We all love looking through interior influencers posts on Instagram, whether it’s for inspiration, or just to envy their luxurious-looking living spaces that generate a lot of likes.
But pretty products and decadent designs aside - have you ever wondered how much money it costs to make an ‘Insta-worthy’ home? After compiling extensive research, we’ve uncovered the true cost of bringing a home up to Instagram standards.
Creating an ‘Insta-Worthy’ Home Costs £70,000 On Interiors Alone
Focusing on four of the UK’s most loved interior Instagrammers, we have calculated how much their most ‘Insta-worthy’ room would cost to replicate using the same items. Shockingly, the total of these four rooms came to £70,117:
- Kitchen (inspired by @lydiamillenhome) - Cost £45,695
- Bedroom (inspired by @frowhome) - Cost £9,391
- Living room (inspired by @design_at_nineteen) - Cost £7,975
- Bathroom (inspired by @comedowntothewoods) - Cost £7,116
Now that’s almost a third (30%) of the average house price in the UK (£234,612) being spent on interiors, alone. But with the seven photos generating a total of 62,445 likes, that’s perhaps the price some people don’t mind paying to gain a good amount of social likes.
However, if you want to produce an ‘Insta-worthy’ home without burning a hole in your pocket, we’ve also compiled some budget-friendly tips for mimicking the homes for 98% cheaper, costing just £1,627.
Kitting a Kitchen in ‘Insta-Worthy’ Interiors Like Lydia Millen Can Cost £45,695
@lydiamillenhome has generated a huge following of 263k followers and is mostly known for her decadent and traditional taste in interiors. One of the rooms which gains the most traction online is her kitchen diner, which is featured above. Our research has found that despite these two beautiful snaps only showing a tiny snippet of her kitchen diner, the contents featured cost £45,695.
Products featured in @LydiaMillenHome’s kitchen diner:
- ‘Tom Howley’ kitchen - from £40,000
- ‘Neptune’ balmoral dining table - £3,000
- ‘Robert Walker’ floral painting - £1,200
- ‘Neptune’ high back bar stool - £530 (for two)
- ‘Lit Fad’ candle wagon wheel chandelier (similar product) - £210
- ‘Farrow & Ball’ paint in ‘Ammonite’ for the walls - £185
- ‘Laura Ashley’ glass light shade - £170 (for two)
- ‘The Basket Company’ wicker storage trunk - £145
- ‘Farrow & Ball’ paint in ‘Pigeon’ for kitchen island - £71
- ‘Farrow & Ball’ paint in ‘Cornforth White’ for kitchen cabinets - £116
- ‘Biggie Best’ natural trim placemat - £68 (for 4 packs)
Lydia’s Bespoke Kitchen Design Cost £32,000 More Than the Average Kitchen in the UK
The main focal point of this post is, of course, the bespoke Tom Howley kitchen, which is proving to be ever-more popular in the interiors world. For example, UK Google Searches for ‘Tom Howley kitchens’ have increased a staggering 84% in the last year, alone (4,400 monthly searches to 8,100).
However, if this kitchen gets your heart racing, it does come with a hefty price tag. Prices start at £40,000 - which is a staggering £32,000 more than the price of the average kitchen (£8,000).
Another ‘Insta-worthy’ piece in the above image is the art feature by Robert Walker, which coordinates perfectly with her classic looking kitchen. This piece is estimated to have cost £1,200.
Lydia Millen has complemented her country-esque kitchen with this grand dining table from Neptune, costing £3,000. Made from oak, it has a chic traditional feel which is certain to make an impression on any guest.
Top Tips for Replicating this Kitchen on a £316 Budget
Lydia Millen certainly doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to creating her dream kitchen, however, it is possible to create a similar vision whilst on a budget. In fact, you only need to spend £316 using these tricks:
- If you want the modern look of a fitted kitchen island but your budget won’t stretch that far, you could purchase a movable kitchen island table for just £250.
- Rachael Kilby-Tyre from my interior design school says you can “freshen up any tired décor with a coat of paint in one of the latest colour trends.” So, instead of buying a new kitchen to emulate Lydia Millen’s look, why not paint it grey like hers? She’s used the pricey Farrow & Ball paint, however, Polished Pebble from Dulux is a close match and only costs £17 per litre.
- You could even paint your kitchen island like Lydia Millen, but in a cheaper alternative paint, such as Dusted Moss 1 from Dulux, costing £19 for 1 litre. Or if you don’t have a kitchen island, you could add a pop of colour by painting the top cupboards or vice versa.
