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45 Cheap Things That Make Your Home Look Way More Upscale

Hidden gems from Amazon that only look expensive.

Written by Natalie Gale
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Amazon
45 Cheap Things That Make Your Home Look Way More Upscale
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Do you get home envy any time you scroll through Instagram or Pinterest? It turns out that an upscale-looking home is so much easier (and cheaper) to create than you think — in fact, it’s probably just a few clicks away. Below, our commerce team has rounded up their top tips for making your home look way more elevated, along with a bunch of their best Amazon picks. Read on for 45 cheap things that’ll make you home look way more upscale.

1This Personalized Tray For Trinkets & Jewelry

Catch-all dishes go a long way in making your space feel more put together, giving small bits and bobs a landing place so you don't have to leave things messily on the table or counter. This trinket tray is less than $10, you can choose the one with your own initial on it. The small size means it fits anywhere, and it's just as great for storing your wallet and keys as it is for holding jewelry on your vanity.

2This Chic & Practical Bathroom Organizing Shelf

Another easy way to bring a spa vibe into your bathroom? This two-tiered bathroom countertop organizer. For less than $25, the chic organizer has plenty of room for all your vanity essentials and even taller products, too. The wooden organizer, painted white, and its metal frame (options for gold or black) make for a piece of decor that looks nice and reduces clutter at the same time.

  • Available colors: 2

3These LED Puck Lights That Add Ambiance To Shelving Units

These LED puck lights are one of the easiest, cheapest ways to add a bit of ambience to your space. The battery-operated lights adhere wherever you want them, like under cabinets, on stairs, or in closets. They're especially great at adding an expensive-looking glow to shelving units or built-ins. This three-pack of lights comes with a remote controller, too, so you can adjust the brightness and set timers.

4This Pet Hair Remover To Keep Your Living Space Clean

De-fuzzing your couch is essential for an upscale-looking home. Amazon buyers are obsessed with this Chom Chom pet hair remover, giving it over 115,000 five-star ratings and making it the number-one seller in pet hair removal products. It rolls away pet hair from couches, pillows, rugs, and blankets in a snap and is endlessly reusable, and it'll run you less than $25.

5This LED Strip That Lights Up Counters Or Shelves

Light up your counter space with this LED light strip that adheres to the bottom of your kitchen cabinets. It’ll make it look like you had expensive lighting fixtures installed in your kitchen, but the battery-powered LEDs will run you less than $15. The strips add warm white light anywhere else your home needs it, too, like bathroom or pantry shelves. The lights have a low profile, and their single power button is easy to find with just a touch.

6This Sturdy Plastic Bag Holder You Can Put On A Cabinet Door

This plastic bag holder makes your space feel so much more elevated than just having a bag full of more bags (we've all been there). This holder gives you a sturdy, wall-mounted alternative and is easy to install on walls, doors, or the inside of cabinets. The sleek, stainless steel container keeps your plastic bags nice and compact, and it'll run you less than $20. Finally, you'll remember to actually reuse those reusable shopping bags.

7This Multi-Use Stool With Hidden Storage

What seems like just a pretty vanity stool on first glance becomes more the longer you look at it. The velvet stool doubles as an attractive ottoman, but if you lift up the top, you’ll open up a secret storage bin. Then, put the top back on upside-down to reveal a wooden top so you can put drinks or snacks on it. The stool is as cute as it is handy, comes in lots of different color options, and is less than $40.

8These Pillar Candle Holders In Varying Heights

This set of three graduated candle holders ticks all the boxes of good home decor — it's simple and chic enough to go with all design styles, it's made of a durable iron that'll last, and it's less than $30. Ideal for displaying pillar candles on the dining table, mantel, or even inside a non-functioning fireplace, the candle holders are a quick and easy way to elevate your space.

9This Gorgeous & Affordable Decanter Set

This seven-piece whiskey decanter set looks like it belongs in Emily and Richard Gilmore's sitting room — but it goes for under $25. Crafted in Italy, the set comes with six 10-ounce whiskey glasses and a 1 liter decanter with an ornate stopper. The glassware is perfect for amping up your next dinner party, or for just sitting pretty on the bar cart as functional decor.

10A Spice Rack To Organize Jars In Your Kitchen Drawer

An organized space always looks more high end. Take your disorganized spices off your counter or out of your cabinet with this drawer spice rack — the acrylic rack can expand from 8 to 16 inches to fit any size drawer, organizing dozens of spices side by side where their labels can easily be read. It's great for tidying up your bathroom, too, as it can be used to organize bottles of nail polish or medication.

11These Nightlights With A Vintage Farmhouse Vibe

Nightlights don't have to look cheap, and these GE nightlights give off a rustic vibe with their decorative hood and cage, while their black color goes with any style. Sold in a set of two, they give off a warm white glow and have light-sensing technology to automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn.

12These Glass Food Storage Jars For Dry Goods

Elevate the look of your pantry in a snap with these chic glass storage jars. Ditch the cardboard cereal boxes and bags of rice by putting your dry goods like oatmeal, cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, dry beans, rice, and more into these glass jars. Their airtight bamboo lids will help your food stay fresher for longer, and the jars in this five-jar set come out to less than $5 each.

13This Multi-Use Tray For Serving Or Organizing

This multi-use serving tray is as functional as it is good looking. The affordable tray is great for eating on the sofa, carrying drinks and dishes when you're serving guests, or even for painting your nails on the bed. And when it's not in use, it makes a great catch-all try on the coffee table or side table to keep your space more organized and stylish. Plus, it comes in a whopping 26 different colors to match any style.

  • Available colors: 26

14These Grippers That Keep The Corners Of Rugs From Curling

Isn't it the worst when the corners of your area rugs won't stay in place and curl up at the edges? Not only does it create a tripping hazard, but it also makes your space look instantly sloppier. Thankfully, these rug corner grippers solve that problem for less than $20. They adhere to each corner of your rug, not the floor, keeping the rug corners from curling up while protecting the floor with a rubber backing.

15These Glass Bottles For Soaps And Hand Lotions

Give your bathroom (or kitchen) a little extra flare with this soap dispenser and metal caddy set. This way, you can avoid keeping hand soap in its original cheap plastic container, and you can fill the second dispenser with a hand lotion of your choice. You can even reduce waste by refilling the glass dispensers over and over with soap refills. The set is sturdy and functional, and the simple, chic bottles look great in any bathroom.

16This Cutting Board That Catches Your Bread Crumbs

This gorgeous and functional bread board is an impressive addition to your kitchen — crumbs fall straight through its cracks while you cut a loaf of bread, keeping your countertops clean. Its acacia wood design makes it looks expensive, but it goes for less than $25. And when you're not slicing bread on it you can use it as a serving tray around guests, who will think you have the chicest kitchen ever.

17These Expensive-Looking Solar Lanterns For Outdoor Spaces

These solar-powered outdoor lanterns look gorgeous in any outdoor space, and they come out to less than $15 each. The plastic and iron hanging lights have a vintage look and are completely waterproof. They automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn, adding elegance and ambience to any porch, patio, or garden. And if they don't get enough solar light to stay on, you can power them by AA batteries.

18This Over-The-Sink Dish Rack That Helps You Save Space

Don’t have a ton of counter space to work with? Throw out that clunky dish rack in favor of this over-the-sink version. It’s made from tough stainless steel, with nonslip rubber grips at the end of each rung to help keep it from shifting out of place. Any stray water droplets fall right back into your sink, eliminating the need to clean a grimy drip tray — and you can even roll it up for easy storage when not in use.

19A Bathroom Organizer To Clean Up The Counter

This bathroom storage organizer is great for more than just toothbrushes, with five slots to store things like toothpaste, razors, face wash, and makeup. Made of faux-marble resin, it looks sleek on the countertop and stands up to constant wear. It has drainage holes in the bottom in case water gets in, has slip-resistent pads on the bottom, and will run you no more than $25.

20These Handy Storage Bins For An Optimized Fridge

Imagine opening your fridge door to a perfectly organized space each day? Whip your refrigerator into shape for less than $40 with this set of six refrigerator storage bins. Made of a durable clear plastic that's easy to wash, the bins come in different shapes to fit different items — the set comes with an egg bin, a soda can bin, two narrow bins, and two wide ones. They're stackable to create more space in the fridge, and they work great to organize other areas of the house, too, like the bathroom.

21The Leakproof Containers Made From Borosilicate Glass

Not only are these containers made from durable borosilicate glass, but the lids are also airtight as well as leakproof, making them less likely to spill inside your bag when packing lunch. The best part? Unlike those crummy plastic containers you likely have, these ones are safe to use in your freezer and oven.

22These Airtight Food Storage Containers For A Well-Organized Pantry

Another great way to improve the look of your pantry, these food storage containers come with labels and markers. Each container comes with a one-size-fits-all lid that locks into place, creating an airtight seal perfect for extending the shelf life of cereal, snacks, dry beans, pasta, oatmeal, and more. This set goes for less than $40 and you'll get seven containers: two small, two medium, two large, and one extra large that's perfect for spaghetti.

