When I first moved into my apartment 2 years ago, all I had were clothes. My heart was recovering from a breakup (the reason for the move), and my bank account was recovering from moving costs. I slept on an air mattress my coworker had given me, and ate on dishware that another friend/coworker had gifted to me as a housewarming present. This wasn't my first rodeo living alone, but it was the first without furniture; I had lived in semi-furnished apartments before, and threw out most of my own furniture when I moved in with my ex. But I was so happy when I moved that I didn't care. I'd get my place together little by little with time. And I realized a few months ago that I had done just that- and you can too (without breaking the bank)! How? Keep reading!
Here is what my apartment looks like now:
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| from top left: living room/ kitchen/ bedroom/ dining area |
(Not pictured above: my bathroom. But we'll get to that later.) So I mentioned that when I first moved, all I had was clothing, which is completely true. But I did have some artwork and other odds and ends at my old place, which I was able to move with the help of a dear friend 3 months later. I'll note where everything came from. I'm going to break up my possessions into the following categories:
Mine (brought over from previous place)
Gifted
Freecycle- this is a website that you can sign up for by town. People post things they want to get rid of or will be putting on the curb, and if you want it, you tell them. It's on a first come, first serve basis. People can also post things they want or need, so if others in the group have it, they can offer it. The only condition is that everything is free. It's a great service.
Curb Pickings- ain't no shame in my game
Purchased
Let's start the dining area, since the only (small) pic of it is above. The dining area is not really sectioned off, so I created a section by using the back of a couch to differentiate it from the rest of the living area.
Mine: bamboo painting (that I picked up at a garage sale)
Gifted: laptop (thanks Mom!)
Freecycle: dining room table + chairs
Curb Pickings: lamp
Purchased: 0
Next up, my kitchen:
My kitchen is pretty big. It came with all of the big appliances: refrigerator, stove/oven, and dishwasher (which I have yet to use).
Mine: coffeemaker, some stuff on fridge, everything on top of bar (including the sign, which was from my childhood home), plant
Gifted: mugs, can opener, the other stuff on the fridge, wine glasses
Freecycle: bar, mug tree, dish towels
Curb Pickings: microwave, dish rack
Purchased: 0 (maybe one or two magnets?)
A note on the dishtowels: First of all, they were brand spanking new when I received them, tags and all, and were clean (I accidentally stained the one in the middle). When I met with the woman offering them, she was getting rid of a couple other items too, and mentioned that she was moving in with her boyfriend and needed to get rid of some furniture too, but was selling them on Craigslist. At this point, I had been in my new apartment for only a few months, and still had basically nothing, so I asked her what she was selling. We struck a deal where I was able to purchase my bed (it was also new, like 2 months old, and was in a mattress cover)+ frame, the dining room table + chairs, the gorgeous solid wood bar, and my small nightstand for a few (maybe $700?) hundred bucks! It really pays to talk to people!
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| magnet collection/announcement cards and my bar |
Moving on, my living room:
Mine: lamps, throw blankets, a few books and pics/photo albums, artwork, ottoman where Roku/router sit, stand where TV sits, DVDs
Gifted: every other book (at least 3/4 of them), TV, Roku, wireless router, plant
Freecycle: 0
Curb Pickings: both couches, both coffee tables (one nested in the big one), throw pillows, bookcase, Buddha statue
Purchased: thermal curtains- on super sale last January at JC Penney
My bathroom is terrible. All the tiling and sink/tub are in a horrible mustard color. This is the only time I attempted to use Pinterest to help me find a matching color, which I decided was a deep gray.
Mine: ducks, nail polishes+container, candle holders + shells
Gifted: 0
Freecycle: 0
Purchased: shower curtain, artwork, bathmat- all from TJ Maxx
Lastly, my bedroom:
Mine: dresser (from when I was a kid), jewelry tree + some jewelry, bin with clothes, comforter/ pillows
Gifted: everything else on my dresser (hat and jewelry boxes included)
Freecycle: queen sized bed, nightstand, stereo
Curb pickings: Candelabra + candles
Purchased: sheets, curtains- both from Target
Other: I actually painted that painting at one of those drink and paint classes. I'm no Picasso, but I kinda love it.
Also not pictured is my deck. It has two cushioned outdoor chairs which I found curb side (a set of 4 actually, I have the other two stored in my basement), and a small table that was already mine from childhood.
So there's my apartment! And as you can see, I didn't purchase a whole lot! You just have to keep an eye open and know where to look! Do you have any tips on how to decorate when you don't have a lot of money?
I'm linking up with Kiki @ In It's Time:
