29+ Tips To Decorate An Apartment On A Budget
It can be hard to decorate a new apartment, especially if you have a limited budget. But there are many tips and tricks for furnishing an apartment on a budget. To get you started, we've gathered a few ideas to help you save money, time, and energy.
In this article, Adria Workshop will introduce how to furnish your studio apartment on a budget, what essential furniture to include in your calculations, how much the average person spends on furnishing, and where to get the cheapest and most reasonably priced furniture. Let's start.
Table of contents [Show]
- How much does it cost to furnish an apartment on a budget?
- Furnishing a small apartment on a budget checklist
- Choose essential furniture for furnishing your apartment on a budget
- 19 furnishing apartment on a limited budget ideas
- Where can I find the best low-cost furniture?
- Last words: Decorating a small apartment cheapest
How much does it cost to furnish an apartment on a budget?
The estimated cost of furnishing an apartment on a budget range from $1,000 to $5,800. It's a wide range, but the price of each piece of furniture might vary widely and can be significantly lower too!
It would be best to calculate many fixed and variable costs when considering furnishing an apartment on a budget. For instance, urban and suburban or rural areas may have drastically different cost of living averages.
Moreover, the cost to equip a home or apartment can vary widely depending on factors such as square footage. The cost of furnishing a one-room apartment seems much lower than that of making a three-room apartment.
With a budget of $1,000, you can decorate your apartment with the bedroom at $500, the living room at $300, the office and dining area at $150, and the remaining $50 could go toward decor. Set aside the majority of your funds for furniture for each room's practical use.
Related: 20 Best Tips & Ideas for Home Decorating On A Budget
Furnishing a small apartment on a budget checklist
How to decorate a studio apartment on a budget is a frequent question for many newlywed couples or fresh graduates. We've compiled a few suggestions on how to furnish a small studio apartment on a budget that will help you get some decor apartment ideas.
1. Consider your budget
How much you spend on furniture for your new apartment will depend on your needs and the typical piece costs. Establishing a suitable budget is the first step when considering furnishing an apartment on a budget. Think about these questions:
- For roughly how long do you expect to live there?
- How much effort, money, and time are you willing to put into furnishing your apartment?
- Are you considering maintaining the furnishings?
- Currently, what kinds of home furnishings do you appreciate most?
2. Don’t over-decorate the space
When furnishing the living room or furnishing bedroom, you aren’t necessarily cramming everything into your home. Furnishing an apartment on a budget isn't about throwing together mismatched furniture and accessories. It would help if you planned out your demand and how to maximize small space apartment by considering the required resources.
Each room in your house has a specific function, and you should consider what kind of furniture and accents would be most appropriate for that space. It's much more efficient to have five pieces of furniture in a well-thought-out layout than ten pieces are thrown together.
3. Get only essentials furniture
One of the best pieces of advice on how to decorate your house without breaking your budget is prioritizing what you need over what you want.
Every home has different requirements for its furnishings. People who work from home should prioritize purchasing a good workstation and chair. In contrast, those who live in shared housing or have large families should invest in the furnishing dining room and furnishing kitchen.
Stick to the rule: spend more on essentials and timeless small house interior designs that will always be in style. Keep on reading, and you'll find a list of must-have pieces of furniture down below for furnishing an apartment on a budget.
Read more:
4. Get sales of furniture in big stores
Remember to buy old or accept hand-me-downs if you want to know how to furnish an apartment on a budget.
- First stop: secondhand store or thrift store. Thrift stores are versatile enough to outfit your entire apartment or new build house decor ideas. You should go early and often uncover the best gems for your home.
- Yard sales and garage sales also provide affordable furnishings. Since it is one-to-one selling, you'll be able to ask the original owner how to decorate a studio apartment on a budget and negotiate a cheaper price.
- Visit a flea market. Flea markets offer cheap furniture, unique home decorations, and art. You can find treasures furnishing apartments on a budget that would make an interior designer envy.
5. Prepare a list before you get ideas on how to furnish apartment
Do you know how it is when you go grocery shopping without a list and end up with a bunch of food that will go to waste? The same way may happen with furniture shopping. For furnishing an apartment on a budget, the tip is to create a list of the pieces of furniture you now possess and a list of the details you will need before you shop.
Think about the appliances and how to decor a studio apartment that will make each space usable daily. Categorize these items into a different column in your checklist. A kitchen, for example, may require large cabinets and a long dining table, whereas a living room may need a round table and a comfortable couch.
Read more:
- Amelia square dining table
- Harper 69" rect dining table
- Bradding 66" rect dining table
- Oleg 68" rect dining table
6. Upcycling furniture to furnish apartment on a budget-saving
If you, your loved ones, or your friends have unused furniture, consider giving it a new coat of paint or a new coat of stain. There are several websites, design shows, Facebook groups, and video-sharing platforms to get inspiration for upcycling and refurbishing furniture.
Speaking of investigation, don't overlook the potential of social media trading groups and internet marketplaces to connect you with folks seeking to unload their unwanted possessions. Additionally, there are many fantastic new build-house decor ideas on thrifting-focused apps.
Choose essential furniture for furnishing your apartment on a budget
It would be best to create a checklist of must-have items for furnishing your apartment on a budget. Below are the nine main pieces of furniture you should buy to fit the bill of a unique adult space that doesn't break the budget.
