Additions when remodeling / extending to make a property feel high end

[JonSnowedUnder]

We are having an extension and full house refresh and just wondered if anyone had any good tips on what sort of additions make a home feel high end? I don't want my home to look like a show home, more just nice touches. Especially interested in tips that are not too expensive!

We have a decent budget, think good mid-range sort of finishes but I'm thinking that spending in certain areas may be more beneficial and then saving in others.

@PresentingPercy

Ikea is never ever high end. No one with a house featured in a decent home design magazine will feature Ikea. It has urs place in many many houses. But generally not in a high end one. Inspiration via the best interior designers or via decent home design magazines is the best indicator of high end.

Again - this is not true. I have seen plenty of mind range interior schemes that may include an item or two from Ikea, a classic being the stockholders mirror.

@PresentingPercy

Ikea is never ever high end. No one with a house featured in a decent home design magazine will feature Ikea. It has urs place in many many houses. But generally not in a high end one. Inspiration via the best interior designers or via decent home design magazines is the best indicator of high end.

If you know your IKEA you'll regularly see it in interior magazines, whether it is the ubiquitous Bekvan stool (often painted a disruptor colour in the corner of a kitchen or bathroom) or one of their rattan chairs or something from the PS range, like the classic VAGO chair or PS 2014 light. They are very good at doing innovative designs cheaply (think of the PS watering can) and there is a thriving second hand market in their discontinued designs - Wallpaper article.

LOVE this thread. I have no clue so its valuable to me!!!

I’m really sorry but Ikea is not in House and Gardens. Radiator covers might be. Depends on age and style of house. I stand by what I said. Ikea is never high end (how could it be??) but it’s perfectly ok. I think Ikea is the opposite of high end! Price has a lot to do with high end and recognisable designers.

House and Gardens article about using IKEA. House and Garden's is quite traditional in style, maybe an article from the more high end Elle Decoration might explain the appeal? IKEA use famous designers to generate limited edition pieces (just like Avon use famous noses to create perfume).

I would never ever consider Avon high end either.

I think I know what you mean. For me it’s spending in the kitchen - mid-high end appliances (Neff, Miele, Fisher & Paykel), stone/quartz worktops. Flooring also important. I do love LVT to live with, their wood can be very convincing.

Paint colours are important too - F&B colours have a lot of depth (but we used Johnstone’s paint), nice bathrooms and tiles. Lighting.

You don’t have to go high end on everything but some key features will make a big difference.

@PresentingPercy

I’m really sorry but Ikea is not in House and Gardens. Radiator covers might be. Depends on age and style of house. I stand by what I said. Ikea is never high end (how could it be??) but it’s perfectly ok. I think Ikea is the opposite of high end! Price has a lot to do with high end and recognisable designers.

You can be as sorry as you want! Doesn’t change the fact you are wrong! Granted it’s only ever the odd detail from IKEA but great design that looks high end isn’t about just throwing a lot of money at the design. Yes if you fill your house with Malm drawers and Poang chairs it wont look high end but the blanket statement that IKEA is never found in high end design is simply wrong.

@PresentingPercy

I would never ever consider Avon high end either.

You are missing the point. Avon isn't expensive but some of their perfumes are very sophisticated because they use great noses. IKEA isn't expensive but some of their designs are very covetable because they use great designers. Cost is not always related to quality. If you look at my original post I clearly say you can save on furniture as long as you mix old and new and high and low price points. That gives an original look that looks more high end that filling a house with nothing but furniture from Heals (lovely, expensive and designery as it is). Because to look really 'high end' you need to suggest you inherited a ton of stuff, you got the rest travelling round the world and then bought a few well chosen cheaper things to fill in the gaps because you have an excellent eye and don't need to spend a fortune on obvious names to prove it.

Don’t forget the outside when you are doing this and leave some budget for the garden as it usually needs sorting after the builders have been in and the extension has eaten up what was patio etc.

Can you incorporate a utility room upstairs? So much more practical.

I never understand why people say this, how is it more practical to have to carry wet washing downstairs to hang outside?

Because the of number of days I can hang laundry outside (few) Vs the number of days it's on the maiden or dryer (many).

Because the of number of days I can hang laundry outside (few) Vs the number of days it's on the maiden or dryer (many).

I have lived in various parts of the country from the far north to the south west and including the very wet Glasgow (wettest city in the country with 170 days of rain) and it was still possible to put your washing out more days than not. I suspect it's mindset though, in the far north it's practically a religion to get your washing out every day and it's so windy the washing dries fast so I put my washing out to dry as soon as the ground starts drying in February until October. Whereas my MIL never hangs her washing out.

