Luxurious finds at bargain-basement costs.
Having a home that looks like it could hold its own in a magazine photo shoot may be a lofty ambition — especially if you’re not willing to drop a lot of money on the effort. When it comes to making a living space shine for less cash, it pays to focus on the small upgrades and tools. The goal is to find items that reflect your style and of course, work well. It’s icing on the cake if they look luxe while having bargain prices. A whole collection of such items can be found right here. Decorative Wooden Boxes
Because there is all that travel, fine bourbon, and new tech to pay for still, right? To save your wallet, I did the hunting and comparing. And, of all the cheap things for your home on Amazon, these look the most expensive.
Set this bamboo shoe rack inside the entry door to manage your daily shoe options or stack it in the closet to create boutique-like storage for all your footwear. The bamboo slats create airy, clean storage. The snap-together design makes assembly easy. And the durable and hard bamboo will last for years.
Throw pillows are expensive. Instead of replacing your tired-looking or ill-matching throw pillows, transform them into a coordinated look by zipping these throw pillow covers over them. The soft, chenille faux fur will soften the texture of your room and give you a delightful place to lay your head for a nap. Choose the size that fits your pillows and a color — there are nine — that suits your style.
Buy your hand and dish soap in bulk and then pour it into this diamond design glass soap dispenser and you will save money while improving the look of your bathroom and kitchen. No need to have plastic bottles with brand names plastered on them when you can look at a lovely glass bottle the color of the soap you like. The stainless steel pump top is a pleasure to use and the wooden tag tells people what’s in there.
When you reach for a towel in the bathroom, finding it already damp is not a joy. These Turkish hand towels are made from a highly absorbent, quick-drying cotton that feels nice every time you reach for it. The tassels and stripes give the room a chic feel and this pack of four makes it easy to have plenty of towels on hand. They make great gym towels, too. There are 15 colors to choose from.
Instead of struggling with big, bargain-sized tins and bottles of oil just to save money, pour your box-store oils into these two oil dispenser bottles with precision pour spouts to make cooking easy. They are pretty enough to keep stoveside and come with several options for lids. Use the spouts with dust caps for stir-frying and the flip-top pour spout for controlled pouring over salad. They come with screwtops and a funnel, too.
Get your most-often used utensils out of the drawers and keep them handy in this big, rotating utensil holder that sits on the counter. There is a removable divider to keep your tools sorted and it’s big enough to hold everything you use frequently.
“Love the large size and the lazy Susan on the bottom,” said one reviewer.
Create a three-dimensional display of plants, candles, or decorative items in these three-tier, owl succulent pots on a bamboo stand. The pots have drainage holes so your plants will be happy and the bamboo trays have a lip so any overflow stays contained.
“Such a cute little planter that's easy to put together and has drainage holes!” said one reviewer.
Stay comfy and cozy all year long under this down alternative comforter filled with synthetic goose feathers that are fluffy and warm but also machine washable. The diamond baffle stitching keeps the fill in place so you can skip the fluffing and shaking to redistribute it and the microfiber fabric cover is silky soft, making it easy to get into a duvet cover or delightful on its own. Other sizes are available.
Fix any or all of your challenging lighting problems in just a few minutes without running any wires by sticking these wireless LED puck lights in closets, on stair risers, under cabinets, and wherever a spot of light would improve things. They peel and stick to mount (or you can use the screws), give off a warm white light, last a long time on three AA batteries, and are controlled easily with the included remote.
Add softness to your decor — and stay warm while watching movies or reading on the couch — with this cushy throw blanket. With colorful ribbed fleece on one side and plush, sheeplike fleece on the other, it is warm, cozy, and looks beautiful draped over the back of a chair or couch. There are two sizes and plenty of colors to choose from so you can decide if you want it on your bed or as a throw.
Make it easy (and futuristic) to charge your phone by plugging this wireless charger in and setting it on a counter, desk, or bedside table. When you set your phone — or any device capable of wireless charging — on it, the green indicator flashes for a few seconds to let you know it is connected, then shuts off. It comes in six colors and looks decorative.
Keep an eye on your pet, your house, or even the kids in another room with this mini security camera that is super easy to set up, and super affordable. It will alert your phone when it detects motion, lets you chat with whoever is in your house through its two-way audio, and connects to Amazon Alexa. Over 160,000 people gave this little camera five stars.
Create beautiful path lighting with almost no effort by sticking these decorative solar pathway lights into the ground. They charge up with sunlight during the day and throw pretty lighting at night. You don’t have to run wires or control them, since they turn off when they run out of power and turn on again at dusk after they’ve charged up again.
