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First Apartment Guide: What you should and shouldn’t buy

First Apartment Guide
There’s nothing quite like having your own space. In college, I spent the first three years living in my sorority and while I put as much personal style into my little space as possible, I always dreamed of the day when I could furnish my own pad. Once I moved into my first apartment, I realized that there are SO many options (yay!), but that can also make furnishing it the right way trickier than expected. Here’s a little guide on how to decorate and what to spend your money on. Pin this post.

Favorite Finds

Decorating Tricks

Pick A Theme, But Don’t Get Too Caught Up In It

Maybe it’s a certain color palette or a specific style you’re going for. Establish the theme and create it using accent pieces. You’re likely to have hand-me-down furniture, so don’t feel restricted by the larger pieces if they don’t quite fit. It’s your first pad and it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to feel like home. The true point of establishing a theme is actually to create a vision for yourself that will help you avoid buying unnecessary items!

Avoid Clutter

It’s all too easy to get caught up in knickknacks. Let’s be honest, if it’s a stylish AND inexpensive piece, you’re gonna at least contemplate purchasing it. But if it doesn’t have a true function or fit a very particular space, don’t buy it. The last thing you want to do is clutter your space. Just like a good capsule closet, the key to a happy home – of any size – is to have less pieces with more functionality.

Make It Do Double The Work

Opt for a piece that has multi-purpose, like an ottoman that can double as a coffee table. When friends come over and you need more space, it becomes a seat.

Another great option is a bed with built-in storage, like this one from Ikea.

Invest In A Piece That Can Be Used As Something Else Down The Road

A chaise is a great piece that can be used in multiple rooms. In your first apartment, it can be used as a couch in the living room, but can be moved into a master bedroom down the road.

Need a desk? Look for a long table that can later be used as a hall table when you move into a larger place. I love this one and this one!

Rules To Decorate By

Splurge: Don’t Skimp On Something You’ll Use For Years

This is actually my #1 rule for any kind of shopping. If you know you’re going to use something forever, then invest. If you buy a cheaper version with the intent of eventually purchasing the real deal, when you finally do, you’ve wasted money on that original cheap purchase. So do it once and do it right!
In an apartment, examples of this include:

A quality knife set

Buy a good piece once and you’ll never have to buy another, saving you long-term.

Use Small Pieces To Incorporate Color

It’s your first apartment and you can’t paint the walls (or don’t want to). Pick neutral tones for pieces like furniture that are larger and more expensive to replace. You can always add in bright throw pillows and wall accents to create the tones in the room. And since those types of pieces are small and generally inexpensive, it’s easy to switch them out when the season changes. Buy some cute throw pillows – and don’t spend too much on each one. Check Target, Zara Home, H&M Home, World Market, and HomeGoods for cute ones. Switching between two sets twice a year will add a fresh element to your room.

Another simple addition to any room is a cute candle. Anthropologie is my go-to for those because not only do they smell and look great, but they’re made of clean ingredients. Find one that looks good and smells good and it will appeal to two senses at once. Read this post to learn how to make your home smell like Anthropologie.

Create A Wall Gallery

Make a wall gallery with your favorite pieces. Pick a theme and build it around that. You could make a travel-themed gallery and fill it with pictures from places you’ve been or plan to visit. Use a canvas map as the center piece. Add pins to all the destinations you’ve visited using one pin color, and destinations you’d like to see using another. Or pick a few Gray Malin prints.

Get A Comfy And Inexpensive Rug

Adding a rug will not only add a cozy element to your space, but it will also protect the apartment floors from any potential damage.

Use walls to store books and frames

Save space: instead of buying full bookshelves, buy a few wall cubes or shelves and use them to store your reads.

What To Avoid

A Dining Table

You’ve got a tiny pad and the last thing you need to do is add in a dining table. Even a small one will take up space, and if you can’t afford the loss of square footage (and spend most nights eating on the couch anyway) it’s safe to say that the dining table is a no. Instead, if you’ve got an island counter, add some barstools and call it good. Bonus: it will encourage you to keep the counter clutter-free.

A Bar Cart

I know, they’re so cute and trendy… and perhaps a piece you were looking forward to. But when are you really going to host a big party – let alone fit that many people in your tiny space? Don’t get me wrong, I love hosting and dream of the moment that I can put my epic Pinterest party board to use. But if you’re not quite there yet either, save space and instead of a full-on cart, opt for a cute tray to keep on the counter and fill it with any would-be bard cart essentials.

Bottom line: Have fun with it! Don’t try to make it perfect. Remember, it’s your place and you should fill it with what you love and what makes you happy.

Pinterest

If you liked the Pinterest-sourced images in this post and want more inspiration, check out my room decor board on Pinterest and click here to pin this post.

Where To Shop For Furniture And Accent Pieces

Anthropologie
Costco (full disclosure: I work for Costco, but I have bought my couch, chaise, and bed from Costco and truly believe it’s the best quality. There are also many great finds on Costco.com, which are featured on Pinterest as well.)
Crate and Barrel
Glit Home
H&M
HomeGoods
IKEA
Joss & Main
KRRB
One Kings Lane
Pottery Barn
RugsUSA.com
Target
Wayfair
West Elm
World Market
Z Gallerie
Zara Home