Our homes are deeply personal sanctuaries where we spend the majority of our time, so making your interior as stylish and inviting as possible should be at the top of your priority list. But small details and styling errors can quickly make your house look and feel cheap. Luckily, you don't need to be a designer to create a beautiful home that looks expensive.

Click or scroll on to discover the 21 things you should avoid and what to do instead...

Rattan furniture has been a highly popular interior design trend in recent years. While the occasional statement piece can add real interest and warmth to a room, spaces with excessive rattan can end up looking tacky and overwhelming.

So, instead of choosing rattan for every single item in a room, select one accent piece – a lamp, coffee table, or armchair – that will complement the rest of your furnishings.

The right window treatment can add impact or softness to a room, so choosing the right one – or ones is essential. Unlined curtains appear thinner and can have a less luxurious texture, making them seem of poor quality. So, unlined curtains can leave a space feeling unfinished and could immediately make any guests think you've scrimped.

Lining your curtains isn't just about aesthetics, either. Lined curtains aid with privacy, help your home retain heat and stop the outer fabric from fading due to sun exposure.

As homeowners, we have the freedom to decorate our rooms however we like. However, having multiple colours that don’t complement one another can lead to a busy, overstimulating space.

It's best to stick to neutral, inoffensive colours or, if you love a bold interior, choose a limited palette for a curated and expensive finish. Remember, colour doesn't just have to come from your walls. You can add pops with furniture, wall art, or rugs.

We all love a room that feels cohesive. Still, an overly themed space can quickly start to look tasteless – picture a coastal bathroom with seashell decorations and beachy wall art, or a bedroom with matchy-matchy curtains, cushions, and bedding.

Instead of using too many colours or motifs everywhere, pick out a specific colour or material that works with the look and feel you're hoping to achieve, and use that to subtly introduce the theme. 

It goes without saying that many synthetic materials look and feel cheap – especially those that are shiny. So, it makes sense that if your home is overflowing with fake wood, plastic furnishings, or flimsy laminate flooring, it will end up looking anything but high-end.

If your budget won't allow for brand-new, genuine wood furniture, then opt for second-hand pieces from charity shops or online marketplaces like eBay or Facebook. 

Word art rose to popularity in the early 2000s, with people opting to hang quotes and phrases on their walls or adding oversized lettering to shelving. But, thankfully, this trend is well and truly over.

Word art can appear generic and low-effort, especially when mass-produced. Instead, hang a gallery wall or select a few bold art prints that complement the overall look and theme of the space.

Speaking of gallery walls, you can easily go wrong with them. Don’t just add mass-produced art to frames and hope for the best. This will leave your room looking cheap and lacklustre.

Instead, take your time to establish what you want to achieve. A clear vision of what you want the space to look like will help you select the perfect prints or photos for your frames. Family photos or travel snaps will inject personality while also being authentic and unique.

Okay, hear us out. We love flatpack furniture as much as the next person, but only when done right. That’s because a room that’s full of affordable matching furniture can end up looking soulless and extremely budget.

Flatpack furniture often lacks the warmth and visual appeal that curated pieces offer. So, invest in second-hand pieces that are sturdy, characterful, and unique. Or, do some upcycling to make any flatpack pieces look custom.

In the same way that flatpack furniture can make a space look cheap, so too can excessive pieces of furniture. A jam-packed space can feel like a furniture showroom and can even have a negative impact on mental health.

That's because too much furniture can block the flow of a space, leading to inconvenience, frustration and, in some cases, anxiety. Instead of filling every inch of a room with furniture, select a few key items and arrange them in a way that feels natural. 

Your entrance hall is often the first thing guests see when they step inside your home. So, if yours is a busy, chaotic mess, you won't be making a very good impression.

Instead of leaving shoes strewn on the floor and a huge pile of coats littering a rack on the wall, opt for a streamlined and open hallway that is both organised and practical. If you have a cupboard nearby, utilise it for storage. Otherwise, a shoe bench could help create a stylish but functional finish.

