Decorators Secretly Use These Cheap Tricks To Hide Eyesores In Homes

Interior designer Autumn Stankovsky suggests switching out the light fixtures around your home for an instant refresh. She says, “Replace your outdated light fixtures with current modern or mid-century styles in tones of black or brushed brass.” This sleek plug-in wall sconce will add the perfect touch of modern elegance to your space whether you use it in a hallway, above a gallery wall or as your nightstand lighting.

Use this beautiful cotton-linen blend tablecloth to dress up your dining table and hide those damaged spots that are constant eyesores. “Your damaged or outdated kitchen or dining room table can get an upgrade with a neutral color modern tablecloth or decorative placemats,” interior designer Autumn Stankovsky explains. This tablecloth features an embroidered plaid pattern detail that gives it a delicate, handmade look, but you’ll be happy to know it’s actually super durable and wrinkle-free for easy maintenance.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to give an old piece of furniture a quick makeover is with a fresh coat of paint. Interior designer Autumn Stankovsky says, “A coat of paint can solve a lot of design-ills in your home. Like an old beat-up dresser, side table, or night table. Give it a coat of paint and a new prominent placement in your home.” This chalk-style paint has a built-in primer and top coat for easy use and a flawless finish every time.

If your sofa is looking a little worse for wear but replacing it is not in the budget right now, get this washable slipcover that’s super stretchy to fit tightly and securely, so there isn’t any shifting. “Slipcovers for your sofa can cover up years or months of damage from your pets and kids. Get some pillow covers for your sofa throw pillows too to accessorize and add some warmth,” says interior designer Autumn Stankovsky. This cover is super affordable and comes in several sizes and colors to accommodate your sofa and style.

This beautiful woven seagrass tray is not only a great way to add a unique, textural, and stylish element to your coffee table or console, it’s also a great way to corral keys, sunglasses, and other items that tend to create clutter. Interior designer Reya Duenas stresses the design power of a simple tray, saying, “Trays, trays, trays! Use them in the bathroom to keep the vanity organized. Use smaller trays to create a drop station at your entry to make keys, wallet, etc. easy to pick up and drop off as you enter and exit.”

If your desk and floor are covered in tangled cables that are beginning to pose a serious tripping hazard, get this set of cable clips that’ll organize them in no time. Interior designer Reya Duenas recommends clips such as these to keep your media console looking clean, but they’ll work just as well in your car or bathroom, basically anywhere where your chargers and wires have turned into an unbearable eyesore. These clips with over 54,000 reviews on Amazon have a strong adhesive that keeps them securely in place and they don’t leave any residue behind so you don’t need to worry about damaged surfaces after removal.

Interior designer Reya Duenas suggests using a decorative box such as this wooden keepsake box with a stunning trellis detail to eliminate coffee table clutter by hiding remotes and other small items. Carved from 100% mango wood, it has a whitewashed finish and features a hinged lid so you can safely store things and keep them out of your kids’ and pets’ reach.

For another cheap trick, Reya Duenas also recommends using a magazine rack, such as this simple metal one to keep all your monthly magazines organized in one place. Its minimalist design makes it easy to incorporate it into your existing decor and the smooth finish, sturdy construction and compact design have earned it thousands of positive reviews. Instead of stacks of magazines covering every surface in your home, get this metal rack and keep them accessible in one spot.

Borrow interior decorator Chanel Pazda’s design trick and use a woven basket to hide bulky items in a nice way. She says, "I love using rattan/wicker/seagrass baskets to hide cords and bulky things like cable boxes/games and toys. They add warmth to your space and are timeless!" This chic multi-purpose seagrass basket collapses into a bowl shape for versatility and is a great dupe for way more expensive high-end store versions.

While outlets, switches and thermostats are necessary, they’re usually in the worst, most distracting spots on the wall. Lance Gillespie, interior designer at Mackenzie Collier Interiors, brilliantly suggests creating a gallery wall around them to make them seamlessly blend in with the rest of the decor. This five-piece picture frame set comes with mats to give you framing options and is a total steal for under $30 and does exactly what Gillespie says — it merges aesthetics and practicality in a clever way.

For another way to cover an eyesore, like a fuse box, Lance Gillespie recommends hanging paintings that hide them while still allowing for consistent easy access. This trio of abstract mountain canvases can be hung individually or as a triptych and its cool color palette adds a contemporary touch and stylish accent to your walls. Shoppers rave about how nice these pieces of art are for such an incredible price, and since the canvases are wrapped, you don’t need to worry about framing them, just hang them up and goodbye ugly fuse box.

