You don't need to spend a fortune to get an expensive decorator look. In this side-by-side comparison of similar home furnishings, DIY Design & Decorating host Nancy Golden shows how to get a high-end look for less than one-third the original price. All the elements of an expensive high-end look -- wall covering, furniture, artwork and accessories -- can be duplicated less expensively with imagination, creativity and smart shopping. Beautiful wall covering silk-screened in a diamond pattern is $200 a roll (figure A). This high-end look can be duplicated with ordinary wall paint, about $15 a gallon, hand-stamped in a diamond pattern (figure B). Antique lithographs framed in carved wood with gilt detailing (figure C), $100 each, are replaced with small posters framed in wood with an aged-bronze patina (figure D), $16 each, for an expensive look without the high cost. A glass-topped table with a rich-looking iron base, $249 (figure E), is an inexpensive alternative to a $950 gold-embellished leather table with a carved-bronze base (figure F). A beautiful hand-carved chair upholstered in black leather is $850 (figure G). An equally pretty but much less expensive option is a damask-upholstered chair with Queen Anne carved legs, only $159 (figure H). An elegant lamp with a gold-leaf finish, metal base and costly linen shade is $125 (figure I). A similar look in a lamp with a metal base, fluted stem and pleated linen shade is only $50 (figure J). A simple ivy plant placed in an inexpensive hinged metal pot, only $20 (figure K), is a pretty alternative to plants professionally arranged in a $75 cachepot with a hand-done crackle finish (figure L). Costly antique leather-bound books costing $50 (figure M) are replaced with nice-looking books, only $10, that aren't antique. A grouping of candles costing $50 adds a warm touch to the tabletop arrangement (figure N). For a high-end look at a lower price, substitute reasonably priced items for those that are costly and valuable. You can assume that hand-made or professionally crafted items, antiques and items made with costly materials such as gold or leather will be costly. Do what you can yourself. For projects that require professional expertise, such as upholstery, save money by choosing materials such as damask that are lovely but less expensive than high-end materials such as leather.
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