Two years ago I moved into my first apartment after living on campus for 7 years in undergrad and grad school. I had no furniture, no decorations, I mean I barely had any utensils or plates! Since I was just starting out on my own, I was balling on a budget. But, for some reason it was really important to me to have all my furniture and everything set up within a few weeks of moving in. Therefore, I got all REALLY cheap furniture because that’s what I could afford. And I’m talking the clearance section of Bob’s Discount Furniture type of furniture. The furniture did the job for a couple of years but I probably won’t take a lot of it with me to my next apartment since it is really poor quality. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably wait a little while and save up and search for furniture that I really like and would last longer.  

My apartment itself is very tiny and in an old building. It’s so old that it still has radiators and old wooden cabinets. I liked the apartment but was trying to figure out how I can make it more homey and “stylish” so it didn’t seem so outdated. I knew any modern decorations wouldn’t work so I decided to go with a rustic and neutrals theme for my apartment. All of my furniture is black and my decorations are beige, copper, mauve, brown etc.

Since it is a tiny apartment, I wanted to make sure I didn’t clutter it with too much. I chose decor that I really liked since I don’t have much room to add extra stuff just to add it. All of my decorations are from Amazon, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Big Lot’s, and Michael’s. If you are trying to decorate your place on a budget, I highly suggest starting at one of those stores. You can find some beautiful pieces for underneath $50. 

I did a lot of my shopping in person so I am not able to find the exact same decor online. TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Big Lots has a lot going great items in store but not on their websites. Therefore, I searched for similar or better items online and linked them below in case you are interested.  

Exact – Black and Gold Canvas Art Map from Amazon. Price $47.99.

Similar – Wooden flower arrangement from Etsy. Price $37.50.

Similar – Gold mason jar from Amazon. Price $3.20.

Exact – love you to the moon and back sign  from Amazon. Price $19.99.

Similar – Marble candle from Worlds Market. Price $11.19.

Similar – Home sweet home sign from Wayfair. Price $46.99.

Similar – Eat sign from Amazon. Price $29.31.

Similar – Mason Jar candle holder from Hobby Lobby. Price $3.99.

I really liked how the place came together, especially since it was my first apartment on my own. The most important lesson I learned when putting together my apartment was to be patient and take the time to look for pieces that you love.

Xoxo,

Finding Francesca