Refurbishing an apartment into a luxury home

Turning any space into a luxury home may seem like an expensive prospect, but it is one that can be easily achieved whatever your budget.  

With just a few adjustments and some savvy purchases made while refurbishing, the whole look and feel of your apartment can be transformed into one of elegance and luxurious comfort.  When purchasing the house one must look for a potential layout which may be converted.  Look at the walls and the ceilings and figure out if the space may be reconfigured by dropping walls and new soffit ceilings.  Speak to a freelance contractor or if you haven’t the time hire a turnkey company that may take carry of everything from a-z that you may tie to deadlines and penalty clauses. 

Below you will find some ideas on how your space or a potential house may be converted into your new luxury property in Malta.

Your Hallway

The experience of being inside a luxury home starts the moment you enter it, so focus on your entryway. One approach is to make it feel like you have just walked into a high-class hotel, complete with soft lighting, interesting art pieces, attractive greenery or antiqued mirrors. For a smaller space, you can still downsize this concept by choosing a centrepiece that draws the eye as soon as the front door opens, and selecting a few key luxe artworks that point to it.  Marble or a unique stone may be the ideal material to showcase.

Don’t forget to ‘dress’ your hallway table, which might be wood, marble, or shiny lacquer, with a designer lamp, some floral arrangements, and items of interest such as books. Finish the look by hanging an elegant light-reflecting mirror above it.

Do up your kitchen with class

The high-end finishes used throughout a property usually resonate from those used in the kitchen, making it the heart of any luxury home, in terms of style. From parquet flooring and upmarket appliances to marble countertops, you can tell how luxurious a home is by the quality of its kitchen.  

A kitchen Island is a great way to create a more sociable and modern kitchen as the host may always be attending to their guest whilst an Island provides the feeling of space and luxury.

When refurbishing your apartment, make sure then to use the best materials your budget can afford. However, if your kitchen is already installed, add a layer of luxury by replacing your appliances with updated, energy- efficient models in one of the many sleek and attractive designs available in today’s market.  

Bedroom

The bedroom is another room that can draw its inspiration from one in a 5-star hotel. Once again, here the luxury is created through the quality of the materials used, with coordinated bed linen, furniture, and window dressings, and sumptuous quilting, pillows, cushions and cosy armchairs.

For the bed size, bigger is better, so select a King or Queen-sized bed with a complementary headboard. Consider placing two high-quality side tables either side, that offer a dimmable light source and a handy remote control to a television – preferably one which can be cleverly hidden when not in use.

Bathroom

Your luxury home’s bathrooms, especially any en-suites adjoining bedrooms, should be a continuation of the stylish comfort found everywhere else in the home. Here is where, particularly if you are fully refurbishing, you should purchase the best your budget will allow in terms of shower facilities, sinks, vanity stands, mirrors, tiling and heated flooring.

Consider also how your choice of lighting effects the overall ambience of the bathroom: having the ability to dim the lights to soak in the Jacuzzi, or to brighten them to apply make-up, is the attention to detail that is signature to luxury living.

High-Tech Climate Control

Nothing says luxury more than installing the latest in modern technology available for the home, such as smart kitchen gadgets or automated security systems. However, due to the island’s especially warm Mediterranean climate, having access to high-tech climate control is an essential feature in any luxury home in Malta.

Since, by definition, luxury should be neither too warm nor too cold, consider installing a programmable thermostat in your apartment that can regulate the interior temperature as necessary. Air conditioning units are also increasingly available with smartphone accessible controls, so you can switch it on remotely, ready for when you arrive back at your luxury home. 

Conclusion

Turning your home into a smart home is the latest trend and is easily accessible and may be configured at reasonable prices.  Planning the refurbishment is key to your success.  You must ensure that you look from the outside or utilise a designer to guide though nowadays with home magazines you may not even need one.

If you are looking for a fixer-upper and have the vision and stamina to deal with the refurbishment you must find a reliable estate agent that knows their market and may find a suitable home that matches your needs and your budget.