Practical Tips for Furnishing Your First Apartment
For many people, moving into their first apartment represents a rite of passage. Whether you’re starting college or striking out on your own, your first apartment is likely to be your first residence as an independent adult. While having your very own living space can certainly be exciting, furnishing it may present some challenges, especially if you have no experience in this area. Fortunately, getting your first apartment in order doesn’t have to be an uphill battle – provided, of course, you’re armed with the proper tips. When putting together your first solo living space, the following pointers are sure to serve you well.
Invest in a High-Quality Mattress
When living independently, you’ll quickly learn which items you should splurge on and which you shouldn’t. Mattress, as you’ll find, fit into the former category. While it may be tempting to grab the cheapest one you can find and call it a day, this approach to mattress shopping can have a dramatic impact on your quality of slumber – and your quality of slumber can have a dramatic impact on your ability to function.
Of course, this isn’t to say that every expensive mattress is good and every discounted mattress is bad, but cheaping out in this area is unlikely to serve you well. Selecting the wrong mattress can result in years of lackluster slumber and the various health problems associated therewith. So, while the desire to save as much money as possible is certainly understandable, a good mattress is an essential furnishing on which you should be willing to spend a little extra.
Don’t Break the Bank on a Dining Table
As stated above, some furnishings warrant spending more money than others. While a mattress is among those items, a dining table generally isn’t. Most young adults don’t spend a substantial amount of time at their dining tables or host elaborate dinner parties in starter apartments. Furthermore, even if you do engage in these activities, the general quality of your dining table should be a non-issue. While it’s certainly nice to have a table made from high-quality wood and/or metal, inexpensive tables often do the same job just as well. As long as a table is sturdily-built and able to hold a fair amount of weight, it should suit your needs just as well as a pricier alternative.
Seek Out Comfortable Living Room Furniture
Like mattresses, living room furniture tends to receive a great deal of use. So, if you spend a substantial amount of time on the couch or enjoy kicking back in a recliner after a long day, make comfort your foremost priority when shopping for living room furniture. Again, this doesn’t mean every expensive furnishing is automatically good, but going with the cheapest possible options is liable to result in considerable discomfort. Cheap and/or poorly-designed living room furnishings can pave the way for back and neck pain and turn hanging out in your apartment’s main area into a tremendously uncomfortable experience.
Comfy living room furniture is also an absolute must for people who frequently host company. If your apartment lacks comfortable places to sit, friends are unlikely to grace you with their presence on a consistent basis.
Look for Cost-Effective Lighting Options
As is the case with dining tables, you needn’t spend a small fortune on lighting options. While it’s certainly easy to find exorbitantly expensive lamps, it’s equally easy to find perfectly good ones for a fraction of the cost. A decent multi-bulb lamp shouldn’t run you more than $60. In fact, you should be able to find quite a few attractive options in the $30 to $50 range. For maximum cost-effectiveness, look for lamps that utilize energy-efficient bulbs. Additionally, affordable Christmas lights have become an increasingly popular indoor lighting option for young adults in recent years.
Nothing quite compares to being handed the key to your first apartment. Sure, the place may not have everything you’re looking for in a long-term residence, but for now, it’s home. Furthermore, it’s the first place in which you’ll be living independently, and as such, this apartment will always hold a special place in your heart. Luckily, even if you don’t have a fortune to spend on furnishings, making your new place feel like home should be well within your abilities.
