After graduating from university, I was excited to move into my first one-bedroom apartment. All throughout college, I was used to fully furnished apartments all I had to worry about was the decorations. Finding an apartment that fit all my wants and needs was the first challenge, but after finally finding the right apartment for me, it was TIME TO SHOP.
Define Your Style
My new challenge was to find everything I wanted for my Boho Glam-style apartment and to do it for as little $ as possible. You can definitely furnish your apartment for even less, but I still wanted to get durable items that matched my aesthetic.
I first chose what colors I wanted. I chose gold, white, pink and marble accents. My first priorities were getting my mattress, bed, and my couch. These are the items I really NEEDED.
I think that everyone’s go-to when furnishing their home on a budget is IKEA. The closest IKEA to me is 4 hours away, I looked for other options, I researched extensively for quality items, the best dupes and read through dozens of reviews.
Do Your Research
I came across fiberglass horror stories with certain mattresses and made sure that the mattress I was purchasing had none of that included. I purchased my mattress online, on Amazon without ever touching it, I went based on the reviews- and I am glad I did!
For a mattress under $300 I was thoroughly impressed- it’s actually the best mattress I have ever had.
It is from Mattress America and it was $286 you can find it here:
Mattress America Revive Gel Memory Foam Mattress, 12″ H, Queen
Link: https://amzn.to/3tLjMkA
As for my bed, I shopped around in furniture stores and could not find something I wanted and especially not for the high price points I was seeing. I knew I wanted something gold. I took to Pinterest for inspiration and decided I wanted a canopy bed. I got mine from Walmart for $150! It looks luxurious and it fits my aesthetic just right.
Link: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Metal-Canopy-Bed-Queen-Black/126889322
My couch was also important for me as it was going to fill up a large space in my apartment. I considered buying a sleeper couch from IKEA, which I think is a great choice as it turns into a bed, but the shipping made the total come out to about $1000 for a couch that was not that great quality or aesthetically fitting my apartment, but if you have an IKEA near you it is very practical and a great option if you do not have a guest room but want to have an option for guests.
I decided to go in person to see that couches at my local furniture shops and decided on the Fulton couch from Furniture Row. It was $500, comfy and it matched the vibe it was going for.
Link: https://www.furniturerow.com/pd/Fulton-Sofa/prod2640086
3 Biggest Tips
TIP #1: Right after I bought my couch- it went on sale. Before you pick up your furniture items, make sure you look at the store’s current sales going on, and more often than not, if you have not picked up your items, they will honor the sale even after you have purchased the item.
TIP #2: Ross, Marshalls, Homegoods are amazing stores to shop at to find unique items at low prices. They are my personal favorites, I bought a gold sun mirror, a suede pink chair with gold legs and a moon-shaped side table, and a huge gold mirror! All statement items were just what I was looking for.
If you shop at these stores, inspect the items before you check out, if you see a scratch or any imperfection mention it at check out for $ off, I made sure to do this and I was able to save some cash.
I moved into my apartment in February and it is now June and I am still searching for items I would like to add to furnish my apartment, like a patio set for my balcony or a rug for my living room and curtain rods and curtains. It is a process and it has definitely taken me more time than I thought to furnish my apartment but I find it’s better to take your time to find items you really are going to enjoy and keep for a long time than to rush and buy what you first see.
TIP #3: Write out your list of everything you need/want for your apartment in order of absolute needs to things you just want.
Because I did buy a lot of my things at Ross/Marshalls/TJMaxx I cannot link every single item but I will link what I can below.
It was so exciting being able to purchase items that made my apartment feel like home and that felt like a reflection of my personality. Making your place feel your own is supposed to be fun! So I am wishing you a happy shopping spree!
Stay tuned for my next post where I will be sharing easy arts and crafts DIYs to decorate your home!
The Breakdown
Couch $500 or $400 if on sale: Furniture Row
TV $100: Costco 32 inch Roku TV
Bed $149: Walmart-online
Mattress $280: Amazon- Mattress America
Nightstand $30 – IKEA
Coffee Table $130 – Walmart– online
Side Table $24 –Marshalls
Pots and Pans $80 –Target
Tupperware $20 –Costco
Gold Utensils $20 –Walmart
Mirror $50 –Ross
Chair- $79 –Ross
Footrest $30 –Ross
TOTAL: $1,492
Share all your cute apartment pics with us on Instagram @vibrayvida
As always, LOVE