23These Chic-Looking Glasses With Lids & Glass Straws

This set of glasses with bamboo lids looks so much more expensive than it actually is. The set comes with four glasses perfect for water, iced drinks, or beer, as well as bamboo lids with airtight seals and accompanying glass straws, great for parties or taking the glasses on the go. The glasses are dishwasher safe, and they come with two straw cleaning brushes, too.

24These Floating Shelves For Extra Bathroom Organization

No space for a countertop organizer in your bathroom? Check out this minimalistic floating shelf set, instead. It instantly upgrades the look of your bathroom (or wherever you put it — it's great in the kitchen, too). The shelves come out to less than $15 each, have an optional bar for hanging hand towels, and come in lots of different color options, from white with gold accents to natural wood with black accents.

25This Labeled Organizer That Keeps Ziploc Bags In One Place

Another hack that makes your pantry look way more upscale, this bamboo Ziploc bag organizer keeps all your baggies in one place while getting rid of the need to keep those cardboard boxes they come in. The durable box has a sliding lid to make it easy to restock, and it has four labeled slots to fit snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon size bags. While the organizer fits neatly into a drawer, it's cute enough to be left out, too.

26This High-Tech Alarm Clock That Doubles As A Mirror

This digital LED alarm clock is not your average clunky alarm clock — it's compact, chic, functional, and even doubles as a mirror. Unlike mechanical alarm clocks, this one is completely silent, and its dimmable light means it won't shine too brightly on you at night, either. You can even set the snooze time to whatever you want: anywhere between five and sixty minutes. It has two charging ports built in for your phone and another device, and it goes for less than $35.

27A Toilet Paper Holder With Room For Decor

This fashionable toilet paper holder looks like it came straight out of a fancy hotel. It attaches to the wall so it won't take up space in a small bathroom, and its faux-marble top is perfect for adding some extra decor to elevate the space, like a reed diffusor or some flowers. The holder comes in several different color options to match your home's style, and it goes for under $30.

28These Modern Vases That Double As Decor

Artisan-made pottery, or Amazon decor under $15 each? These white ceramic vases are eye-catching, chic, sturdy, and super affordable. They're great for displaying flowers or pampas grass, but the sculptural design means they look just as nice when they're empty. This set of three vases have heights between 5.5 and 8.5 inches so they fit almost anwhere, and their off-white color goes with almost any design style.

29These Silicone Oven Mitts With Grippy, Textured Palms

Throw out those flimsy cotton oven mitts in favor of these silicone ones. The textured palms help you keep a firm grip when handling hot cookware — and unlike fabric mitts, these ones are so waterproof that there’s no need to worry about rising steam when straining ingredients. Choose from six colors: Royal blue, turquoise, yellow, navy, gray, or black.

30These Elegant Yet Affordable Sheer Linen Curtains

If you haven't invested in curtains yet, they're a total game changer for making a space look more elegant. These sheer linen curtains are perfect for elevating any space, reaching all the way to the floor and matching any color scheme with their off-white color. They'll give you more privacy at night without blocking sunlight during the day, and they're made with flax linen, one of the most sustainable fabrics.

31These Charcuterie Board With Matching Serving Utensils

Ditch the basic cutting board for serving cheese and instead opt for this charcuterie board set. It's made of bamboo, is less than $30, and has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon — but its best feature is the hidden drawer full of serving utensils. Now, your charcuterie boards will have matching utensils for spearing fruit, spreading cheese, and grabbing meat.

32A Broom Organizer With Extra Space For Cloths & Scrubbers

It’s almost too easy for your utility closet to turn into a jumbled mess — but that’s where this organizer comes in handy. Five slots give you ample room to store brooms, dusters, mops, and more, while hooks between each let you hang up rags and scrubbers. The best part? With a weight limit of up to 35 pounds, there’s no need to worry about it warping under the weight of heavy items.

33These Rustproof Shower Shelves That Can Hold Up To 20 Pounds

With a weight limit of up to 20 pounds, you can go ahead and load up these shower shelves with all those bottles that are currently cluttering up your tub. They’re made from rustproof stainless steel — and installation is a total breeze, as each order includes waterproof adhesive that lets you press them right onto your tile walls. Plus, two hooks hanging underneath each shelf give you somewhere to hang scrubbers, razors, and more.

