This one décor trick the ultra‑rich use (you can too)

If you’ve ever looked at a celebrity home tour or a luxury listing online and thought, Why does this room look so expensive even though there’s not much in it?, there’s a reason. The ultra-rich use one décor trick that makes any space feel instantly elevated—and it’s not something you have to spend thousands to copy.

The secret is scale. Big pieces, bold proportions, and fewer items overall make a room look high-end without actually requiring designer furniture.

Think larger, not more

Most people fill their rooms with too many small pieces—multiple tiny frames, short lamps, small rugs—hoping it’ll make the space feel cozy. But when you look at a high-end home, you’ll notice the opposite. Oversized art, full-length curtains, and furniture that actually fits the proportions of the room make everything feel intentional.

If your sofa floats awkwardly in a big living room or your rug looks like an island in the middle of the floor, scale is off. Upgrading to a rug that fits all four furniture legs or swapping out small lamps for taller, heavier bases instantly changes how the room feels. You’re not buying more—you’re buying smarter.

Use fewer items with more presence

Luxury homes aren’t cluttered, and it’s not because the owners don’t have stuff—it’s because they let a few standout pieces carry the design. A large framed mirror, one oversized vase, or a single bold piece of art can fill a wall better than five smaller items ever could.

When you scale up, your space starts to breathe. It looks curated instead of busy. The trick is restraint—choosing one or two items that make a statement instead of crowding every shelf. Even a $40 HomeGoods mirror looks high-end when it’s oversized and given space to shine.

Go for full-length and floor-to-ceiling

You’ll rarely see a high-end room with short curtains or small wall art. The ultra-rich extend everything to full height. Curtains go to the floor, art sits at eye level, and lighting fixtures fill vertical space rather than hiding in corners.

You can do the same with ready-made options. Hang curtains a few inches higher than the window frame to make ceilings look taller. Use long mirrors that reach almost to the floor. Add taller plants or floor lamps to fill empty airspace. You’re not changing the room—you’re changing how it reads visually.

Choose one focal point per room

When everything competes for attention, nothing stands out. Wealthy designers often anchor a room with a single element—a fireplace, a dramatic light fixture, a massive headboard—and let everything else support it.

In your home, pick one thing you want to highlight. It could be a large piece of wall art, a unique piece of furniture, or even a well-styled bookshelf. Then simplify the rest of the décor around it. That balance of statement and restraint is what gives a space its polished, expensive feel.

Embrace empty space

The most overlooked part of high-end design is what’s not there. Empty space gives the eye room to rest. It highlights the items that remain and helps a room feel calm and intentional.

If your shelves are packed or every wall has something hanging on it, take a step back. Remove a few items and see what happens. Often, you’ll find the room suddenly looks bigger and cleaner—without moving a single piece of furniture.

The ultra-rich may have designers guiding them, but the principle they use—playing with scale—is something anyone can do. You don’t need a mansion to make your space feel high-end. You just need a few well-chosen pieces that fit your room’s proportions and the confidence to leave a little breathing room around them.