Congratulations! You just signed the dotted line to get your first apartment, and you’re thrilled to move by yourself. You know what they say, there’s no place like home! But if you are tight on money after purchasing your apartment, furnishing it can be daunting. And even if you established the budget for this task, between selecting a paint for the walls, picking a rug to work with the couch and searching for the perfect mattress, the process seems overwhelming.
Don’t panic! It may sound stressful, but if you plan ahead, you can make it before breaking the bank. There are endless possibilities to furnish your home and make it feel personal. If you feel like your anxieties are making it difficult for you to enjoy this process, take a step back and relax for a night. You’ll wake up with fresh energy in the morning.
We put together some tips to assist you in the process and make it feel less overwhelming.
Begin with the walls
The walls and floors are the canvas you work with when you furnish and decorate a house. Supposing your apartment has high-quality flooring, you can focus your attention to the walls. Nothing transforms a place more than the coat of paint you apply on the walls. Now, the market provides limitless options, but spend some time thinking about what atmosphere you want to create. What kind of vibe do you want for each room? Do you prefer neutral hues or do you like brighter colours? Or you may wish to experiment considering this is the first place you get to call home, and you pick a bold dark shade for the bedroom.
Nudes and greys are timeless colours that always bring an air of elegance to the room, so you can stick with them if you prefer a cosy space.
Paint the walls before buying any furniture and bringing any box because painting an empty apartment is easier than moving heavy items around the room and walking around things wrapped in plastic.
Find the perfect bed
When you furnish a space from scratch, first pick the bed. These days there are countless options and models to choose from. When undecided check Pinterest for inspiration, it has tons of ideas that can help you narrow down the list. Before ordering a bed, measure the room and check if the frame combo you prefer makes sense for its size.
Once you find the perfect bed, you can look for mattress options. Your sleeping position and health determine the mattress perfect for your needs.
Establish what the high-traffic areas are
If you’re tight on money and you applied for home loans you may not want to spend too much on furnishing the house. Prioritising the high-traffic areas helps you identify the spaces you’ll use the most and require early furnishing. Pick items for these spaces before focusing on other areas of the house. Do you like spending time in the living room watching Netflix or playing games on your console? Do you host dinner parties? Ask yourself these questions, and the answers will help you figure out what areas require your attention when you purchase furniture.
By following this strategy, you get the most out of your budget and can move quickly to your new house. Give your budget a break and take your time to decorate the home. It’s best to keep things basic in the beginning because your goal is to make the apartment liveable. Once you purchase the items essential for a comfortable stay, you can style and decorate the house.
Get a high-quality sofa
Interior designers call the sofa the anchor of the living room, so it’s wise to start from there when you furnish this area. In addition to making you feel comfortable when you snuggle in front of the TV, the couch is also a good spot to nap when you don’t feel like getting up in the middle of the night or get work done when you don’t have a desk. You can also use the living room as a guest room if you use to welcome people around.
Now that you have your own apartment, you don’t have to overthink about buying a couch that it’s easy to fit into a variety of cars or rentals. Measure the room, decide how you want to arrange the furniture elements around it, and figure out what fabric works best for you. Invest in a high-quality couch that is sturdy and comfortable to use. The prices may shock you at first, but remember you’re going to use it for at least five years, so it’s worth the effort.
Splurge on lighting
After you buy the large furniture items for the main areas of the house, it’s time to lift your head and choose some overhead and wall lighting for your new apartment. Switching lighting fixtures in a rental apartment is tricky because most landlords don’t allow tenants to modify the space, but in your home, you have all the freedom and flexibility you need.
Make sure the lighting fixtures you choose offer enough light to feel cosy and comfortable. Also, don’t try to save money and install them by yourself because if you aren’t an electrician, you can put your safety at risk. Hire an expert to evaluate the electric system and tell if you need to change any wires together with the old fixtures.
Use textiles to add personality to the apartment
Decorations, accessories, and textiles are the last things you’ll purchase, but they worth the investment because they can make or break the aesthetics of a house. Though you may have preferred basic furniture and decorations, you can choose textiles in brighter hues and patterns to make the place feel more cheerful.
Decide what style you prefer before buying textiles, and create mood boards for each room to make sure the elements you bring inside match. Textiles and decorations allow you to change the house’s vibe regularly, so don’t stress yourself too much if the pillows don’t fit with the couch or rug.
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
