Sustainably Furnishing my First Apartment

When I was 23, I moved out of my parent’s house for the very first time into my own apartment. Although it was tiny and the ceiling leaked, it also had beautiful exposed brick, was in an up-and-coming neighbourhood (think cute coffee shops and vintage stores), and was near my closest friends, so I was ecstatic. I’m sure I’m not alone in the feeling of excitement that comes with having your own autonomy and space that you get to decorate your own way in your own personal style. It was such a liberating and exciting time for me. From the moment I decided I wanted to move out of my parent’s house, I set myself a goal of doing so as sustainably as I could, without compromising on making the space exactly what I was envisioning: personalized, comfortable and homey.

I wanted to share what I learned along the way to hopefully inspire someone else furnishing a space for the very first time! Here are some of my best tips:

1. Start collecting early

If you have the ability to, I would highly recommend starting to collect items for your new space as early as you can. Sometimes, it can take time to source second hand pieces, and by starting this search early, you improve your chances of purchasing an item second hand, rather than having to purchase it new because you can’t wait and need it now. Also, it takes away a lot of the stress when it's time to move in and you already have a lot of the items you need and you’re not scrambling to purchase everything all at once.

About a year before I moved out, I started keeping an eye out for pieces I liked. I was privileged to be able to store these items in my parent’s basement (really nice of them because my stuff ended up taking over). Even if you don’t have the luxury of a lot of space, storing small pieces like artwork, small décor items, and kitchen accessories will make your life easier when it's time to move out.

2. Have a cohesive vision in mind

In order to ensure that all the items you start collecting will look cohesive once styled together, have a specific vision or theme in mind when you are sourcing your items. My vision was earthy tones, pops of red and orange, mid-century modern, and rattan. For example, if I found a décor piece I loved but it was blue, I reluctantly passed because I knew it wouldn’t fit with my vision.

3. Homes are different, but not really

You might be hesitant to start collecting items for a new home if you don’t have the place yet and don’t know exactly what it will look like. This is a valid point, as some spaces will fit furniture that others might not, or require items that another home wouldn’t (e.g. counter stools, a round vs. rectangular dining table, etc.). This is where my argument of homes being different but not really comes in. There are still items you can purchase that I can almost guarantee any space will need, like end tables, a living room coffee table, bedroom night stands, desktop or full-length lamps, wall art, mirrors, throw pillows, baskets, etc.

4. Take a creative look at a piece.

Just because it isn’t trendy (or from this decade lol), doesn’t mean it’s ugly or can’t end up looking trendy and intentional when styled properly. Pieces like this are what end up making your space unique and interesting! Also, sometimes all it takes is a small tweak to turn a thrifted piece you’re on the fence about into something you love. I’ve listed some easy DIY’s I’ve done to thrifted pieces for my apartment that ended up being some of my favourite touches in the space:

• Dyed a white lamp shade red

• Spray-painted a mirror

• Used unique thrifted frames to display my photos

• Re-upholstered pillows I already had

• Refinished furniture. Check out my other blog post “My Experience as a First Time Furniture Refinisher” to hear more about this journey and my best tips for getting started!
  

Hopefully you gained some inspiration for furnishing and decorating your next space. From being intentional with the pieces I selected and creative with how I sourced them, I ultimately curated a space I take a lot of pride in.