One dining room, two very different price tags — can you spot the difference?

Bold style and brilliant design is entirely possible on any budget and our in-house design expert Steven Sabados pulled together a pair of rooms to prove just that. He styled a totally fun and elegant space duplicated on both a high and lower budget. These rooms offer up a similar style for very different prices — the less expensive space is roughly $7000 cheaper than the upscale one. Steven broke down what we need to know when opting for upscale and the thrifty purchases that'll help you achieve the look for less. See if you can spot the difference!

High price point room

Lower price point room

Wallpaper

This high end wallpaper is called 'Queen of Spain' by Shumacher. It was introduced in 1963 and still looks fresh today — always the sign of a true classic. What makes this upscale is that it has designer cache, and the pattern comes in fabric as well, so it can be repeated in a textile on your sofa. This wallpaper also comes in a 48 inch wide roll, which means fewer wall seams, and it's made with superior quality paper. But at $250 a yard (it cost about $800 to wallpaper the tiny wall pictured above) this wallpaper will not fit every budget.

However, this pattern has a fun painterly quality and is a great example of mid-century design that has crossover appeal. To get the look for less, Steven found a great wallpaper that took inspiration from Shumacher's pattern. It comes in a regular width roll, and costs about $90 a roll (it only cost $40 to cover the wall in the photo). Talk about savings!

Dining chairs

When shopping for quality dining chairs, opt for good construction and a fabric with a high rub count. The higher the rub count, the more durable the fabric. A quality retailer will provide the fabric details for you, and if they can't, then you're likely being overcharged for something that will wear down as quickly. The pricier chair is made with ultra suede velvet, with a high rub count so it's incredibly durable. But you're going to pay for those features!

The more inexpensive option still looks great, but its price is kept lower with various differences. For your fabric choice Steven still recommends that you pick chairs with a good rub count so they will last for many dinner parties to come.

Dining table

What makes one glass and chrome table more expensive than another comes down to design and finishing details. You'll often find more intricate and difficult to accomplish designs in pricier pieces which makes them more difficult to reproduce on a mass scale. The upscale table in the the higher price point table includes some tricky design elements in the centre that give it a floating illusion. You can tell that it's more expensive because of the finishing details. The floating edges are smooth, welded nicely and all converge on a single point. It may be machine manufactured but it requires precision and detailing that could not easily be reproduced for a lower price point. Plus, the glass is bevelled and tempered, so it's twice as strong — and durability is important with a glass table.

However, the more inexpensive option looks very similar when you're not examining the details. If you're opting for a more budget-friendly glass top table, be sure to pick one a strong top so that your money doesn't go to waste because of a clumsy mistake during dinner.

Rug

Both rugs look very similar despite their retail prices. These types of overdyed antique-looking rugs are so popular and trendy that it's easier to find good options at various price points. The rug above is a real antique, while the one below is an overdyed "antiqued" rug that's been aged artificially. That single letter is going to save you a lot of cash! But watch out: there is a whole industry of "aging" carpets that will be sold as antiques. If you really want to buy an antique, be sure to do your research so you know what you're getting.

It takes longer to weave a new rug if it has more knots per square inch so naturally the finer a new rug is, the more expensive it be. Instead, we found an inexpensive option that fakes the antique look pretty well. The price will ultimately come down to quality and colour with an overdyed rug. If you need a specific colour, you will pay more, but if you have a bit more flexibility, you'll pay less.

Lighting

These oversized wicker cage lamps are really trendy, but the more expensive option is quite pricey. Instead, Steven got a cheap laundry basket, spray painted it black, and hung it up with an inexpensive light kit.

If your budget falls somewhere in the middle, mix and match high and low end pieces to get the best of both worlds. Choosing to invest in a few key, quality pieces can pay off over time, but thanks to Steven, both looks are sure to impress.

Resource guide:

High price point room

Wallpaper

• Shumacher through Bilbroughs – $250/yard

Table 

• Elte – $2395.00

Chairs

• Elte - $1195/ea

Rug  

• Elte – $1875.00

Light

• CB2 - $429.00

Accessories

• HomeSense - $100.00

Total $10,329.00

Lower price point room

Wallpaper

• Primetime Paint and Paper - $89.99

Table 

• HomeSense - $699.00

Chairs

• Zilli Home –   $479.00

Rug

• Ikea - $549.00

Light

• DIY basket from Plaiters Place - $69.99

Accessories

• HomeSense - $100.00

Total $3423.98