11 Ways To Make Your Home Feel More Grown Up

We all reach a point in life when bean bag chairs and unframed wall posters just don't cut it any more, and we start looking around for ways to make our homes feel grown up.

I personally always assumed I'd be immune to such things, happy with my ironic Twilight Saga cut-outs and kitschy plastic gnomes acquired from yard sales forever. However, at around 28 I started to look around my living space and suddenly just wanted things to feel different. I'd visit my slightly older friends and stare at their matching towel sets, well-maintained carpets, and orderly kitchens, in awe and think how incredibly nice it would feel to come home to such things every day.

Maybe it's because I was spending way more time at home since I was freelancing, or maybe there's just an age when things like creature comforts and cleanliness suddenly click in our heads and we suddenly value things we never thought we would. Either way, I knew I wanted to make changes that would make my space feel more grown up, and I needed to do it on my not-quite-grown-up budget.

If you're looking for realistic and achievable ways to make your living space feel more grown up, here are 11 super easy hacks to get you started.

1. Paint

The team at Apartment Therapy said that the fastest way to tie a room together and give it feeling of deliberateness is to paint the walls — and keep the trim and molding white. It's also a relatively inexpensive way to give your space a total makeover.

2. Get Some Plants

The Apartment Therapy team also recommended investing in some simple plants for room accent and decoration. They add inexpensive "life and inspiration" to any room.

3. Get Matching Bedding

Liz Claiborne Arabesque 4-pc Comforter Set, $129.99, JCPenny.com

This is a personal tip. Nothing feels nicer than getting into a made bed with matching, high quality sheets. Add a matching comforter or duvet on top with some specially selected pillows, and you'll instantly feel more adult.

4. And Towels

Royal Velvet Egyptian Cotton Bath Towels, $88, JCPenny.com

And along with matching bedding comes matching towels. Nothing makes you feel like you're still in college more than walking into a bathroom and seeing a hodgepodge of mismatched hand and body towels, and nothing does more to make a bathroom look more put together than a color-scheme.

5. Paint Furniture A Dark Color

Bellagio Coffee Table, $450, Wayfair.com

An article on the SFGate Home Section about how to make a room look more grown up recommended investing in darker-hued furniture. However, if you don't necessarily have the funds to replace everything you own, you can also always paint lighter shelves, coffee tables, and bookcases a dark shade.

6. Frame Everything

Gallery Frame, $15.30, Target.com

The SFGate compilation pieced also noted that unframed photos and posters instantly bring down the maturity level of a room. Simply getting all your wall-hangings framed will make a huge and immediate impact.

7. Embrace The Throw Pillow

Threshold Pleated Texture Toss Pillow, $18.00, Target.com

Lifestyle blogger and founder of the site Simply Luxurious Shannon Ables recommending picking up some throw pillows to instantly tie a common room together. "Neutral furniture can immediately be elevated and a room completed with the touch of throw pillows. Welcome variety – texture, color, print – and bring your room to life," she wrote.

8. Eliminate Cheap-Looking Furniture

Able also recommended ditching any furniture that actively looks cheap, like the lawn chair you bought at a yard sale, or the Ikea desk chair you've had since you were 19. Instead, she advocated investing in your home space the way you would your wardrobe — splurge on quality items that you will use every day for years, like a comfortable couch or recliner.

9. Invest In Good Carpets

Affinity Home Soft Luxurious Plush Shag Rug, $191.24, Overstocked.com

And leap-frogging off that last point is my personal recommendation to spring for a nice-than-average carpet (or at least not a below average carpet). A soft carpet with good texture instantly elevates the feeling of a room and makes it so much more cozy overall.

10. Get A Real Mirror

Belham Living Room Hollywood Floor Mirror, $220.98, Hayneedle.com

If you've been living with a cheap, over-the-door mirror for most of your adult life, think about springing for a real full length mirror. You've earned it. And even if you don't necessarily have the floor space for a non-hanging mirror, you can still upgrade by increasing it's size, as well as the quality of the class.

11. Get A Liquor Display

Belham Living Carter Mid-Century Modern Bar Cart, $229.98, Hayneedle.com

A nice liquor display, whether it be a full bar cart or just a wine-holder, is a super useful home accent piece. Not only does is help you more efficiently use your space, but it doubles as a nice and sophisticated home decoration.

A more adult home aesthetic doesn't just have to be for those people in fancy magazines; with a few minor tweaks and adjustments to what you already own, as well as a few well-placed accents and additions. you can transform your space from dorm-room-chic to downright sophisticated!

Images: Pexels (4)