Extra rolls of toilet paper may be a necessity, but they don’t exactly scream high-end design. To keep them on hand in your bathroom, consider concealing them in a narrow storage cabinet such as this one, that’s a great solution for a small space. To dress it up a little bit, take Lance Gillespie’s advice and place a decorative vase or planter on top of it and around it if you have enough room. The freestanding cabinet has an adjustable interior shelf and removable top so you can easily replace the toilet paper roll when needed.

This artificial potted plant is the perfect solution to constantly replacing dead plants if you don’t exactly have a green thumb. The faux succulent looks incredibly realistic thanks to the frosted, natural-looking finish, while the textured cement pot is a great decorative accent that’ll look great on a side table (like the previous pick), shelf or desk. If you’re picky about faux plants and don’t want a cheap, plasticky looking one, this potted succulent won’t disappoint.

Organize your entryway using this woven storage basket that’s a cheap trick for hiding piles of shoes. Interior designer Lance Gillespie shares this trick and suggests using the basket to hold shoes if there isn’t enough space for an actual shoe rack. This basket is made from jute rope and is soft to the touch, adding a great textural element and organic color and material to your space.

Custom window treatments can be a huge expense, but as Devin Shaffer, an interior designer at Decorilla says, “Window treatments will make or break rooms.” These affordable window curtain panels block out light for a good night’s sleep and also double as a beautiful decorative room feature. Shaffer explains that one of the biggest challenges designers face is how to best cover windows and points out, “This is especially common for windows with unsightly older frames and (or) unpleasant outdoor views.” Give your windows a high-end treatment for a low-end price thanks to these room darkening panels that are available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Improve your room’s aesthetic and your sleep quality by installing this blackout curtain rod to go with those new curtains. Instead of finials, it’s designed with wrap-around ends that block out light and add a modern edge to the rod. It has an adjustable length and can hold up to 20 pounds, which equates to medium weight curtain panels. The rod is available in black, bronze and nickel finishes and comes with all the necessary mounting hardware to make installation quick and easy for you.

If you’re tired of looking at piles of dirty clothes on the floor, designer Devin Shaffer recommends getting organized with a rolling cart like this three-bag laundry sorter. Shaffer says, “Rolling laundry carts are an excellent addition to bathrooms in single level spaces, as they make laundry day a breeze.” This one features three easily removable bags so you can sort your lights, darks and delicates, and has locable casters to keep it in place. The cart has a chrome-plated steel frame to ensure that it’s rust proof and since we’re talking about laundry and staying clean, the sorting bags themselves are conveniently machine-washable, too.

Devin Shaffer, lead interior designer at Decorilla, reveals the secret to a cheap but hugely impactful kitchen makeover: new cabinet pulls. Shaffer says, “Hands down the easiest and most inexpensive kitchen upgrade a renter or homeowner can make is replacing existing drawer pulls and cabinet hardware.” These matte black pulls are modern yet timeless, and such a bargain for a 30-pack for less than $30. Shaffer recommends a matte finish and adds, “We're loving all of the new matte finishes that are stealing the show from the once trending metallics and expect to see more and more charcoals, taupes, and other neutral colors in kitchens with essentially every interior design style." Now you’ve got all the design scoop you need to give your kitchen a quick refresh.

Get this tall metal plant stand that serves double duty, as Amanda Gunawan, founding partner of Los Angeles-based architecture and design firm OWIU studio, points out. Gunawan says, “Plants are an inexpensive, accessible and easy way to bring life to a space and cover up anything that you don’t want to see,” whether that’s an outlet or minor wall damage. This black metal stand is easy to assemble and comes with self-adhesive felt pads to prevent any scratches on your floors.

“For simple yet impactful home updates, we love to source unique ceramic pieces or find framed artwork, as both are typically available in a variety of price points and sizes, depending on what you are looking to achieve in your space,” Gunawan says. Display your weekly treat-yourself flowers in this unique ceramic vase that has a beautiful artisanal quality that makes it look like a designer boutique splurge. It’s also a great way to display just one stem, whether real or faux, if you don’t have a full bouquet of flowers on hand. The donut-shaped vase would look great on a coffee table, console or bedroom dresser, but also makes for a stunning gift for anyone who loves home decor and modern design.

To make your kitchen and bathroom products such as liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner look nice and uniform, Andi Morse, interior designer at Morse Design, suggests pouring them into pretty bottles. These shatterproof dispensers are sleek and stylish, and have a frosted glass finish with a non-slip silicone sleeve. Not only will they dress up your sink or vanity area, the refillable and reusable dispensers are also a great way to reduce single-use plastic waste.

