‘Take time to make a place you love’ In your first apartment, go versatile and durable, says designer and author
Chances are you’ll spend more waking hours in your first cubicle than your first post-college apartment. But as any nine-tofiver knows, the last thing you’ll want to come home to is another cookie-cutter space.
“No matter how small your budget or transient your living situation, take the time to make a place you love,” recommends Elaine Griffin, designer and author of Design Rules.
Her tips for feeling that “ahhh” every time you open the door? Educate your eye and think about what kind of styles, colours and shapes resonate with you.
Streamline the space by choosing multitasking pieces that incorporate plenty of storage (even your old risers can look chic with a custom bedskirt from Etsy).
And keep in mind, no matter your floor plan, your living room probably will need to be versatile enough to transform into an impromptu dining room/guest room/home office.
Griffin advises clients to “minisplurge on portable things that really speak to your soul and make you smile when you look at them, like art and accessories.”
The rest of your budget should focus on impactful comforts that will last for years.
Design experts weigh in on their top picks below:
CLASSIC COUCH
“Now that you have graduated, it is also time to graduate from that hand-me-down sofa that you’ve been using for the last four years. Opt for something simple and classic. I love this simple mid-century option, and the dark neutral colour means that you can bring in some fun pops of colour in textiles and accessories.” — Emily Henderson, designer, and author of Styled and home spokeswoman for Target, recommending the Redding Mid Century sofa ($1,003.87, target.com)
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL COFFEE TABLE
“Get a big coffee table — the largest that your living room can realistically fit, because it will become a de facto dining table. This one is long, but narrow, and seats six around it for takeout with Netflix.” — Griffin, recommending the GoCart carbon rolling TV stand/coffee table ($249, cb2.com)
RUG
“A rug helps ground a room. If you are on a budget, I recommend going with a natural material like jute, leather or wool. Also look for woven instead of knotted rugs. These will get you a bigger bang for your buck.” — James Tabb, designer with the online interior design service Laurel & Wolf, recommending the Valet jute rug ($379-$749, cb2.com)
STORAGE BED
“I never like to waste any space, and a lot of times you just don’t have room for a dresser in your first bedroom, so this storage bed is ideal because it turns all that usually wasted space under your bed into drawer space.” — Kyle Schuneman, designer and author of The First Apartment Book: Cool Designs for Small Spaces, recommending West Elm’s contemporary upholstered storage bed in Deco Weave ($1,812.51-$2,307.28, westelm.com)
SHEETS
“If you can’t remember when you bought your last sheet set, then it is time to get yourself a new one. These linen ones are not only extremely soft, but also make early morning bed-making a snap when you are on the go to your new postcollege job.” — Henderson, recommending Parachute’s linen sheet set (US$169$189, parachutehome.com; ships to Canada)
FLOOR LAMP
“So many people forget that lighting makes or breaks a space. I always recommend layering your lighting, so if you have an apartment that has overhead lights, think of more directional task lamps. If you have no overhead lighting, you will want to go with a more omnidirectional floor lamp as well as directional task lamps.” — Tabb, recommending Uttermost’s rust-black, fluted metal-base floor lamp (US$316.80, houzz.com).