When you transition between different floor finishes, it can create visual disruption and spoil the cohesive flow most people are aiming to achieve. Mismatched materials, clashing colours, and prominent transition strips all add to the issue.

For a seamless, natural transition between rooms, go for a consistent material throughout, or choose floorings that have a similar texture or tone to them. This will make any transitions feel intentional and expensive.

When it comes to good design, less is usually more. Small knick-knacks, decorative figurines, and piles of throw pillows can all make a room feel cluttered and ill-thought-out.

Instead of filling shelves, mantels, and alcoves with ornaments and accessories, select a few key pieces (ideally three) of varying heights and arrange them in a triangle. Incorporate personal items, choose objects with different textures, and balance large pieces with smaller ones.

Bad lighting can have a huge effect on the way a room looks and feels. And this doesn't just mean ensuring you have different types of lighting – task, ambient, and accent. Replacing any old or ugly fixtures with modern, stylish ones will add character and interest to a room.

Forget plastic LEDs and metal spotlight bars. You want to mix wall sconces with pendants, lamps, and even under-cabinet lighting. It's also worth noting that the bulbs you use can have a big impact on ambience, too.

It goes without saying that interior design trends come and go, and chevron patterns have been in favour multiple times over the last century. This repeating V-shaped stripe rose to popularity in the 1970s, when Italian designer Ottavio Missoni released a line of chevron knitwear.

The pattern slowly crept into our interiors and had a resurgence in the early 2010s. However, the pattern is now firmly out of favour. It can be introduced subtly, such as in the layout of a wood floor, but with this pattern, less is definitely more.

We love a DIY project, and upcycling old materials is a fantastic way of creating something bespoke, without breaking the bank. However, fill a room with too many handmade items and you could soon end up with a space that looks like a reclamation yard.

Pair DIY furniture with designer pieces or statement items sourced from a quality home store. 

If your windows are old, damaged, or outdated, they will not only bring down the energy efficiency of your home, but also spoil its overall look, too. Shabby windows give the impression that the home is neglected or rundown.

So, if your windows are looking the worse for wear, consider upgrading them. Just remember to select models that suit the age and style of your home.

Your front door is the first thing people see when they approach your home, and it can make a big difference to the overall look and finish of your property. A sleek, contemporary door will set the tone for the interior, while an old, shabby door with peeling paint, a rusty handle, or rotting wood will make visitors think you've been neglecting your home. 

A brand-new front door can be expensive, so you could consider upcycling your current one if your budget won't stretch. Just ensure you buy the right paint for the job.

A bold front door can look very impactful and stylish – when done right, that is. It’s advisable to be cautious when it comes to choosing a colour, because vivid shades can often deter prospective buyers and could even make your house look cheap.

It’s recommended to steer clear of bright pinks, yellows, and oranges. Instead, choose a more neutral or less divisive colour, like sage green or a soft pastel blue.

Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home – after all, it protects you and your interior from the elements and plays a vital role in the energy efficiency of your property. Often overlooked, roofs can quickly become shabby and could even become damaged if not properly maintained.

If you want to avoid an expensive project, you should have your roof cleaned regularly, replace any broken tiles, and keep an eye out for interior leaks.

If your driveway is old, cracked, or generally just dirty, it could be making your house look cheap. Sometimes, just taking a power washer to it will improve its appearance – if buying one isn't cost-effective, then you can rent one from 24 hours to a week.

If considering replacing your driveway, gravel is usually the cheapest material to opt for, while block paving and resin tend to be the most expensive.

It's no exaggeration to say that first impressions are everything. That's why your front garden – if you're lucky enough to have one – must be tidy.

An overgrown or dirty garden is an immediate turn-off and makes a house look unkept and shabby. To make your garden inviting, tame hedges and plants, remove weeds regularly, and avoid storing items outside.

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