A Quick Furniture Guide

This weekend I wanted to spend some time redecorating the ol' apartment, and I eventually found myself at a community art fair. As I meandered through endless rows of pottery, glass works, paintings, clothing and woodwork, I found  booth that stood out. Among the painting frames and homemade objects stood a table made of a door from an old looking door. It was sturdy and even had those old styled nails with square heads. I offered $50 for it and now have an incredible coffee table and conversation piece in my living room. Moral of the story: apartment furniture doesn't have to be expensive to be awesome.

(not the same table, but close enough!)

Here are some other great places to find new furniture to fill out your pad:

1. Garage sales
I know what you're thinking, but you can find some serious gems at garage sales. Plus you might find an old NES or that vintage record you need to complete your collection.

(Look at all that bargaining!)

2. Craigslist
Craigslist can be a gamble, but again you can find some amazing items for a fraction of their reglar price. I recommend searching for well known brands while on Craigslist to ensure you know what you're buying (think Ikea and the like).

3. Local furniture stores
There is a great little furniture shop in my neighborhood that has unique items for a very reasonable price. Unlike a traditional furniture store that has a guaranteed number of specific items, these local stores often rotate depending on which items they just happen to have procured that week. This is also a great way to support the local community while simultaneously finding interesting furniture for the apartment.

4. Thrift stores
The beauty of thrift stores is all in the system. If you are afraid of using Craigslist or of perusing garage sales due to the possibility of getting "unreliable" furniture, try a thrift store. They check everything they sell to make sure it is clean, functional, and safe.

(Now who's a crafty consumer?)

5.  The internet
If you have a specific piece of furniture in mind, use the internet to find the best price. Google around until for a few weeks until the best opportunity becomes available. Don't rush it, but take your time and wait for the best price. Sometimes a huge furniture warehouse will have a sale and drop the price by half, and they even ship!

Apartment Living Throughout the Years

Check out this cool infographic following apartments throughout the years. I always thought apartment living was a modern lifestyle, but I guess not! (Click here if you're having issues reading this)

Tips to a Better Apartment

We all want to be that guy who has the most interesting apartment around, who always throws the best parties, and has the perfect furniture for every occasion. Basically, we all want something like this:

After looking the price tag, a lot of time it turns out to look like this:

It's maybe not the best way to impress your SO, but it's functional, right? Wrong. A good apartment is a place you can proudly call home. A proud home is one you can invite people over to without going into panic attacks about the stains, clothes, and lack of furniture throughout the house.

The good news is that you can make your place great without having to throw away all your money. There are some cheap ways to get your apartment to look respectable, something like this: 

Here are some tips on how to get  there.

1. Less is More

The only thing worse than an apartment with too little furniture is one with too much. If you're on a tight budget, err on the side of having less. Most people over look the rug, but it can do a lot to bring the room together, especially if you are going for fewer items.

2. Be A Crafty Consumer

You don't need to buy everything at once, you have at least a year to fill out the apartment. Find the furniture you want and Google them until you find them at a better price. Buy the items one at a time, and try to make the colors match as much as possible. 

3. Don't Be Above the Bargain Bin

If you see a couch on craigslist that would be perfect for the apartment, go check it out. Sure there are dangers involved with this type of purchase, but there's no sales tax, the prices are way better, and you might find that you can fill your apartment much quicker and better than through traditional purchases. 

Good luck and happy hunting!