How To Furnish Your First Apartment Like a Pro

Furnishing Your First Apartment? Here's What You Need! (And What You Don’t.)

Moving into your first apartment is an exciting time! Along with getting more privacy and a place to call your own, you get to decorate it to your liking. But a new place means you need a lot of stuff to get your new home fully functional.

Obviously, moving isn't cheap, and it can be hard to figure out what's absolutely essential and what can be left for another day.

That's where we come in.

Here's a room-by-room guide on what you absolutely need to buy for your new apartment, and what can probably wait for a little while.

Living Room

Your living room, in some ways, is the heart of your apartment. If you have people over, this is where you will entertain. And you can't have your friends and family sitting on cardboard boxes or the floor every time they come for a visit.

What You Need:

• Couch
• Coffee Table
• Storage

These are the two most essential furnishings for your living room. You should invest in these pieces as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll be eating your Chinese takeout on the floor.

A couch is a substantial investment. Go for quality over price. If you try to cut corners now, you may need to buy a new sofa much sooner than you can afford.

A coffee table is essential because we both know you're going to be eating food on that new couch of yours, so you're going to need somewhere to set your food down. Otherwise, you may end up spilling it on the carpet - and there goes your deposit.

You can never have enough storage, and until you save up enough to buy bookcases and shelves, you're going to need to store all of your extra junk somewhere. Bonus points if it doubles as furniture, like a storage ottoman.

What You Can Wait On:

• TV
• Throw rug
• House plants/decorations
• Additional seating

When you first move into your apartment, you should focus on functionality. What do you absolutely need so that your new place works? But once you have all of those things, it's time to start decorating your apartment, so it feels like home.

That's when you bring in the TV to watch your sports games or Rom-Coms. You're going to want a throw rug to cover that mass-produced carpet or those cold hardwood floors. And the house plants and decorations will bring out your own unique style.

As for the additional seating, we all know your apartment is going to be the go-to place once you get it furnished, which means you're going to need a few extra chairs for all of your friends.

Bedroom

This is the most important room in your apartment. After all, this is where you'll be getting your beauty sleep. You want to be sure it's ready to go the day you move in.

What You Can Wait On:

• Bed Frame/Mattress
• Window treatments
• Sheets, pillows, blankets
• Dresser

A good night's sleep is essential to starting the day off right, which is why a mattress is something you should never skimp on. If you do, you'll begin to feel the effects very quickly.

Window treatments are another investment that will not only let you sleep better but will help you feel more comfortable in your new home. Curtains or blinds add an extra layer of privacy and can block out any lights that interfere with your rest.

Unless you want your room to be in utter disarray, you should buy a dresser pretty soon. It's easier to organize your space when you're unpacking than when you've already settled in.

What You Can Wait On:

• Nightstands
• Full-length mirror
• Laundry hamper
• Extra blankets and pillows

While these items are important, and will definitely make you feel more at home, you can wait until you're a little more settled before you purchase them.

Kitchen

As the place where you'll be preparing all of your delicious meals, this room is going to get a lot of traffic. You definitely want to set it up right away so that you can get your chef on as soon as possible.

What You Need:

• Dishes
• Utensils
• Pots and pans
• Trash can
• Oven mitts
• Cleaning products

You will most likely start using your kitchen right away, so you want to make sure you have what you need as soon as you move in. Another big part of stocking your kitchen is the cleaning supplies.

Since you'll be using this area for cooking, you'll want to keep it as sanitary as possible, mainly because other people probably used the area before you. In fact, you may want to clean your kitchen first before you start using the appliances.

What You Can Wait On:

• Spices
• Drying Rack
• Electronic Appliances (Coffee Maker, Toaster Oven, etc.)

I know, I know. How will you survive without coffee and garlic salt? These are obviously significant parts of your kitchen. But while you're trying to get settled in, they should take a back seat to the things you really need - like a bed.

Making the Apartment Your Own

One of the best parts about getting your own apartment is that you will have a place that's your own, where you get to set the rules.

You get to decorate it how you want to, and you shouldn't settle for furniture that doesn't fit your aesthetic or your budget.

At Nassau Furniture, your interest rate is 0% as long as you pay in full by the agreed-upon term. We work with all types of credit and financial backgrounds so that you get the furniture you need to feel right at home.

Come into our store today, and we'll make sure you get everything you need to furnish your very first apartment.