For some people this is the most difficult part about moving into a new home, and for others it is the most exciting part. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, follow along for all things apartment furnishing and decorating!

To break it down for those who may not enjoy this as much as others, we are going to take this step by step because it can be overwhelming at first. Many of you probably walk into your empty home and think “where do I start?”. Trust me, we’ve all been there. So hopefully this will help mitigate that overwhelming feeling and make your life a little easier – especially if decorating is not your cup of tea. Below you will find the breakdown of the different “steps” or stages in furnishing and decorating your home. Keep in mind that this is just a suggestion and how I would personally approach it, but for you it may make more sense to move around the order or do something else entirely! S take his all with a grain of salt 😊

STEP 1: GET TO KNOW YOUR SPACE

The first thing I like to do when looking to furnish a new living space is to spend some time analyzing the space. Whether that be virtually if you can’t be there in person yet, or by physically looking at the space, just take the time to really look at it and brainstorm what would logically go where.

I like to take this room by room, so it is not too overwhelming. It is also nice to keep a list in your phone or a notebook of your ideas for each space so you can refer to it later. At this point, it is smart to take measurements if you can, so you know what sizes your furniture/décor should be.

STEP 2: START WITH THE BASICS

After you have a good feel for your living spaces and have a general idea of what should go where, start your furnishing process by getting the absolute necessities first. This will further help you visualize what you’re working with to further decorate later on and will make it start to feel homier. That being said, you should begin looking for those basic must-haves: bed, couch, kitchen/dining room table, etc.

Some great places to look for these items affordably include Wayfair, Target, Facebook Marketplace, and Ikea just to name a few (there will be a separate post coming for finding deals on furniture and where to look).

STEP 3: ADD OTHER ‘NECESSITIES’

Once you have those essential items above, you can start thinking about what else you can get to fill the space. I recommend sitting in the space and thinking of what you are missing. For example, when sitting on the couch, you may realize you need some sort of coffee table or side table, or maybe a lamp to add some light for reading, etc.

Ideas for items to help fill your space and live more comfortably are listed below:

• Coffee table
• Bedside table(s)
• Headboard
• Desk
• Floor lamp
• Full length mirror
• Shelving
• Organizational drawers
• Curtains

STEP 4: MAKE IT YOUR OWN – DECORATE!

Now that you have the furnishings taken care of, now comes the fun part – decorating! The most important part about a living space is that it feels like home, and a personal touch through a little bit of decorating makes it just that. For some, this may seem like a chore or an unnecessary task, but even the smallest bit of personalization can make your living space feel like your home. We will go more in depth into decorating in a later post, but below are some suggestions on how to make your living space more personalized and comfortable.

To warm up any room a rug is a perfect place to start. Nothing crazy, just an area rug that you can place under furniture (I’d recommend in the living room under couch and coffee table and/or the bedroom). Mirrors are also functional and decorative, so are perfect for a touch of décor on an empty wall. Decorative lamps work in the same way – function and decoration – they should be placed on side tables, desks, or on the floor if it is a taller floor lamp.

Those are some general suggestions for now, but as I mentioned, more to come on decorating 😊

Hopefully these four steps make the concept of home furnishing slightly less daunting. I know for me, it can be overwhelming at first, but breaking it down always makes it seem more manageable. Also, keep in mind that this can be an ongoing, evolving project. As you live in a space you learn more about what woks and what doesn’t, so don’t feel like you have to get it all done right as you move in.