Moving out of the dorm or the parent’s house means you have truly crossed over into adulthood. This is an exciting time for you to get a place to call home. It may be an apartment or a small house. Either way, it will be yours.
You will want your home to reflect who you are and what you like. Some of the items you acquire will come from family, friends, second hand stores, etc.. But you will want to be sure to consider each piece before taking it in to be sure it makes the statement about you that you intend.
Make a list/plan of what pieces are needed and where you put them. Draw it out if you can.
Be sure to keep versatility in mind. There is nothing wrong with having a totally unique and unusual piece of furniture, but you don’t want everything to be quirky or you and your quests will begin to feel totally out of place.
Even when looking at used furnishings, be sure the pieces are quality pieces. The worst thing would be for the apartment to take on the look of a thrift store.
Inspire yourself and your design-eye by looking on websites, blogs and magazines to help you to decide what style really will suit you and what items help to create the look.
Be realistic about your space. Furnish it and arrange the pieces in a way that allows you to actually live in the apartment. It is after all, the place you will call home.
For more tips and ideas about furnishing a starter apartment, read the entire article: Tips For Decorating a New Home From Tom Delavan.
I loved your article my son is getting to that age and this article brought back a lot of memories about my apartment. I loved that tip about drawing out what you want the apartment to look like because it is always best to make sure it will all fit before you go out and spend a lot of money on things that won’t. Thank you for doing this it will save me time.