JaninaDuszejko

It's not mindset. It's practicality. I've often put my washing out on what appears to be a lovely day, gone to work and it's started chucking it down. If I'm home all day it's fine.

I think I’d focus on what is difficult to change. So assuming you’re 100% on layout, positions of doors etc. Then I’d focus on making sure lighting is in the right place, flooring is fit for purpose and so on. I have wooden flooring in my kitchen which looks fantastic, but it’s an eternal battle to keep it in good condition and sometimes I wish I’d gone for a nice tile I can steam mop.
I paid no attention to lighting when we renovated and it’s useless. Switches in silly places and main room woefully under lit. The actual fixtures are less of a worry as they can be changed fairly easily if you do make a mistake, but positioning is harder.
Get on Pinterest and Instagram and collect pictures so you can get a theme going for each room and see how they work together. Then invest in quality on things that are used a lot or highly visible. So worktops are used a lot and really stand out in a kitchen. Flooring likewise. You can buy a snazzy toaster and kettle and immediately give a sense of designer finish for not much money.
If you’re not confident in design, then focus on things that can be updated or changed inexpensively. So walls can be painted in muted tones and cushions and curtains can be where you add colour or pattern.
I’d also sign up to Readly for a free trial and leaf through all the home magazines (it’s a brilliant app). You can read all the real life renovation stories and see what themes come up with considerations. Plus get stockists for things you like.
The most important thing is that you love it. Forget what’s ‘in’ (I’d actually avoid anything too trendy that may date quickly) and make it feel like home for you.

I think shutters look classy. I drive through a posh area to work, £2 million houses and few have shutters but the ones that do look lovely.

I think lighting makes a huge difference, quality fittings not cheap ones.

Is it a very modern house or more traditional?.

I think real materials look better than man made, real wood worktops look better than laminate, silk lampshades look better than faux silk for example.

@Fluffycloudland77 yes I really like shutters but my main issue is that I have big bay windows which means you cant fully open the shutters during the day.

Having had real wood worktops in a previous house I just don't think I'm up for the maintenance! I agree about the natural materials generally though.

It's a 1930s house, my taste is actually fairly neutral/traditional but this is the first time we are doing any real work to our home so I haven't had the experience of smaller projects and figuring our what works and doesn't. The most I've ever done is painting a few rooms and now we are about to start a huge project! I haven't even put in a new bathroom before.

@JaninaDuszejko this is one of the best explanations I've seen of what makes people think a place is not just high-end but tasteful, desirable and actually live-able with - its a cultural impression not just how much you paid for it.

"Because to look really 'high end' you need to suggest you inherited a ton of stuff, you got the rest travelling round the world and then bought a few well chosen cheaper things to fill in the gaps because you have an excellent eye and don't need to spend a fortune on obvious names to prove it."

Change out any white plastic light switches or power points to metal (brushed chrome?) Or black.

Layout is the most important thing before taps and kitchens etc
Get this right so that it works and has a great feel to it and you won’t go far wrong
Think about sight lines and lighting from windows as well as electric
I always fit at least grohe taps on all bathrooms if not better quality including matching accessories
Lighting is so important and needs really planning and thinking about both inside and out
There are smart places to save money and others where you will need to use the budget so plan your budget carefully

@JaninaDuszejko this is one of the best explanations I've seen of what makes people think a place is not just high-end but tasteful, desirable and actually live-able with - its a cultural impression not just how much you paid for it.

I've now realised I've basically described my PIL house. They are both from upper middle class backgrounds and are architects

Proper wooden floor, not a karndean photo copy laminate thing.

Good quality German kitchen. Doesn't wear.

And as a PP said put aside £10-30k for a garden of the same spec. So many houses on Rightmove with a bifolds, porcelain floors, fancy kitchen with the compulsory 3 dangling lights over the island and then turf from fence to fence like they ran out of money and couldn't afford a couple of specimen trees etc.

Proper wooden floor

Looks dreadful after a while though, particularly in kitchens where it gets damp. Black mould is not an attractive look. We have real wood floors throughout and I'd never have them again.

@Allthereindeersaregirls I have to agree. The amount of effort that has gone into keeping my kitchen wooden floor looking ok! It looks great and adds warmth, but it is not low maintenance and I wish I’d gone for something hardier.

@Allthereindeersaregirls

Proper wooden floor

Looks dreadful after a while though, particularly in kitchens where it gets damp. Black mould is not an attractive look. We have real wood floors throughout and I'd never have them again.

Black mould! What the hell are you doing to it! I have never had mould or wear issues with wooden flooring!

Think carefully about your colour scheme. If you get this righr you'll have wonderful flow through your home.