If you have an immaculately styled living room but that pesky cable box just sticks out like a sore thumb, interior designer Andi Morse recommends hiding it behind a stack of decorative book boxes like this three-piece set. The faux wood boxes have an antique-style finish for a lovely vintage look, and have a magnetic cover to keep them securely closed. Alternately, you could also use them to hold small items such as remotes.

To hide less than pretty house features such as wall outlets, thermostats, alarms or doorbells, use designer Andi Morse’s idea and place a decorative piece of art such as this doorbell chime cover over it. The wooden box looks crisp and modern, and its neat edges and intricate carved pattern make it a decorative feature that easily blends in with the rest of your wall decor.

Give cabinets and furniture a quick and inexpensive refresh with a coat of this matte finish paint. Yasmine El Sanyoura, home designer at Opendoor, agrees and says, “Adding a fresh coat to your kitchen cabinets reduces the need for a full renovation and can save you thousands of dollars.” This water-based paint doesn’t require the hassle of sanding or priming, and it provides excellent coverage at a super fast drying time. Yasmine adds, “Additionally, an accent wall for a pop of color and personality in any room is a great way to play into a trend and give a room a facelift.”

Designer Yasmine El Sanyoura shares a great trick for updating your kitchen on a budget — switch out your fixtures. This modern faucet with a pull-down sprayer features a 360-degree faucet spout and two spray modes, and it’s available in seven different finishes, including gold, matte black and polished chrome. Yasmine explains, “The accessories of a kitchen can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of the space,” and this affordable yet streamlined faucet is proof.

If your bathroom floor could use a little help, you’re not alone. Designer Yasmine El Sanyoura says, "Bathroom floors can be tough to maintain. Common issues with ceramic and natural stone tiles include stains, cracks, chipping, and broken or loose tiles. Not only do these create an eyesore, but it can also be a health hazard.” Instead of dishing out a ton of money on new flooring, get this cheap tile repair filler that works on multiple surfaces, including porcelain, granite, and fiberglass. It fixes cracks, chips, and holes, and it comes in a variety of colors to match your existing tile.

You won’t believe how much of a difference new hardware makes in updating a bathroom on a budget. This $10 towel ring has a sleek shape and contemporary matte black finish that’s neutral enough to fit in any style bathroom. Designer Yasmine El Sanyoura says it’s the easiest way to give a fresher feel to a space that hasn’t been given love in some time. Besides updating cabinet knobs and pulls, she goes on to say, “In the bathroom, consider also upgrading hardware like towel rings, toilet paper holders, and robe hooks to give the space a more updated look."

London-based interior designer Rudolph Diesel stresses the importance of a spot to corral mail — both for organizational and aesthetic reasons. This wall-mounted mail organizer checks all the boxes — it has a slot for envelopes, hooks for keys, bags and sunglasses, and it even has a small ledge to hold a decorative accent. Rudolph says, "Have a place for post — when we get letters in the post, most of us tend to throw them on a counter or anywhere near the front door. Not only can this be unsightly as post starts to stack up, but we can lose track of what might be important documents.”

When it comes to purchasing items for your bathroom, a toilet brush is probably not what you’re most excited about. Designer Rudolph Diesel sums it up by saying, "Invest in a nicer toilet brush - toilet brushes aren't exactly supposed to look beautiful, but the plastic white holders most people have that do nothing to hide the brush itself are unsightly and unhygienic.” Replace a flimsy plastic one with this sleek but still very inexpensive stainless steel toilet brush and holder that’s rust-proof and features a splash guard. Plus, its dense brush head cleans quickly and effectively.

We all have that one scary junk drawer (or entire cabinet) that could seriously benefit from a major declutter. These bamboo drawer dividers are exactly what you need — the four pieces are adjustable to fit any standard drawer and have non-slip rubber pads on each end to prevent scratching and to secure them in place. Interior designer Rudoph Diesel comments on the importance of good organizing tools, saying, "Drawers and cabinets — everyone has that one nightmare cabinet overflowing with assorted clutter. I can't stress enough how much drawer and cabinet organizers are your best friends.”

Instead of your flatware flying all over the place every time you open the drawer, use this bamboo drawer organizer that’s a small investment for how much it’ll improve your day-to-day life. It’s adjustable and has sliding sides that extend it from three to five compartments, and the base has slip-resistant grips that keep it in place at all times. The bamboo will look beautiful inside your drawer and it’s easy to clean as well, all you need to do is wipe it down with a damp cloth every once in a while.