- Whilst having an original painting is certainly something exquisite to hang in your kitchen, not everyone can afford the hefty price tag. Why not save money and buy a beautiful print from Juniqe costing as little as £26?
Sprucing Up Your Bedroom Space For Social Likes Can Cost £9,391
First time buyer and well-known influencer, Victoria from @frowhome, has transformed her country pad into a chic living space, and is most notable for her Parisian style bedroom. The design of this room oozes decadence, so it’s little surprise that the items in this bedroom add up to £9,400.
Products featured in @FrowHome’s bedroom:
- ‘Dior’ fierce blankets - £2,800 (for two)
- ‘The French Bedroom Company’ Palais royal avenue bed - £2,720
- ‘Bisque’ tetra radiator - £1,311
- ‘Orac’ French panelling moulds - £1,061
- ‘Venoor’ ora armchair - £660
- ‘The French Bedroom Company’ Palais royal French armchair - £595
- ‘Anthropologie’ queen bee curtain tie backs - £128 (for four)
- ‘Farrow & Ball’ paint in Wevet - £116
Fashion Influencer In the Frow’s Dior Blankets Cost More Than Her Bed
Needless to say, Victoria was a fashion influencer before she gained an interest in interior design, so it’s to be expected that she has added two bespoke blankets from French designer, Dior, as decoration. Costing £2,800 for both, they add a pop of blue to the rather muted toned room.
However, as the main Parisian feature of Victoria’s sanctuary, it should come as no surprise that she chose to spend 29% of her budget (£2,720) on this bed. In addition, she also paired a complementary Parisian-inspired chair in the corner of the room.
Another ingenious way Victoria has achieved the Parisian ambiance is by adding wall panelling around the room. These particular moulds are from Orac, and have added an extra element of luxury, with a price-tag to match at £1,061.
How to Create a French Boudoir Bedroom on a £465 Budget
Whilst Victoria’s bedroom exudes opulence, you don’t need a big budget to create such a lavish look. In fact, you can create a similar look with just £465.
- Save ££’s on a luxe French bed by purchasing a French vintage style metal bed frame that costs around £200, which is 7% of the cost of Victoria’s!
- You could also decorate your walls with some Parisian patterned wallpaper, which only costs £65 for 5 rolls.
- Then to create a sanctuary of a corner, you could purchase a similar looking French style armchair for only £200.
Creating a ‘Like-Worthy’ Living Room Similar to this Costs £7,975
Interior influencer, Justin Coakley who runs @design_at_nineteen, has renovated his London pad from top to bottom, and critically so as he has been featured in various ‘top renovation accounts to follow’ for the past two years running, whilst generating 64k followers.
One of his most ‘Insta-worthy’ rooms is his living room, which brings the outdoors in through its earthy colour scheme, contrasting dark woods and, of course, his statement houseplant. After calculating the cost of every item featured in the above post, it totalled £7,975.
Products featured in @Design_at_nineteen’s living room:
- ‘BoConcept’ 3-Seater sofa - £3,332
- ‘Tedd Todd’ herringbone flooring in ‘silverleaf’ - £1,325
- ‘Srelle’ rattan chair - £1,264
- ‘La Redoute’ waska rattan oak cabinet - £599
- ‘La Redoute’ rectangular jute rug - £359
- ‘Norman Copenhagen’ pepo jar grey - £305
- ‘Paper Collective’ shape posters - £170 (for three)
- ‘Paint & Paper Libary’ paint - £96
- ‘Palm Centre’ indoor plant - £83
- ‘101 Copenhagen’ duck bowl vase (for two) - £54
- ‘Map Stores’ house doctor planter - £40
- ‘Snake plant’ - £20
- ‘Zara Home’ contrast shapes vase - £20
- ‘H&M’ Tall face vase - £20
- ‘Ferm Living’ ceramic basket - £67
Blooming Heck: Justin Spent £506 on Vases For His Instagrammable Living Room
Justin Coakley confesses that he is obsessed with vases and we have no doubt about it, after he has spent a staggering £506 on these delicate decorations. It’s not hard to see why these vases are so irresistible, in a medley of greys and whites, they provide the perfect spotlight for the rattan cabinet.
The priciest item in this living room, taking up 42% of the budget is the sofa from BoConcept. This cosy sofa draws inspiration from the 70s, which perfectly complements the minimal shape posters, and dark woods.
