How to Decorate Your First Apartment
By Brytin Staab
Decorating, and all the serotonin that comes with it, is easily the most exciting part of moving into a new living space. Whether it’s for a college dorm, a room in need of some TLC, or an entire house, picking and matching pieces that are unequivocally you is bound to leave you scrolling on West Elm for hours. And for many of us in college or beginning our professional careers, this means shopping for a whole new kind of living situation: our first apartment. College dorms are like a baby step into the world of buying things you never knew you needed, just to be able to live and be able to work, go to classes, and build your life. There is so much more to preparing for an apartment that many of us don’t consider, but the good news is that there’s always a place to start.
The Basics: an Excel spreadsheet or Google sheet can help you keep track of what rooms need furnishing and with what item. Start off with the Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room, and Bathroom. This way you can narrow down your google searches into more specific criteria. If you get the chance to visit a friend’s apartment, you can get ideas from them to add to your list. Places like Target are great for basic kitchen utensils, plates, and cleaning supplies so that you don’t break the bank.
Organization: A lot of people don’t factor in the space they have before they start buying things. Use floor plans as a guide so you know what size space you’re working with, and before you buy something, picture where it will go. For pots and pans, will you stack them or line them in a rack? What will you store your skin care items in? Don’t rush these answers. Spend some quality time living in your space before making expensive purchases. Though your space will feel naked for a bit, practicing your living habits before spending will indicate what’s essential for the space.
Get Inspiration: Determine a color scheme early on and stick to it. Planning the colors and textures of your space will keep you from buying junk and mismatched items that you’ll probably end up getting rid of anyway. Make a Pinterest board and save interior photos to a folder on your Instagram. Check out West Elm, CB2, and Architectural Digest for some starting inspiration. Then head to Furbish Studio, Amazon, and Wayfair for cheaper dupes. Etsy also has a great selection of personalized bedding and pillows. The RealReal and 1stDibs are great for coffee table books, accent pieces, art, and collectables.
Main Pieces: When you’re ready to start decorating your apartment try to stick with the big pieces first. Couches, coffee tables, beds, dressers – these will help reduce the blank slate that your apartment was and allow you to envision how your space will take shape before you get too deep into the wallet.
Slowly Collect Décor: The biggest mistake I made when I lived in a dorm was buying all sorts of décor that I thought was cute. I ended up with a cluttered space of random signs and too many prints on my walls. Slowly build your list of décor items you like. To avoid items losing their appeal over time, identify the most basic aspects of your taste. Keeping things simple and minimalistic will allow you to find pieces that are uniquely you and valuable additions.
One Last Hack: Art can be costly. If you have a favorite artist or photographer that’s out of your budget, consider doing some internet digging and seeing if you can find an image you like online. Then, head to CVS to have the image blown up. Finish it off with an affordable frame, and you'll be one happy camper.
Most of all, with these tips, remember to have fun with your space and make it home! You don’t need to have the fanciest or most expensive apartment, but filling it with things that you love and find special will elicit a confidence that impresses.
Photo via Southern Home Magazine
