Getting an apartment is a thrilling combination of exciting and daunting, especially when you start thinking of all the things you’ll need to fill it. While nothing can completely prepare you for setting up your first apartment before you do it, here are a few tips that should help:
Furniture is Allowed to Be Small
You don’t need a huge entertainment system console or a big fluffy couch if you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment. Big furniture looks great in big spaces, but it’s going to crowd a small apartment very quickly.
If you’ve fallen in love with a big piece of furniture, you can do one of two things: use it as a statement piece and decorate the room around it, or try to copy the elements of what you love without actually using that piece of furniture. For example, if it’s a shabby-chic dresser and vanity combo, consider distressing your bedside tables to achieve the same look on a smaller scale.
Get Comfortable Measuring
Want to hang some wall shelves? You’ll need to measure the wall. Don’t know how large a couch to get? Measure the living room. Your apartment is uncharted furniture territory, and you don’t know how anything is going to fit unless you can visualise the exact dimensions.
If you don’t plan, you may end up buying an area rug that’s way too big or too small for your bedroom, or you might end up with a bed that literally does not fit in the place you were planning to put it. On this subject, a level and a power drill are also smart tools to have when moving.
Decorate for the Space You Have
Almost every interior design article you read will come with gorgeous pictures of living spaces you’re dying to copy. Part of what makes those places so amazing is that the designers are working with the interior space they’ve been given.
Take the ideas that will work with your apartment, and get creative. If you’re in a studio, for example, you’re not going to have space for a huge couch and a matching love seat. You can, however, steal some creative ottoman storage ideas.
Focus on What You Need
When you’re starting off in your own place for the first time, chances are you’ll be tempted to buy lots of cool decorations. It’s important to put your personal style into your living space, but it’s also important to have things you actually need, like silverware.
Some people inherit kitchen supplies and towels from friends and family, but you’re essentially starting from scratch. Save some money during your first few weeks of living in your new apartment, because you’ll realize pretty quickly that you’re missing things like ice cube trays and a vacuum cleaner.
The best part about setting up your new apartment is the feeling of looking at a blank slate. You get to furnish and decorate the space however you want for the first time, so enjoy the experience!
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