In addition to writing about home decor and lifestyle products for a living, I am also an interior designer with my own business — and that means I have a lot of opinions about what will (and won’t) upgrade your space.
Whether you rent or own your home, there are tons of little things you can do to make it function better and look better at the same time. And the best part is you don’t need a huge budget to make it happen. With the right products, you can turn a house or apartment into your dream home — even if there are quirks about your space that you don’t know how to deal with, like outlets in awkward places, not-so-stylish blinds you can’t take down or an overall lack of storage.
I curated a list of products under $50 that can make a huge impact in your home, from concealing cords to organizing your entire kitchen (even your fridge!) to giving your bathroom a spa-like atmosphere. You’ll even find little hacks, like a pretty lamp that makes your candles last longer and coasters that make watering your houseplants a breeze.
Nothing ruins the look of a beautifully decorated room more than a ton of tangled cords and bulky plugs. The Sleek Socket is kind of like a surge protector or extension cord, but it has a flat white panel that sits flush against the outlet switch plate. Simply plug it in, then use the included clips and adhesives to attach the cord to the wall. You can hide the new outlets behind nearby furniture. Sleek Sockets also help if you want furniture to sit flat against the wall where you have an outlet since they don’t jut out as much as most plugs.
These affordable acrylic shelves actually serve multiple purposes in my home. Rows of them display my cookbook collection in the dining room, I use them as a picture ledge in my office to hold framed art and I even have a few hung in my closet to organize my small clutch bags. I can see them in a nursery holding picture books, in a den displaying collectibles and so much more. They’re easy to install with drywall anchors and I love that they look practically invisible.
It’s no secret that tissues don’t exactly come in the most aesthetic boxes. Despite the fact that they now come in tons of colors and patterns, the flimsy cardboard boxes and brand logos can cheapen an otherwise well-decorated space. But that’s where tissue box covers come in, ready to disguise your average, everyday tissues in a pretty shell. I love this fun pick from Dusen Dusen that will add color and life to your space, but there are tons of other options out there that will match your vibe. (This faux leather option on Amazon is a great buy at under $10.)
If you’ve got a boring dresser, nightstand or cabinet that you want to dress up, focus on the hardware. Replace existing simple pulls with something more eye-catching, or add hardware to a piece that doesn’t have pulls or knobs to give it some personality. These vintage-inspired knobs from Anthropologie are a great pick for a more eclectic look, but you can get super sleek, modern pulls from Amazon if you prefer a more streamlined aesthetic.
This cord concealer kit is another great way to disguise stray wires and cords from wall-mounted electronics like TVs and speakers. The kit comes with back strips that stick to the wall with double-sided adhesive tape, front strips that snap onto the back pieces to hide the cords, joints that help you connect multiple strips to hide longer cords or bend them around angles as needed and a roll of the adhesive. Unlike dangling cords, they’ll blend into white walls — and if you have colorful walls, you can paint over these to match.
Even the most high-end trash cans still look like, well, trash cans. This easy-to-install mount allows you to place not one, but two trash bins inside one of your lower cabinets and slide them out whenever you need to access them. If you have the space in your kitchen to sacrifice one of your lower cabinets, this is a total game changer. I use this in my apartment so my trash and recycling are in one hidden-yet-accessible place.
Swapping out your switch plates is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your home look more custom. This is a totally renter-friendly option too, so long as you take care not to damage or lose the existing switch plates when you take them down. (I recommend putting the old switch plates and all the screws in a zippered bag and placing them somewhere safe.) But all you need is a screwdriver and a few minutes to make this upgrade happen. I love these squiggly bronze switch plates from Anthropologie for a pop of fun, but there’s no shortage of switch plates in all different colors, shapes, patterns and styles out there for you.
One last tip for concealing cables: In areas where you have a lot of cords you need to hide and organize, like on a desk or under a TV, snag this cable management box. It features a removable lid and two openings on either side of the box for cords to go in and come out for use. It comes in small and large options, both of which can fit surge protectors of different sizes, as well as two colors (sage green and off-white). I love this one’s chic fluted design.
Candle warmer lamps are so great that once you try them, you likely won’t find yourself actually burning any of your scented candles again. The benefits are endless: The bulb melts the wax of your candle a lot more evenly, you don’t have to worry about the fire hazard of an open flame, the light is adjustable (which also impacts how much scent your candle lets off) and your candles last way longer. Plus, it looks pretty. Our home and gifts editor Amina Lake Abdelrahman loves the cozy ambiance this one provides.