Every bar needs a few good tools if you hope to make mixed drinks that impress. And this basic cocktail shaker set has all the necessary elements and no frivolous extras. The 18-ounce shaker is perfect for stirring or shaking mixed drinks. The long spoon and muddler let you create craft cocktails. The jigger pours one or two ounces. And the stylish bottle opener will get lots of use. It has a couple of bottle pourers and an illustrated guide to making cocktails.
Create an easy floral display with these dried flowers that will look beautiful and last for ages. There is no need for water. Just fluff up the pampas grass, arrange it all in a vase, and forget it. It won’t expire or wilt. This bouquet includes 85 pieces of mixed pampas grass, reeds, and bunny tails for an elegant arrangement.
Turn a beat-up table, desk, or bathroom vanity into one that looks like marble quickly and easily with this adhesive film that looks surprisingly like the real thing. That surface will be more water resistant and easier to clean when you are done, too, because this film is made from durable and thick vinyl PVC.
“It looks amazingly real!” said more than one reviewer.
Turn your weak, ineffective shower into one that douses you with a decadent, rain-like downpour simply by replacing your shower head with this rainfall shower head. It has an air intake system that boosts water pressure and infuses the water with tiny air bubbles before letting it loose from the 8-inch shower head.
Your bed will look freshly pressed and you will sleep in the lap of luxury with these super soft, wrinkle-free, microfiber bed sheets. The deep pockets prevent the sheets from popping off the mattress during the night. You get four pillowcases so your bedroom will look color-coordinated without extra shopping. They come in seven colors and 101,000 people gave them five stars.
Double the storage area in your spice cabinet or on your vanity with this two-tiered bamboo lazy Susan. Spin to find the spice you need in the kitchen or the personal care product or vitamin you are looking for in the bathroom. The bamboo is easy to clean and attractive, and the 360-degree rotation makes locating what you want fast and fun.
Plug these motion sensor night lights into an outlet in the bathroom, kitchen, or a dark stairwell so you never have to fumble around in the dark — or endure bright overhead lights when you wake in the night. A gentle warm light will come on automatically when you approach and turn off again a minute later so you can see without any effort. You can also set them to manual and turn them on and off yourself.
If you like to buy wine in boxes or large jugs, serve it up in this beautiful red wine decanter and no one will be the wiser. Even if you spent money on a nice bottle, pouring it into this decanter aerates the wine and brings out its beautiful flavors. It looks pretty on the table and makes pouring a glass easy and accurate, too.
It is surprising how completely nice cabinet pulls will change the look of your kitchen. Instead of dreaming about the day when you can afford to replace the cabinets, spend $30 and replace the pulls with these elegant matte black ones. This strategy works well for bathroom cabinets and stand-alone furniture, too.
Light your space and clean up tabletop clutter at the same time with this bedside lamp — there are two USB plugs in the base so you can plug in your phone or other gadgets. Control the three-way dimmable lamp with a touch to the base and choose from eight shades and base colors for the perfect look in your room.
Stock up on this set of three high-quality pillar candles because they are not only clean burning, dripless, smokeless, and unscented, but they burn for 30 hours and come in six gorgeous colors. They are a versatile size that will look nice on a mantle, in a table setting, or solo on a bathroom shelf.
This pillar holder tray will turn three pillar candles into the perfect centerpiece for a table, mantle, or party. Decorate the tray with herbs, pine cones, or other florals and the candles will safely sit above the decor. You can move all three candles at once when you clear the table and your soft lighting won’t leave a waxy mess.
When you have a scratch in your throat, the room is too dry to sleep, or you need a boost of energy or a calming moment to relax so you can drift off, fill this essential oil diffuser with water and a few drops of essential oil and let the scented cool mist change your mood and soothe you with every breath. It’s sized to fit on a bedside table or desk, serves as a night light, has two mist modes, can work for up to 13 hours on a single fill, and shuts off automatically when it’s empty.
Sit this white marble lazy Susan on the dining table and load it with charcuterie and condiments or an assortment of appetizers. Use it to make decorating a cake easy. Or put it on your bathroom vanity to bring order to your personal care products. It spins easily, looks beautiful, and is easy to clean.
Bring your lighting into modern, voice-controlled reality by screwing in a pair of smart lightbulbs that you can turn on and off, ask to change to one of 16 million colors, or control with an app on your phone. There is no wiring involved and you can change the mood in the room in seconds, simply by changing the brightness or color. You can also monitor your energy consumption and set schedules that conserve your power use through the Kasa app.
Get the look of an herb garden without any of the watering, wilting, or disappointment that comes with live plants. This faux rosemary plant in an elegant pot will always look lively, giving your house a garden-ready feel, even if you decide to take an impromptu two-week vacation and make no arrangements for a plant sitter.