34These Bamboo Dividors For Effortlessly Organized Drawers

Banish messy drawers with these expandable bamboo drawer dividers. The dividers adjust with a spring to fit any sized drawer, creating compartments to neatly store different utensils in the kitchen or clothing in your dresser. They look much more upscale than plastic storage solutions, but this set of four dividers goes for less than $30.

35These Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls That Won’t Rust Over Time

Not only are these mixing bowls made from rust-resistant stainless steel, but they also nest inside of each other to help you save space in cramped kitchens. Their wide, rolled rims are also less likely to leave drips on your counters when pouring batter from bowl to pan — and many reviewers appreciated how their lightweight frames make them easy to lift.

36This Set Of Ice Trays For Restaurant-Worthy Iced Drinks

Impress guests or just elevate your morning routine with the tiny round ice balls from this ice tray. The ice balls, measuring just half an inch in diameter, are perfect for crafting extra cold drinks like iced coffee or tea or speciality cocktails like painkillers or Moscow mules — and they make a drink look immediately Insta-worthy. This set comes with four ice ball trays and a storage bin that can fit over 1,200 ice balls made in advance.

37The Battery Organizer That Comes With A Bonus Charge Tester

Every home has at least one drawer that’s filled with loose batteries, so why not keep track of what you have using this organizer? There’s space for up to 93 batteries inside, ranging from slim AAAs to chunky Ds — and the transparent cover helps keep everything safe from dust. Plus, each order includes a tester so that you can throw away any batteries that have lost their charge.

38This Drain Protector That’s *So* Easy To Clean

A visit from the plumber can set you back hundreds of dollars — instead, save some money with help from this drain protector. Not only does it help keep your pipes clog-free, but its tower-shaped design also lets water flow through, even when clogged with hair. And when it’s finally time to clean it out? A simple swipe around the base with your index finger is likely all it needs.

39This Functional Bread Box That Helps You Reduce Food Waste

This bamboo bread box not only makes your kitchen look tidier — it also keeps your bread fresher for longer. The box helps maintain an ideal humidity that keeps bread from going stale for longer periods of time, and this one has an attractive, mid-century design. It has a flat top, making it easy to store things on top, and a translucent window so you can keep tabs on your stock inside. And the whole thing is less than $40.

40A Rotating Makeup Organizer With Adjustable Shelves

Brushes, serums, lip gloss — there’s space for all of it and more on this makeup organizer. The base rotates 360 degrees, making it easy to reach any items stashed in the back with a gentle spin. The best part? Since the shelves are adjustable, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a spot for tall bottles of hairspray, short lipstick tubes, and everything in between.

41The Silicone Dish That Helps Scrubbers Dry Out Quickly

Need somewhere to store your kitchen scrubbers? Search no further than this silicone dish. Raised slats on the bottom elevate your scrubbers away from pooling water, helping them dry out quickly when wet. It’s also heat-resistant up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit — just in case you need to use it as a trivet in a pinch — and many reviewers raved about how it makes their sink top look oh-so tidy.

42These Under-Sink Organizers With An Attractive Acrylic Look

Whip your bathroom cabinet or under-sink area into shape with these handy pullout organizers. They might be made of plastic, but they're super sturdy and sleek, making your space much more elevated and, most importantly, decluttered. The multi-tiered organizers have space for products of all sizes, and the drawers pull out for easy access to items in the back. Plus, each organizer comes out to less than $15.

43The Glass Mason Jars With Airtight Lids

Whether you’re pickling cucumbers or need somewhere to store leftovers, these Mason jars are a smart pick. They’re made from sleek glass, with airtight lids that help keep everything inside fresh — and the wide mouths make it easy to fill them up without creating a mess.

44These Ultra-Slim Hangers That Are Coated With Grippy Velvet

Tired of strappy garments sliding off your hangers? Then these velvet-coated ones are worth a look. The velvet gives them some added grip to help keep clothes from sliding off — and since they’re ultra-slim, they can even help open up space in cramped closets. Plus, the swiveling hook makes it easy to have all your clothes facing the same direction.

45This Cute Tea Organizer That Keeps Bags In 1 Compact Space

Not much of a coffee person? Get your tea bags into shape with this tea bag organizer. The storage solution is made of bamboo, has an acrylic glass top so you can see what's inside, and helps to maximize space in your pantry or cabinets with room for dozens and dozens of tea bags. You'll impress guests with the chic little box and never again forget which tea flavors you have on hand — and it'll cost you less than $25.

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