Renters, rejoice: If you live in an apartment with vertical blinds — which can be an eyesore — these brackets are an absolute must-have. Rather than having to stare at your blinds all the time (or fumbling to take them down and store them somewhere, only to reinstall them before you move out!), these brackets allow you to hang curtains right over said vertical blinds with zero drilling or damage to your walls. The NoNo brackets clip onto the top of your vertical blinds, so all you have to do is add curtains and a curtain rod. I recommend getting blackout curtains to completely hide the blinds when they’re open.
Plant lovers who want to make use of some empty wall space in their kitchen can build a vertical herb garden with these simple and sleek wall planters. The set of six pots can be arranged however you like, so you can hang them in rows or create a more abstract plant wall. Each pot comes with a self-watering insert so you don’t have to tend to your plants as often. Any time you do need to water or access your plants for other reasons, the pots pop off the wall easily.
Even affordable curtains can look high-end if you hang them with rings like these. I prefer curtains with back tabs for a simpler, pleated look hanging as opposed to the scrunched-up look you get from hanging curtains from the rod pockets — but it can be hard to find curtains you love that also have your preferred method of hanging built-in. The hooks on these rings thread right into the fabric on the back of the curtains, meaning you can hang them — and pleat them — any way you like. Plus, if your curtains are ever-so-slightly short, the rings can add a little extra bit of length.
If you have an ever-growing number of potted plants, you’ll appreciate these plant coasters for pots that don’t have a saucer underneath to catch drips. You can leave them out under each individual plant pot if you want, but since they’re not quite my style, I stash them under the sink, taking them out only when my plants need watering. I like to let the pots sit on the coasters on the counter overnight to dry, then return the plants to their usual spots in the morning.
The more organized your home is, the better it will look — and more importantly, the better it will function for you. I’m a big fan of these under-sink organizers that look as sleek as they function. You’ll get a lot more use out of the cabinet below your bathroom or kitchen sink because you can pack so many more things onto them and still access them easily. Just slide out the shelves to reach whatever’s in the back.
These expandable drawer dividers make it easy to keep even your junk drawer (hey, we all have one) looking like one you won’t be ashamed of — not to mention, one where you’ll actually be able to find all your things. They’ll stay in place with nothing but tension thanks to their spring-loaded design, so they’re renter-friendly too.
These versatile smart strip lights can display 16 million different colors, with segmented color customization — meaning you can turn different sections into different colors and create your own custom light patterns. They have an adhesive backing that’s perfect for sticking to the back of your TV to create a cool, backlit atmosphere for watching movies or installing under your kitchen cabinets for some additional lighting. You can control them from your smartphone with the Govee app too. And fun tip: These strip lights even have a built-in mic that allows them to sync up with music or whatever you’re watching and change colors to the rhythm of the audio.
Aesthetic fridges are all over social media right now, and if you want to achieve the same level of organization without all the extra flair, grab a refrigerator turntable. It's the perfect spot to store condiments, dressings and other things you use regularly because you can simply spin the lazy susan around to reach what you need. It makes everything neat, tidy and easier to access, and it ensures you don’t forget about things in the back of your fridge.
If you struggle to put away your cookware, this handy organizer can help you get more room out of your kitchen cabinets. The six white panels can be placed in any of the notches on the wooden base, so it's adjustable to fit your pots, pans, baking sheets, cutting boards and more. It’ll keep all your cookware easily accessible.
This may seem like the tiniest thing, but I swear it makes a big impact: Hang a bundle of eucalyptus in your shower for a truly spa-like experience. It looks gorgeous and smells amazing, so consider it a double upgrade. You can always pop over to a local florist for a few stems and wrap them together with twine, but Eucalyptus Blooms on Etsy will do all of that for you and ship a fresh bundle straight to your door — including a free adhesive hook to hang it on. The stems will dry out after a few weeks, but it’s fine to keep them in your shower for longer as long as they don’t get moldy.
For those who enjoy a good bubble bath, a bath caddy is essential. This simple but beautiful brass wire caddy will hold everything you need —?including soap, candles, washcloths and even your beverage of choice —?while adding some style to your bathroom. It expands to fit most tubs from 24 inches to 32.5 inches wide, so all you have to do is extend it to the right size and rest it on the edges.
