HOW TO FURNISH AN APARTMENT WITH STYLE WHEN YOU’RE ON A BUDGET
In this article, I’ll share smart tips and hacks for maximizing small apartment spaces with your own personal style!
I’ll never forget renting my first apartment. When I walked in that first day, I felt I was given a freshly painted, newly carpeted, crisp, and clean “blank canvas” to furnish and decorate. I wanted to move in and make each nook and cranny my own. The only catch? I didn’t have much money, and furnishing an apartment on a budget is a tall order.
I quickly learned that to make this space unique and functional, I need to be creative with my furniture and decor purchases. In many ways, I found it a fun and exciting challenge. I aim to find items that fit my needs while staying within my budget.
Adding a busy family to the mix makes furnishing an apartment even more complicated – space is at a premium, and everyone needs a space of their own to some degree. These tips and tricks will allow you to save some serious pennies as you furnish your apartment without losing your sense of style or comfort.
FIND FURNITURE THAT PROVIDES MORE THAN ONE USE
If you want to maximize your spending, invest in furniture that you can use for multiple purposes. Plus, when you have less furniture, it opens up space in your apartment that your kids can play in or you can use for things like exercise and self-care. These furniture pieces might include:
- Floor lamps with shelving spaces to display knick-knacks, photo frames, or candles.
- Foldable futons, beds, or chairs that offer seating in the daytime and sleeping spaces at nighttime.
- Foldable or extendable tables can be used for work, eating, and doing crafts projects with your kids. They can also be folded up to display pretty decor when entertaining company.
- Rollable kitchen carts with flat tops, cutting boards, and shelves are used for extra food storage and kitchen counter space.
- Stackable clothes hangers store non-clothing items like bedsheets, blankets, scarves, and crafting items (ribbon, thread, tape, etc.). Ladders also work for this purpose.
LOOK FOR PIECES WITH HIDDEN STORAGE SPACE
My first apartment had minimal storage space for the things I didn’t want out in the open, such as clothing, cleaning products, linens, and towels. Plus, if you’re like many moms, you want a clean and serene space, free of clutter. Finding furniture that includes hidden storage space solves both of these problems. You might use these:
- Drawers and containers are hidden under a bed.
- Over-the-door hangers to store items like clothes, shoes, socks, gloves, purses, cosmetics, and even kids’ toys.
- Drawers inserted inside a coffee table.
- Lift-top coffee table with open storage underneath the top.
- Cushion bench with shoe storage under the cushion.
Drawer organizers to store your shirts, socks, and underwear in an organized, clutter-free way.
Get clever with your closet storage. Grab hangers with tiers to layer multiple items.
USE UP THAT WALL SPACE
A new apartment isn’t complete without some pretty items hanging on the wall. Buying ready-to-hang wall decor is a great option, and you can also try these tricks:
- In addition to purchasing already-framed art, you can try purchasing affordable art (or you and/or your kids can create your own) and framing it with inexpensive art frames.
- You can also use inexpensive photo frames to display family images and your own photography.
- You can create your art (or have an artistic friend do it) on inexpensive canvases directly attached to the walls.
- Integrate budget-friendly mirrors (unframed may be more affordable) to “open” the space up in each room.
- Put up affordable floating shelves (or be adventurous and build your own) to display already-owned books and other decor.
- Create a fun gallery wall with an inexpensive mix of framed art, photography, shelving, and mirrors.
Remember, you don’t have to do it all in one fell swoop when furnishing an apartment and working within a budget. Take your time to make it a wonderful space your family can live in, as your finances allow. That way, you can enjoy every moment of the furnishing and decorating process and every inch of the apartment without stress or worry.
Happy apartment decorating!
For 16 years, I have been the creator & full-time blogger of Mom Spark. I’ve also created content for numerous outlets such as Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens, & Huff Post.