📸 I took dated fixtures (bottom right) and gave them a bold refresh, starting with a classic 1920s Art Deco-style crystal chandelier that replaced a boring ceiling fan. Then came the brass-framed candle floor lamps behind the sofa and floor lamps behind the armchairs—each channeling the unapologetic glamour of the Jazz Age. Finally, I layered in picture lights for that editorial finishing touch. In total, the room now features eight distinct fixtures, intentionally combining ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a space that doesn’t just shine—it performs.
🪟 4. Drapery: Sky’s the Limit (Literally)
Drapes aren’t just for blocking light—they’re a tool for elevating scale. When you hang drapery panels from ceiling height to the floor, even modest rooms feel taller and more grand.
Skip the stubby pre-cut panels that just kiss the window trim. Opt for full-height, flowing fabric in linen, velvet, or sheers. Think of it as architectural softness—a layer that adds warmth, movement, and a designer touch.
And remember: you’re not just framing a window. You’re framing the room.
📸 Drapery—even in my modest 8-foot family room or the soaring 12-foot study—draws the eye upward, creates a sense of scale, and adds warmth and softness to the space. For the curtain rod, I used a simple wooden closet rod, custom-stained to match the floors—an easy, high-impact detail that ties the room together.
🖼️ 5. Illuminate Your Art (or Your Shelves, or Your Mirror…)
Picture lights are having a moment—but they’ve actually been around since the 1800s, when Victorian homes used gas sconces to light up oil paintings. Today, they’re LED-powered, sculptural, and used for much more than art.
Add a picture light above a favorite piece, built-in shelves, a mirror, or even over a window for unexpected elegance. These lights don’t flood a room—they highlight moments, and that’s what luxury is all about: paying attention to detail. No art? No problem. A mirror will bounce the light and double the impact.
