Decorating and buying furniture for your first apartment is both exciting and overwhelming. You'll need kitchen supplies, a bed, a mattress, desks, drawers, couches, chairs, not to mention the decor! You have tons of choices and a nice space to fill that's all your own.
Choosing furniture for your first apartment can also get very expensive very fast. Without having a proper plan and idea of the types of furniture you want, you may end up spending way more than your targeted budget. At the same time, there are some modern furniture pieces that should be high quality and come with a higher price tag.
So how do you choose which furniture pieces to save or splurge on?
Splurge or Save?
Dressers and Nightstands Save!
Buying good quality dressers and nightstands doesn't necessarily have to cost a lot. Find a piece that is held together with nails and screws (not staples) and is sturdy. You don't want them to collapse while you're using them, but they aren't items that are highly affected by wear and tear.
Buying second hand dressers and nightstands is also a great way to save money for your first apartment. You can refinish or stain pieces that you get second hand to match with your aesthetic and colour scheme quite easily with a little DIY as well!
Mattress and Bed Splurge!
If you buy a secondhand dresser for next to nothing and the bottom drawer squeaks when it opens, that's a little inconvenient. If you buy a cheap, lumpy mattress and a bed with weak slats that could snap in the middle of the night, you'll notice every single night.
Do your research on mattresses, box springs, and bed frames to find out which one is right for you. Check the store's return policy as well – you want to ensure you have an opportunity to return it if it's not perfect for you!
If you splurge on a bed and mattress, it could stay with you for years to come. Not to mention help you settle into your new apartment that much more easily!
Sofas Splurge!
A sofa is another modern furniture piece that can follow you from your first apartment to your next homes. When you're choosing a modern sofa for your first apartment, you want it to be sturdy, comfortable, and made with materials that will last. Even if you try to save on a sofa and choose a cheap or low quality brand, you'll end up replacing it yearly instead of after a decade.
To ensure your sofa is worth the splurge, ensure it's made of real wood or metal (not particle board) and try to get it in a neutral colour so it will match changing colour schemes. If you look for deals, you may also be able to get matching loveseats, chairs, or ottomans to go with your new sofa.
Decor Save!
Mirrors, artwork, rugs, throw pillows – it's easy to spend a lot of money on these when you're not paying attention. With a little searching, you can find some amazing deals on decor and even take some time to DIY them yourself.
Check out thrift shops, garage sales, and second hand stores to find some unique items for low prices. Once you've chosen all your furniture for your first apartment (and pay off the subsequent credit card bill!) you can start looking for other unique decor that speaks to you that may be a higher price. When you first move in, however, don't just splurge on a ton of random decor items!
If you save on decor when you first move in, you'll be able to spend time organically amassing a cohesive set of decor that can follow you to your next home.
Dining Set Splurge! (a little, at least)
If your apartment has space for a dining table, breakfast nook, or even a counter suitable for bar stools, choosing whether to splurge or save on chairs and a table can be tricky. On the one hand, your apartment likely doesn't have space for a large dining table like a future house may have, so it makes sense to save for now. On the other hand, you don't want your guests to sit on uncomfortable chairs or have an unsightly furniture set in your apartment!
When choosing furniture for your first apartment, save on the table but splurge on the dining chairs. Your dining room table will likely be small for now, so there's no reason to spend a lot on it when you'll likely replace it with a larger one when you move in the future. The chairs, however, should be comfortable and made of high quality materials to ensure they handle wear and tear.
In the future, you can reuse the chairs with another dining set or even reupholster them to match a new aesthetic. Dining room chairs are apartment furniture you can splurge on!
Plan Ahead
Always make sure you have a plan as to what furniture you want, your overall budget, and the items you're going to splurge on. It can be easy to walk into a furniture store and buy wall units, extra kitchen supplies, huge sofas, and way too much bedroom furniture!
Bring your list to every store or website you visit to ensure that you stick to your plan and stay within your budget. You'll have plenty of apartments after this one to splurge on more items!
Splurge On High Quality
When you've chosen to splurge on a furniture item, it's key that you do the research to ensure you're getting the most for your money. Budgeting for furniture for your first apartment is very tight, so when you're choosing furniture pieces to splurge on, make sure they're worth it!
Finding a high quality furniture supplier is key for finding the best furniture pieces that will give you your money's worth. Plus, in the future when you decide to upgrade the items you saved on, you'll have a company on hand that you can work with.
sohoConcept provides high quality modern furniture made of long-lasting materials. When you choose sohoConcept, you know you're working with a company that stands behind its products and will stay with you for many years to come.
Contact us for more information or view our catalogue today!