Buying your first house or apartment represents an interesting threshold in the life of a person, with many questions popping up after you’ve managed to surmount this first and initial snag. (And some snag it is, considering the today’s real estate prices.)
Once you’ve moved in, a host of questions will assert themselves that will each require a separate and carefully thought out answer. For example, how to cut the electricity bill, whether to install solar panels, should you designate a room to act as your larder or award it some other purpose.
That said, one of the matters that you will be required to tend to straight away, so to speak, would be the decoration business. This will be the first step toward establishing yourself as the sole master of your apartment. So, the draperies you pick, the furniture you buy, as well as the paint you use to decorate the walls will all stand as the living proof of your designer genius. (Or lack thereof.)
Anyway, in this article, we’ll talk about how you can decorate your first apartment with a limited budget. As you will see, this task is easier than it appears, so you won’t have to worry too much about money or your artistic expertise, so to speak.
Right then, folks here’s the deal.
How to Decorate Your First Apartment on a Budget
1) Buy Less Furniture
This one may sound a bit odd, but it’s a legitimate way to save some money.
The thing is, once you move in your new apartment, you may get the feeling that you have to fill it with stuff as soon as possible, otherwise you’ll look incompetent.
This, of course, is not true, and many people opt to wait it out to see what pieces of furniture and home appliances they need and which ones they could do without. Why buy a brand new set of expensive chairs and then see them gather dust for years later on because you can’t figure out where to put them.
So, the word of advice is – buy less in the beginning and then add more stuff as you begin to feel the need for it down the line.
2) Get a Houseplant
If you don’t want your house to feel empty, but you aren’t willing to commit to a big buying spree of furniture, you can always get a house plant to fill in the aesthetic gap, so to speak.
Chances are, you see, a houseplant will be able to do wonders when it comes to making your apartment look like a relaxed place with some nature vibes added, as well.
Another thing – houseplants aren’t that expensive, either, so you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get a decent-looking one for your place.
3) Multi-Purpose Furniture
A great way around not being able to afford all the furniture pieces you need at the moment would be to buy multi-purpose furniture.
Many homeowners opt for these pieces even if they do have the money to afford single-purpose furniture, so to speak. Whether it’s a sofa that can promptly turn into a bed or a nightstand that can double as a small table with plenty of compartments, you can find pretty much any combination of furniture pieces you fancy. If you can think it up, chances are – some avant-garde Danish designer has already made it and the thing is sold on e-bay or some other similar online venue.
So, if you need the functionality of proper furniture, but can’t afford enough of it – you can always get a 2-in-1 sofa or a cheeky closet ‘n’ bed combo. Saves money, serves two purposes, and looks cool – what’s not to love?
4) Buy Second-Hand Stuff
This one’s particularly useful for young folks (especially couples) working on a smaller budget.
The idea is quite simple – instead of buying new and expensive furniture, get some second-hand pieces and then mend whatever issue there is with it. Quite simple and works like a charm more often than not.
This principle also works for other household objects such as electrical appliances, for example. While you can buy your fruit blenders and vacuum cleaners new, some of the more expensive contraptions such as refrigerators, electrical stoves, or washing machines are readily available at many second-hand shops where you can find them at half the price of a new unit. In case that second-hand appliance requires some tweaking, you can get the spare parts at a venue such as Wholesale Appliance Supplies, for example.
Again, bargain prices for functionality that does the job. Grand stuff for young people working on a tight budget.
The bottom line, decorating your apartment with a modest budget doesn’t mean you’ll do a bad job or that your apartment will look shabby. On the contrary, working with fewer means you have to turn on your creativity, which will no doubt lead you to some interesting solutions you would have otherwise never thought of.
This post was authored by Stella Ryne