As Diesel recommends, get clutter under control with this 25-piece clear plastic organizer set and get your drawers neat and organized once and for all. The set comes highly recommended with an overall 4.7-star rating from more than 10,000 shoppers and is such a steal at this price. It includes storage containers in four different sizes that are stackable if you need to save space, and the included silicone dots that you stick on the base help the organizers stay in place. Use them to hold everything from makeup and office supplies, to kitchen gadgets and jewelry, they’re a cheap and clever trick to hide clutter.

You may not be able to buy a new sofa right now, but add a couple of these velvet throw pillows (you’ll need to get some inserts for them) and they’ll dress up your old sofa in no time. Cristina Chirila, senior interior designer at FCI Interior Design says, "While you shop around for your perfect sofa match, distract guests' attention by recovering old throw pillows in eye-catching materials. Think soft chenilles, crushed velvet in jewel tones or faux fur." These velvet pillow covers come in a variety of colors including some beautiful jewel tones, and they have an invisible zipper to easily slide in an insert.

Interior designer Cristina Chirila has a clever hack for a quick temporary update for your fixtures and hardware — a fresh coat of metallic spray paint. "It sounds crazy but it really works — buy a can of metal-look spray paint and spray your taps, showerhead, doorknobs and any other metal fittings to make them look brand new. This is a temporary home update while you look into buying new handles or fittings, but it's a great cover-up that very few people will notice.” This Rust-Oleum spray paint gives a rich shine and full coverage on a number of surfaces, including wood, metal and plaster.

Add a bold pattern and an extra layer of comfort to your home with this low-pile area rug that has non-slip backing to keep it from sliding. Switching out your area rug is a great way to transform a room and designer Cristina Chirila says, "Whether it's a porch or a living room, if you have a space that looks a bit tired and drab, a bold rug is the easiest way to give it new life.” This neutral-colored rug comes in a blue, gray and taupe pattern variation and its thin but durable construction is perfect for a high-traffic area such as an entryway or living room. Cristina also says a new rug, like this 3-by-5-foot one, is a good way to distract from a room’s imperfections, saying, “A good quality rug in a statement pattern draws the eye, automatically distracting guests from chipped walls or old furniture."

Restore an old wooden piece of furniture to its former glory with this wood polish and conditioner that Benjamin Ibanez, senior interior designer and business development manager at FCI Interior Design highly recommends. Ibanez says of the product, "I came across this product when chatting with a client about how to restore an old chest of drawers. She didn't want to replace it as it had sentimental value, so instead of sanding it down and varnishing it, she used a wipe-on wood finish restorer to freshen it up. It's literally like a new lick of paint."

Don’t underestimate the power of cleaning up and decluttering your home to give it a fresh, updated look. This entryway organizer has a perforated metal holder for mail and a set of wooden hooks to hang up keys, sunglasses or a scarf. Designer Benjamin Ibanez says, "Sometimes home updates can be achieved simply by tidying up. We all have that space where we drop things as we come in the front door - keys, wallets, hats, dog leashes and other cluttering paraphernalia. Instead of dumping it all on the nearest counter, consider buying a beautiful hanging wall shelf that you can attach to a wall in your entrance area."

Designer Benjamin Ibanez shares a handy tip when it comes to covering up minor wall damage — hang a piece of art such as this mid-century style geometric print if you don’t want to pay for a full paint job. Ibanez explains, “If you don't want to bring in a painter or contractor for thousands of dollars, a quick fix is simply adding a large piece of artwork that will cover any old holes, marks, or imperfections on the wall.” This stylish print is neutral in color so it’ll work with your existing color scheme and comes with several frame options, which makes it even more of a steal if you know how pricey custom framing can get.

Talk about a huge upgrade without doing any construction — order this $5 peel and stick marble contact paper and use it on everything from outdated countertops and appliances, to old furniture that could use a little TLC. Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer at Trendey, says, “If your appliances are old and outdated, use contact paper to update them. Skip the paint that won’t last and can easily scratch off.” This self-adhesive contact paper has a grid pattern on the back to make cutting and measuring easier, and the paper’s thickness adds to its durability and realistic look. Andra goes on to say, “Contact paper won’t damage the appliance and will last longer. There are many options, from metal finishes to chalkboard and colors."

Cover up an ugly vent using this decorative rubber doormat that’s an all-season door accessory that won’t crack or buckle. Interior designer Andra DelMonico shares this cheap design trick and says, "Large ugly vents or electrical box covers in the wall can take away from a room and be an eyesore. Cover it up with a decorative doormat (like this one) that can mimic the look of a metal grate.”