“This is perfect for my office which has no windows!” said one reviewer. “Inexpensive, cute and adds some life to our ‘cave’!”
Upgrade your kitchen sink by replacing the faucet head with this full-featured one. You don’t have to change the entire faucet, simply replace the head with this one that rotates and switches from pulse to shower mode at the push of a button. It’s simple to install and you will appreciate it every time you wash dishes or prep a meal.
Next time you turn on the TV, enjoy a more theater-like experience with this TV backlight that throws light behind the screen to help reduce contrast — this is said to help eyes see brighter colors and richer blacks more easily. It’s easy to install. Just peel and stick the light strip to the back of the TV and plug it into one of the USB ports. The inline controls let you adjust the brightness for your desired effect.
Looking for a fast way to clean up your living and make it more livable? Set one of these faux leather ottomans in front of the couch or your favorite chair and stash some clutter — extra pillows, gaming accessories, toys — into it. It’s roomy, sturdy, and folds for storage. It will clean up the room and give you a place to rest your feet. This trick works beautifully at the foot of the bed, too.
Turn that economy-sized bottle of bourbon into a beverage you can pull out when royalty comes to visit by pouring it into this glass decanter. It comes with six matching glasses that not only make that afternoon of sipping elegant, but will also look beautiful on your bar when you aren’t entertaining.
Add a few shelves right where you need them so you can store folded shirts, sweaters, shoes, and accessories amid your hanging shirts and jackets — just hang this closet organizer from the closet rod. It has five roomy shelves and lots of pockets on the sides to store all your hard-to-hang items within reach.
Create decorative storage above an armchair, in a small corner of a hall, over the toilet, or anywhere in your home with this set of floating shelves made from intersecting cubes. They are the ideal way to store a collection — of candles, miniatures, toys, or photos — while also creating an artistic display.
When you want to turn cheese, nuts, and meats into a delicious charcuterie to serve for a gathering, this large Acacia wood cutting board is perfect for the task. It’s roomy and pretty and has a handle so you can fill the board and still deliver it to the table. It also works beautifully in the kitchen for prepping food, slicing pizza, or cutting a cake.
Turn any ordinary room into a space adventure that is at once thrilling and relaxing with this galaxy projector with a built-in speaker. Drift off to sleep under the stars as it projects them on your ceiling while it plays white noise to help you ignore everyday sounds and drift off. A remote control handles the colors, volume, and sound choices.
This handy electronic lighter will never disappoint you by being out of butane or unable to sustain a flame in a high wind. It is an arc lighter so it uses an arc of electricity to light your candle, fire, or whatever you need to ignite. It’s rechargeable so you never have to order more butane. Just plug it into a USB port.
These large cotton rope baskets are an elegant and versatile storage trick. They are sized to fit on shelves but are pretty enough to store right out in the open to make cleaning up clutter a simple matter of tossing things into baskets. Great for a kids’ room or playroom, they are just as useful in a closet or workshop. They have an integrated handle on each side and come in lots of colors.
Solve scent issues without worrying about burning candles or incense by setting this elegant reed diffuser kit in the bathroom, living room, or bedroom. Choose a scent and arrange the reeds in the bottle. That’s it. The reeds will slowly wick the scented oil into the room until the bottle is empty.
Gather all your electronics together and rally them into this charging station to skip the cable clutter spread that can so easily take over your house. Each of six gadgets gets its own adjustable slot and a short cable that connects it to the charging base. Charge everything from a single outlet in a small footprint with no snarled cables to fuss with. It comes with seven short charging cables.
You will know the weather at a glance once you set this weather station in a central location. It pulls data from up to three connected sensors that you can sit inside and outside your home so you can monitor a child’s room, pet area, or other indoor space while you keep tabs on your local outdoor weather situation. It also alerts you to dangerous weather situations that might be brewing and works as an alarm clock, too.
Solve your bathroom water issues with this coordinated set of two bathroom mats that are nonslip, soft underfoot, absorbent, and pretty. There are five colors to choose from. The shaggy chenille fabric feels terrific on your feet while it pulls the water off your skin and gives the room a plush and soft feeling.
Is there anything quite as icky as brushing your teeth and washing your face while staring at the bristles of a brush that you know recently cleaned the interior of a dirty toilet? This toilet brush and holder will hide that thought from your freshly scrubbed awareness and look elegant doing it. The brush fits neatly into the canister so all you see is the handle.
Wooden Clip Board Get the pantry in order and make sure all your grains, pasta, and snacks are fresh and safe from invading insects by getting them out of the bags and boxes they came in and into these airtight storage canisters. The containers are a variety of sizes to suit everything from linguine to nuts but the lids are all the same size so you never have to hunt for the right one. And they fit neatly together to maximize your storage space.