1. Ask around

You’d be surprised at the amount of furniture you can find just by asking around. Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even friends for unwanted furniture. It will make decorating your new apartment substantially easier and cheaper. You may be able to take care of your big pieces without spending a dime!

2. Ikea is Your Best Friend

If you can’t decorate your apartment solely with hand-me-down furniture, Ikea is the next place to look. You can find coffee tables, chairs, and tables for under $100 total. If you’re looking for style on a budget, Ikea is the place to look. Even if Ikea isn’t your personal style, Ikea hacks can help you transform it into your dream furniture!

3. Make Your Own Art

When it came time to decorate my first apartment, I had a vision of a gallery wall. However, whenever I found art that I liked it for it, I didn’t like the price tag. Rather than spend a small fortune on my gallery wall, I recreated what I could. It may seem daunting, but you may actually find it’s easier than you think it’s going to be, and maybe even relaxing!

4. Collect

If you have a lot of time between now and when you move into your next apartment, start collecting. When you’re at flea markets, art fairs, or simply a local store on your next vacation, look for pieces that you’d love to display in your house! You’d probably get a better deal than you would from something similar you’d find online, and there will always be a story behind your favorite finds!

5. Think Long-Term

Before you make an investment in any furniture, think of the long-term. Is this something you’ll still like in a few years? Could you see yourself wanting to display this in your house ten years from now? Depending on just how big the investment is, this is definitely something important to think about!

6. DIY Your Furniture

If you get hand-me-down furniture but aren’t quite sure what to do with it, make it your own! Paint your wooden furniture; find slipcovers and other fabric to cover your fabric furniture. Free furniture is always a godsend, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t alter it a little bit to make it your own!

7. Remember Your Five-Year Plan

Maybe it’s just the planner in me that likes to think this far in advance, but thinking about your plan is definitely important. If you’re going to be in this apartment for simply a year or two, don’t invest in furniture that’s difficult to move. If you’re planning on moving across the country in a year or two, or simply know that you’ll be bouncing around different apartments over the next few years, you won’t want to move heavy furniture around with you! You may love that reclaimed wood headboard, but if you’re going to move across the country next year, it may be better to stick with a lighter option!

What are your tips for decorating a new apartment? Let me know your tips in the comments!