1. Mattress - Studio apartment furniture
When considering how to decorate a studio apartment on a budget, a new mattress is the most crucial requirement for a good night's sleep in your new house, but it is also the most expensive. There is always a bargain on mattresses, and you may get even better deals if you buy a mattress that has been professionally cleaned and resold.
2. Dining Table - Great pieces of furniture for the apartment
The compact dining table will be the best if you find the answer about how to decorate a small studio apartment on a budget. A compact dining table in the kitchen is multipurpose, serving as a place to eat, do office work, and host guests. Consider how much room you need to maneuver about the kitchen after putting the set in. Think about getting a tiny, two-person table or a drop-leaf table that you can fold up when not in use.
3. Pick wall shelves
The mid-century modern wall shelf is an excellent furniture to holding books and storing critical documents and files. Look for compact bookcases or one that may serve as a media console to make the most of your space in your apartment.
4. Add big mirrors to the living room of studio apartment
Mirrors used to be decorative accessories, but now they serve a functional purpose in most rooms. Designers of interior spaces use a variety of geometric forms to achieve effects like exaggerated scale or increased luminance. To satisfy our taste in home decor, we're using a variety of angles and shapes.
5. Table Lamp
Table lamps can illuminate a specific activity zone. You can put a lamp on your desk or seat for furnishing an apartment on a budget. They work great on nightstands, bookshelves, dressers, and other compact surfaces.
6. Coffee Table
A small space coffee table's multipurpose design makes it ideal for serving food and holding drinks during family gatherings. A house might seem somewhat bare without it. The good news is that you don't need to choose a unique coffee table design. In this case, any object in box form will do.
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7. Sofa or loveseat
Apartment living room couches and chairs come in various styles and materials. If you need more seats or a place for guests to sleep, think about getting a sectional sofa or a sofa bed. You can fit a loveseat and an accent chair into a smaller living area. Ottoman chairs serve as footstools, extra seats, and even stowaway spaces when decorating a rental apartment.
8. Bathroom Storage
Bathroom storage is a cabinet typically seen in a bathroom that stores hygiene items, toiletries, and occasionally pharmaceuticals. It can be found below, above the sink, or over the toilet when people get ideas for decorating a small studio apartment on a budget. In many cases, depending on the bathroom size, homeowners must be creative with bathroom storage. Organize your bathroom supplies and better use your storage space by installing shelves and dividers in your drawers and cabinets.
9. Carpets & Rugs
You can make your little apartment feel much more extensive with creative and new build house decor ideas. Apartment patios may be transformed into the ideal relaxation areas with carpets, rugs, and even a tiny sofa.
19 furnishing apartment on a limited budget ideas
How to furnish a small apartment for under $1,500
Furnishing a rental apartment for under $1,000
Furnishing an apartment with no money
Where can I find the best low-cost furniture?
Secondhand furniture and home goods can be an excellent way to save money. Check out Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp, as well as local consignment shops and thrift stores.
Repurpose items: You can also repurpose existing items, such as a bookshelf as a TV stand or a trunk as a coffee table.
Wait for sales: Around the holidays, furniture stores frequently have sales, so keep an eye out for promotions and deals.
DIY: If you're handy, you can build some of the furniture yourself, such as a bookshelf or a coffee table, which can be cost-effective and rewarding.
Upcycle: If you, your family, or your friends have unwanted furniture, look for ways to spruce it up by repainting or re-staining it. For the best ways to recycle and refurbish furniture, consult YouTube, design shows, Facebook groups, and an infinite number of websites.
Yard sales, garage sales, and flea markets: Buying used furniture saves you a lot of money, and garage sales and yard sales are some of the cheapest places to look. Some items can also be perfect. For various reasons, owners may be desperate to get rid of them. "One man's trash is another man's treasure," as the saying goes.
Check out the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and local charity thrift stores: These organizations accept furniture donations and do a good job of ensuring each piece of furniture is in good condition. Habitat for Humanity locations may have newer, gently used furniture than other charity stores.
Shop at low-cost furniture stores such as Ikea, CB2, Big Lots, Ashley Furniture, and discount furniture stores. Ross and Target are excellent sources for furniture and other essentials such as kitchenware, linens, and drapery. Try online retailers such as Overstock, Wayfair, AllModern, and eBay.
Renting furniture and leasing furniture: You can expect to pay $150 to $500 or more per month for a bare living room setup that includes a sofa, loveseat, and coffee table. Renting a bedroom set consisting of a bed, dresser, and nightstand can range from $100 to $400 per month or more. Remember that if you damage rented furniture, you may be liable for the full replacement cost and the rental fee. You must determine whether renting or leasing makes financial sense for you.
Neighbors: Some areas, particularly college towns, have designated pickup days for used furniture. Check the city/town website for bulk pickup days and cruise the streets late the night before to see what can be salvaged.
Because of the limited budget or space, living in a small apartment does not allow you to shop for any furniture or decoration stuff you like. There are some tips for furnishing an apartment on a budget you should notice:
- Consider your budget.
- Don’t overcrowd the space.
- Only essential furniture.
- Shop on sale stores.
- Prepare a list before you shop.
We hope these tips will help your apartment life become comfortable and easier. Follow us on Decoration Tips to make your house decoration things much easier!