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Carter Oosterhouse Shares How to Get a "Million Dollar Look" in Your Home

Carter Oosterhouse is the man behind the hit HGTV show, "Million Dollar Rooms," but the Michigan-bred contractor will be the first to say that it doesn't take $1 million to make a room look like it is worth that much. The show which airs, Tuesdays 8:30 pm/7:30 central, shows the "craziness, the beauty, the extravagance of what a room looks like when someone spends over a million dollars," Carter shares. But the ultimate lesson he's learned is, "At the end of the day, even if you have $1 million… or $12 million to spend on one room, which we're going to show this season, it doesn't mean it buys you style."

As the newlywed (he just tied the knot with actress Amy Smart) points out, the mindset of someone who spends that much on a room is often bogus! "My jaw is always on the floor," he exclaimed. "This last house we went to, they literally had a Rodin [painting] in their bathroom above the toilet. And I was like, 'What? Why would you have this amazing piece of art over your toilet?'"

It's his practical mindset that first earned him his TV start on the hit show, "Trading Spaces" back in 2003, and since he's got more than 500 TV home makeovers under his tool belt, we figured he'd be the perfect guy to chat with about how to get a high end look without breaking the bank - oh and avoid that gaudy style!

Re-purpose and Re-salvage: "Re-purposed items and re-salvaged items can sometimes go a lot farther than a brand new piece because sometimes brand new pieces that are minimal on cost can be extremely not good looking," shares Carter.

Secondhand Steals: "Secondhand stores, consignment stores, flea markets -all of the above - are places you can find so many good pieces, and for the style that is in right now -- shabby chic," says Carter. Older pieces can be a steal, sometimes even free -- by slapping a new paint coat or new hardware on them you can create a shabby chic look. If the piece doesn't work out in your home, there's no love-loss since you hardly paid anything for it!

Look for the Trend in Colors: In your living spaces, keep a neutral palate for big ticket items like sofas and then identify the hot colors for the season in accents. "Instead of changing the entire look by painting walls, get throw pillows or accent pillows, or throw blankets to dress your space up," he says. FYI Carter tells us, salmon, is the "it color" right now.

Monochromatic Looks Luxurious: "Monochromatic tones are great within a space because they give a high end feel where you can keep a similar tone or color, but at the same time you can just have a different finish on them. With paint, you can have an eggshell and then a glossy finish. The glossy will obviously give you a high end look, but if you don't have so many high end pieces, that's where your eggshell tone will work really well."

Make Your Rooms Feel Like a Hotel: You know that swanky feeling you get when you lay down on a plush hotel bed? Carter says it is easy to create at home. "For bedding, go to a place like the Home Goods store… use a comforter on your bed, lots of pillows and then add another comforter at the foot of the bed. Two comforters helps create that hotel feel," he says. Also, "Adding sconces to your home - whether they are actual electric hardwired sconces or they are candles for decoration-- those can be really inexpensive, but can add an elegant feel to your home."

Maximize the Entire Space: Carter says homeowners should never have wasted space in their homes. "You're paying for it, so you want to use the spaces," he says. He suggests looking at the rooms you use most in your house and focusing more effort there, like the kitchen and bedroom, but to be sure not to isolate the rest of your rooms.

Keep the Big Picture in Mind: "In the 'Trading Spaces' days, we used to say 'Just focus on the room, don't even worry about the rest of the space,' which is totally the wrong approach," he says. "You want to focus on the big picture… you want to know your tones and know your styles before you go in because then you [can create] separate spaces but you have a seamless look throughout."

Know Your Limitations: Carter says he encourages fans to take on big projects and try doing things in their home, since he says we often spend money on projects that aren't that hard. But some projects should be left to the pros. "When you start getting into things like electrical or plumbing and you don't know what you're doing, or you're not licensed, you can end up spending time and energy and then need a professional to come in and clean up your work."

Don't Bargain Shop the Big Stuff: "I tried to bargain with a friend of mine on a paint job, and he said, 'You know Carter, if I am going to buy a $2 brush, I am going to give you a $2 paint job.' What he meant by that was, sometimes you have to spend a little bit more money on some of the items that you really want for functionality," he says. Think about things that will be around longer in your home, tiling jobs, back splashes, painting, electrical, plumbing, and splash more money on those projects.

Now that you have these tips in hand, go ahead and start those summer home projects! And for the record - if Carter had to choose a room to spend $1 million on, he says he'd take the selfish choice, and trick out his tool shed. Boys will be boys.