How You Can Get a “Property Brothers” House Look Without Spending $1,000

When you watch a “Property Brothers” reveal, everything looks pulled together, polished, and expensive. But what most people don’t realize is that you can recreate that same styled look without blowing through a four-figure budget.

With some smart choices and a focus on details that make the biggest difference, you can make your space look like it had a design team behind it while keeping your spending under $1,000.

Here’s where to start if you want that HGTV-worthy finish without the HGTV price tag.

Upgrade Your Lighting

Lighting makes or breaks a room, and it’s one of the fastest ways to give your home a designer feel. Swapping builder-grade fixtures for modern flush mounts, pendant lights, or even sleek floor lamps instantly elevates a space. You don’t have to buy high-end pieces either—stores like Home Depot, IKEA, and Target carry budget-friendly options that look far more expensive than they are.

Adding warm bulbs instead of harsh white lighting also makes the room feel more intentional and inviting.

Add Statement Hardware

One of the Property Brothers’ favorite tricks is updating hardware. Replacing knobs and pulls in kitchens, bathrooms, and even on old dressers transforms them into something that feels new. For less than $100, you can change every handle in a kitchen, and the difference is night and day.

Brushed brass, matte black, or brushed nickel are timeless picks that instantly modernize your home without much effort. It’s a small detail, but it carries a lot of visual weight.

Use Large Rugs to Anchor Rooms

A common mistake in budget makeovers is using rugs that are too small. Designers always size up, and it’s what makes a room feel expansive and pulled together. You can find large 8×10 or even 9×12 rugs online for under $200 if you skip the big-name stores.

Choose a neutral pattern or soft texture that works with multiple styles so you’re not locked into a trend. A properly sized rug makes even a modest living room look like it belongs in a reveal.

Install Affordable Wall Treatments

Accent walls and trim work show up in nearly every “Property Brothers” project. The good news is that you don’t need custom carpentry to pull it off. Peel-and-stick shiplap, budget-friendly wainscoting kits, or even paintable wall panels from Lowe’s give you that finished, high-end look.

A gallon of paint in a bold or moody color can also do the trick if you’re not ready to add woodwork. It’s a low-cost way to create depth and interest.

Swap Out Window Treatments

Old blinds or too-short curtains instantly cheapen a room. Replacing them with long, neutral drapes hung high and wide gives the illusion of taller ceilings and larger windows. You can find affordable sets at IKEA, Walmart, or even Amazon.

Layering sheers with blackout panels adds texture and function, and you don’t have to spend more than a few hundred dollars to upgrade an entire house.

Bring in Oversized Wall Art

One of the biggest “designer secrets” is scaling up your artwork. Tiny frames make walls look bare and unfinished, while oversized pieces create impact. You can DIY oversized art by printing high-resolution images at a print shop and using affordable IKEA or Target frames.

Even a set of large-scale abstract prints hung side by side will instantly make your living room look curated without costing a fortune.

Focus on Matching Finishes

When you walk into a professionally designed space, what stands out is consistency. If your doorknobs, faucets, light fixtures, and cabinet pulls are all mismatched, it feels disjointed. Standardizing finishes—like sticking with brushed nickel or matte black throughout—pulls the whole house together.

This doesn’t mean everything has to be identical, but having a clear theme across rooms creates a polished, designer feel for a relatively small investment.

Layer in Textures with Textiles

Throw pillows, blankets, and even bedding do a lot of heavy lifting in making a space feel finished. Designers always mix textures like linen, cotton, faux leather, or chunky knits to add depth. Instead of buying new furniture, you can refresh what you already have by layering in a few new textiles.

Look for zippered pillow covers you can swap out seasonally. That way, you’re not constantly rebuying inserts, and you can rotate looks without overspending.

Choose Statement Furniture Wisely

You don’t need an entire new living room set to make your home look styled. Investing in one or two statement pieces, like a coffee table or accent chair, changes the whole feel of a room. Property Brothers often use one standout item to anchor a space and then keep the rest simple.

You can shop secondhand or check discount retailers for designer-look pieces that stay under budget but still give you that finished effect.

Add Greenery for Life and Warmth

Plants—whether real or high-quality faux—bring energy and softness into a room. Designers use them constantly in reveals because they make spaces look lived-in and styled. Even a $20 fiddle-leaf fig from Home Depot in a $30 planter can fill a corner and make the room feel intentional.

If you’re not into plant care, faux greenery from places like Target or IKEA can still achieve the look without ongoing cost or effort.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.