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Hey everyone! Today’s post is a little different as we will be talking about apartment décor today. We just moved into our new apartment this week and have been decorating and shopping like mad to complete our new place! Because of this, I thought it would be an excellent time to include some awesome tips and tricks that I have learned over the years about the do’s and don’ts of decorating our apartment how we like on a budget!
Not only are there certain rules you must follow when living in an apartment, but they are also quite small and can be challenging to decorate. These helpful tips should be taken into consideration before looking for apartment living décor, and furniture to save yourself from mistakes we have encountered. I have been living in apartments for about 5 years now and can say that I know a lot about decorating them and mistakes to avoid.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
How to Style a Small Apartment on a Budget
Tip # 1: Pick The Best Stores to Shop From
Our favorite stores that are affordable are on the list below. The reason we like these stores is that the quality is phenomenal, apartment-friendly, and perfect for beginners. The stores mentioned not only have chic décor items but are affordable too. Mentioned from best to least.
These are our picks for the best stores to shop from when you are on a budget. They are 50% cheaper than higher name-brand stores such as Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Ikea is great for basic furniture like bar stools, tv stands, dressers, nightstands, and other random little things. Amazon is on our list for the obvious reason that if any of these stores don’t have what you are looking for, then you can look it up on Amazon. Our favorite place to go for GOOD QUALITY furniture that will last for YEARS is American Furniture Warehouse The best part? It’s so cost-effective.
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Tip # 2: What Does Your Apartment NEED?
If this is your first time moving into an apartment by yourself or with others, there are some essentials that you need asap and some that can wait. The reason why these are essentials is that they are things that make a home a home and can add style to your place too.
First, pick a room that you want to focus on. Get the most important items first and look at the different stores above to find exactly what you want for your budget. You must create a budget first to see how much everything is going to cost, you don’t have to get everything at once but if you are like me and want to see it completed already then create a budget for each room that way you can complete one room at a time! (more on this later in the article)
Furniture essentials that also add décor flare:
- Couch
- Bed
- Lamps
- End tables
- Dressers
- TV stand
- Barstools
- Rugs
- Coffee table
Some of these are the most important apartment living essentials because if you want to enjoy the space like us, these are what we use on a daily basis while adding comfort and design to the rooms. Below are pictures of how we have it designed (and links) at the moment but we will be adding more décor items later but for now, it still looks great.
Additional Décor Items:
- Coasters
- Wall art
- Candles
- Fancy lights like lanterns
- Plants
- Mirrors
- Clocks
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Sofa table
These are minimal but still, add a great look to apartments. Here are some examples of what we did with our space!
Tip #3: More Decor Buying Hacks
Pick one room to decorate at a time
This will save you money and allow you to focus on one thing at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed by the pricing and design of everything at once. However, if you need a bed that might be a top priority over other things! If you can wait it out on certain items, I would suggest doing so until you are ready financially.
Shop for furniture at specific times of year
This means if you have a patio you want to decorate, do it at the end of June. Summer technically lasts until September which means you will still have months to use your patio. But take it from us, we got a steal of a deal on our little patio set we got from Target and saved money because we chose to do this! Also take advantage of holidays because typically places like AFW will have a sale for things like 4th of July, Memorial Day, Presidents day, etc!
FIND INSPIRATION
Get your home décors and living deco ideas from Pinterest! Save styles you like, then combine to make an epic design for your home. Combine cozy, farmhouse, and boho vibes to create your humble abode. You can also create a list of your favorite parts of the inspo, so you can have a focus on how you want your place to look and have an idea on what to look for so you aren’t wasting precious time in the store. Look for ideas that you like and copy them! Find cheaper alternatives.
Look for coupons
This one is huge as it can definitely save you tons of money! You can even get coupons from USPS when you change your address online which is so awesome and can save you about 10%. I also recommend downloading Ebates as you can save a couple of bucks that way too. But a quick search of coupons before you leave the house is so helpful!
Create a budget for each room
First, make a list of all your absolute needs like couch, lamps, dresser, and bed. Those are essentials for living and keeping your home cozy. Once you do this, you can then make a list of your wants according to which rooms you are focusing on like the living room. Then look online to compare the average pricing of each item and write down the price next to them, add up the prices at the bottom and see what you are willing to get now or wait on. Some things are worth the wait as I mentioned above there are sales and coupons around slow times of the year.
Measure everything you can
If you have a tiny place, you need to make sure all of your furniture will fit! Get a blueprint from your leasing office to see what the dimensions are in the apartment and invest in a tape measure so you can measure things out properly. Nothing is worse than buying a couch that doesn’t fit in your living room.
Ask questions like…
Will I like this 4 years from now? Can I put this up myself? Can I afford this now?
Asking questions like these will tell you whether to invest in Ikea furniture or AFW furniture. For us, we started with Ikea then we moved up and invested in furniture from AFW. For a couch or other furniture, you want higher quality, I recommend AFW so you don’t waste money. But if you want to spend money on other things right away, it might be a good idea to get something cheaper.
Just make sure you like it before you buy it and you can stand it for a long period of time. Don’t buy anything with crazy colors because you will get bored. Also, try to avoid white furniture because it gets dirty and dusty, however, if it’s what you like, go for it!
Compare different pricings online if you see something in store
If you find yourself shopping in-store and you see something you really like, try to look it up on Amazon or other online stores because chances are, it is 50% cheaper ONLINE!! We saw this curtain rod for $150 at Bed Bath & Beyond but found it was only $20 on Amazon, so we obviously went the cheaper route and saved a LOT of money by doing this.
Links to some of my Home Decor and Furniture:
Living Room:
Patio:
Bedroom:
Diamond Hardware (handles for night stand & Dressers)
Entry Way:
I want to see your décor inspo and how YOU shop for things on a budget. Let’s follow each other on Pinterest! Obviously there are so many different ways to save money but for college students, this is how we did it! I want to read your DIYs and tricks down below. Leave a link to your blog posts too if you have any great ideas! I would love to see.
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xoxo,
Dacia
“Through wisdom, a house is built, And by understanding, it is established” Proverbs 24:3
