Exclusive: The Star of ‘Luxe for Less’ Reveals His Best Money-Saving Design Hacks To Try in 2023
HGTV
Need some design inspiration for your home in the new year that won’t break the bank? Interior designer Michel Smith Boyd of the new HGTV show “Luxe for Less” could be just the ticket.
On the show, Smith Boyd helps Atlanta-area clients achieve a high-end look in their home on a budget.
Curious to hear how he does it, we chatted with this design pro to hear some of his top tricks to try in 2023—including a few he’s done (or doing) in his own home.
Michel Smith Boyd brings high-end home design within reach for clients.HGTV
To borrow the question you ask clients, what is your version of luxury?
My version of luxury is customization. I want to feel like it’s for me. I want to see my point of view in my home, in my studio, in what I wear. I want to be able to see a little bit of my personality.
What’s your favorite luxe feature in your own home?
Lighting, lighting, lighting! But not just good lighting, great chandeliers. I love light fixtures; it’s really a thing for me.
What part of your home could use improvement?
I am currently working on the lower level, [the] basement. I didn’t have a place where I could just curl up and be comfy. Downstairs, I’m building out a sexy, speakeasy, loungy type of space.
Smith Boyd says to splurge on a luxurious couch.HGTV
What are the most common design mistakes you see?
A lot of times we spend money on things we see, that our guests will see, that will make the biggest impression: particular brands or logos and so forth.
Those things are cool, but you know what’s really important? A great mattress and bed, great sofa, great kitchen cabinets, and hardware—things that are really going to add value to the home, but also get the most wear and tear is where the dollars have to go first.
If I had $10,000, I wouldn’t spend $2,000 of it on the coffee table. We’re going to spend that money on the sofa.
When it comes to where to apply those luxury dollars, start with the spaces we can touch [like] countertops. They don’t just look pretty, they’re not just durable, but they feel good. Countertops and floors you shouldn’t skimp on because [they] are things that add value to the home and you don’t want to screw that up when it comes to resale value and also durability. There’s a practicality even in luxury.
The cast of HGTV’s “Luxe for Less”HGTV
What are the most clever hacks you’ve come up with to maximize a client’s cash?
That stair runner trick [in Episode 1]: buying three or four of the same runner, and where they meet, you just put it under the stair tread. It was a great solution. We spent about $140 on three runners where it would have been thousands of dollars otherwise.
I [also] used the same paint color and finish on the walls, trim, and ceiling everywhere. A lot of times you [see] flat on the walls and a semigloss on the trim. All that adds money because you’re buying more paint, and also, changing finishes means it might be a separate crew. If you can just spray, as opposed to spraying and painting and [doing] scaffolding, there’s so many ways to save money.
Smith Boyd strategizes with his contractor to stretch the client’s cash.HGTV
What are your smartest money-saving home design shopping tips?
One of the things I learned about from our contractor is the end-of-a-run flooring [discount], when a manufacturer of a particular tile or hardwood or luxury vinyl tile [is discontinuing a style]. It’s much less expensive.
We [also] bought a scratch and dent range for our client and just changed out one panel. We ordered that separately. It takes a little work, but it’s your home. It’s your biggest investment, so it’s worth doing the research and going that extra step.
How do you follow design trends without overspending?
The biggest trend I follow is paint colors. It trickles down from fashion on the runways, [and the] next year it’s going to be in interiors when it comes to sofa fabric and things like that. Paint is the easiest, least expensive thing to change. I am still obsessed with greens, and I’m back to white walls. … I’m doing color on the ceiling as opposed to the walls in my bedroom. It still gives me that mood [and] illusion of space.
How would you incorporate bright colors like the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year in homes?
Viva Magenta should go on an old piece of furniture you want to refurbish and have fun with: [a] night table, side table, cabinet, chest, or a dedicated space, like a closet or a powder room.
Smith Boyd sitting in his kitchen featuring custom countertopsHGTV
How often should homes undergo a design upgrade and renovation?
I have been in my place for 16 years, so that’s time for a kitchen upgrade, and I know for sure I’ll see every dime of that in resale. The next thing that’s the most important would be the primary bath: updating plumbing fixtures, hardware—the knobs on the doors or on the cabinets—and lighting.
You’re an artist, and you incorporate art into your interior designs. Any tips to share, since pieces can be pricey?
Buy art locally from local artists that are coming up. You can go to shows on the weekend or fairs and get some really good stuff for very low prices.
What’s your top design tip for 2023?
Feel empowered to make changes in your own home. If you can paint, or if you can create your own art, or if you can create that gallery wall—I love to see those personal touches, and there’s something about that sweat equity at home.
And I would say don’t put so much pressure on yourself; you should enjoy design. People can feel the joy in the interiors that we design. They walk in the house and just lose it because we love what we do and you feel that when you walk through the house. You should enjoy the process.
“Luxe for Less” airs Thursdays on HGTV and is streaming on Discovery+.
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