Finally getting your first apartment is a big step for everyone, however, it can be really stressful to think about all the stuff you need to buy and whether or not you’re actually making a good buy. Furnishing your own place for the first time can be tricky, especially if you don’t have a clear idea of the vibe you want it to have. But you don’t need to lose your sleep over it, we got your back and have put together a guide to help you through this stressful yet joyful journey.
Finding your style
Buying bland furniture that doesn’t really match might work for some but not for everyone. If you want your place to give off cozy vibes, you need to determine what you like. To find your very own style, you’re going to have to look through a lot of magazines, stores, online shops and Pinterest, among others to be able to have a vision of the things that work for you. Making vision boards on Pinterest is a really fun way to visualize what you want your home to look like.
If you already have some furniture or decoration you can take a look at them and ask yourself if you really like them, if you do then you can start getting things that match them, if you don’t you can always sell them or give them away.
Figuring out what you need
While this sounds like an easy task, it’s quite more difficult than it sounds. Of course, there are some basics you know you need like a mattress or some dishes, however, it’s not always easy to know what you actually need. If you’re living in a big city then you can tell you’re not always going to have space for everything you want and that is when it’s time to get creative.
After getting your first apartment, the first thing you need to do is measure EVERYTHING so you don’t end up with tons of things that don’t actually fit. After you’ve done that, it’s time to start looking for furniture and also check its measurements and you’re going to mark the space it’s supposed to take with paper tape, this way you can make sure everything suits your new home.
Price vs Quality
Let’s be real, moving is extremely expensive and a lot of times one can be tempted to buy that really cheap table, while this can work for some, sometimes things are cheap for a reason. I highly recommend spending a bit more on a higher quality product for some key items like your couch or your bed. If the main piece of furniture is made of great quality, it doesn’t matter if the rest are not because that main piece will get all the attention. I myself have a bad quality bookshelf placed right next to a high quality table and it looks great!
If you don’t spend a lot of time at your place, buying the cheaper things will work just fine. The less you use cheap furniture, the more it will last and, with the right decoration, everything can look just like that Pinterest board you made.
How to furnish my apartment on a budget
While buying higher quality furniture can be better, it is also quite expensive and not for all budgets, especially for a first-time mover. Thank God thrift stores exist. Second-hand stores are a must if you’re moving on a budget, they not only offer amazing prices but also really unique and vintage items you won’t find anywhere else. This also applies to Facebook Market where you can sometimes even get stuff for free as long as you’re willing to pick it up yourself. You can also make your own pieces of decoration, you can paint that empty wine bottle and turn it into a flower vase! With a brush and some paint, you can let your inner artist see the light and turn your house into a home.
Making your apartment feel like a home is a trickier task than one might think but with the right amount of decoration and time invested, anything is possible.