Then we have the striking Easy Chair from Srelle, costing £1,264, which shockingly, is about the same price as a mid-range sofa. This piece of furniture has a stunning rattan back and seat, which is a huge trend according to Google (33,100 searches a month in July 2020), and Instagram with 67,811 posts featuring #rattanchair.
Transform Your Living Room into a Green Sanctuary for Just £490
Justin Coakley has made his living room an earthy retreat. However, you don’t need to spend £8,000 to get this look, in fact just £490 using these tips:
- Instead of overhauling your living room furniture, such as the sofa and chair to achieve a natural look, why not save money and spend just £100 by adding lots of greenery with houseplants? As Interior designer, Rachael Kilby-Tyre states, “leafed plants can create an instant, green, urban jungle look.” Mix sizes of plants to add shape and to create the illusion the room is filled with greenery.
- Justin has decked his living room with beautiful oak flooring, which adds a lot to the cost of this Insta room. Rachael advises using a statement rug to transform a tired floor, as “they can add instant colour into a neutral scheme or change the proportion of colour within a room.” Or if you really want to match Justin’s style, you could purchase the same rug for £360.
- The stylish minimalist art prints are a big feature in Justin Coakley’s living room. But, if you didn’t want to splurge on these, you could get creative and make your own. A set of canvases and acrylic paints with brushes will only set you back £30.
Splash Out: Designing Insta-Worthy Bathroom Requires a Budget of £7,116
@comedowntothewoods is a top interior influencer on Instagram, with a whopping 199k followers. Katie Woods, the woman behind the account, is definitely not fearful of mixing and matching colours and prints. She’s even gone so far as to add a bold dash of colour to her bathtub, which takes centre stage in this snap, with the total cost of the bathroom amounting to £7,116.
Products featured in @ComeDownToTheWoods’s bathroom:
- ‘Marrakech Design’ tiles - £2,736
- ‘Cast Iron Bath Company’ salcombe bath - £1,372
- ‘Living House’ coco bath tap with shower - £955
- ‘House of Hackney’ majorelle Wallpaper - £875
- ‘Cedar and Moss’ alto sconce wall light - £334 (for two)
- ‘Lusso Stone’ lauro stone resin counter top basin - £282
- ‘Buster and Punch’ - cabinet pull bar handles medium - £168 (for two)
- ‘Buster and Punch’ - cabinet pull bar handles small - £136 (for two)
- ‘Paint & Paper Library’ paint - £136
- ‘iBride Design’ IDA 4 painting - £121
The Centre of Attention is this Freestanding Bath, Costing 20% of the Bathroom Budget
The main highlight in this Instagram-worthy bathroom is the pastel pink cast iron bath, costing 19% of the bathroom budget at £1,372. Traditional bathtubs that are freestanding have seen a resurgence lately. The hashtag #freestandingbath has amassed 54,008 posts on Instagram.
Of course, you couldn’t have a gorgeous bathtub without lovely taps and shower fittings. Surprisingly, the Coco bath tap is nearly the same price as the bath - only 30% less at £955. The bath tap is finished in a stylish antique brass that fits perfectly with the bathtub and the rest of the room.
One ravishing highlight of this bathroom is the bold wallpaper from House of Hackney, in marjoelle. The pattern unfurls flowers in pinks and blues, complementing the vivid bathroom.
Revive Your Bathroom With a Similar Look But a Budget of £390:
If you love the look of Katie Woods bathroom but your budget is pinched, don’t fret. We’ve found the ways in which you can mimic her style for just £390:
- This brushed brass bath and shower tap from Butler & Rose is in an extremely similar style but significantly cheaper at £180.
- We’ve also found a close match to the basin with the Vellamo rectangular countertop basin costing just £70.
- Use vinyl flooring to replicate the cool patterned designer tiles for just £120.
- If you already have a totally fine bathtub, yet adore the look of this colourful bath, why not paint it pink? You can purchase paint for all types of furniture for only £20.
Enjoyed discovering about the gorgeous homes of influencers? Check out our blog post on lavish Celebrity properties for more home envy.
Methodology
Tap Warehouse focused on these four interior influencers, due to them regularly being mentioned in various ‘top interior Instagram accounts to follow’ online. They were also chosen on the basis that they all have a minimum of 60,000 followers, which is enough to work as an Instagram influencer full-time, however, some have as many as 266,000 followers.
To calculate the cost of each room, we compiled extensive research to locate each item featured in the Instagram post online, and totalled up the cost to create the true cost of an ‘Insta-worthy’ home.
