So, you've finally made it: You have your own adult apartment. No more childhood bedroom at mom and dad's, no more cramped dorm room, no more crumbling college house with empty Solo cups strewn about.
Moving into your own place after college is a huge and gratifying step. That process alone can have some pitfalls, but it all feels worth it once you sign that lease (and possibly forfeit all of your rights/privacy to your landlord via fine print).
But the hard work is not done yet, because now you have to fill that space with something. Preferably furniture, if you want to keep up this semblance-of-an-adult charade that you've kicked off so well with the new apartment.
As many 20-somethings know, or were recently shocked to find out, furniture is stupidly expensive. One Google search for "couches" will quickly zap all expectations of your apartment looking like the trendy lofts where your favorite TV characters live.
It's OK to give yourself time to mourn this loss. But you will have to grieve while sitting on an empty floor, so it can only last so long.
Thankfully, there are several furniture options for 20-somethings that don't involve spending $1,000 on one piece. And let's face it, you're probably not that classy yet, anyway.
Combine broke "adults" and an empty apartment, and one obvious solution comes to mind: Ikea. This sanctuary of furnishings can become your best friend — and worst enemy.
Pros: The stuff is cheap and basic, plus everything is in one place and you can take it home that day. You could literally furnish your entire apartment with one trip to Ikea, if you had a big enough car and high enough tolerance to spend the whole day at Ikea without going insane.
Cons: The stuff is cheap, which means it's certainly not the best quality. And that bedside table will come in approximately 50 small pieces with assembly instructions that are literally cartoons. And remember how Ikea is synonymous with broke 20-somethings? That means your apartment will likely look exactly like every other broke 20-something's.
But Ikea is not the only haven for brand new adults with little to spend. There's also Craigslist. Now, you probably just spent an inordinate amount of time on this website looking for said apartment that you now must furnish, but don't be afraid to give it another go. The same warning labels for housing searches apply to furniture here: Be wary of sketchiness and use discretion. A table or even a couch is a relatively safe Craigslist purchase. A mattress? Not so much. The same principle goes for thrift stores, another viable option.
And finally, the most ideal option for a furniture-less 20-something: mooch off hand-me-downs from family, friends or really anyone willing to give away some stuff. Your roommate's aunt's neighbor has a coffee table she wants to get rid of? That's an opportunity that can't be wasted.
This is not only the most affordable option, but your best chance at getting high-quality furniture that makes your living space look semi-worthy for an actual adult. (Shoutout to my boyfriend's aunt and uncle, who just recently bestowed upon us a U-Haul van's worth of stuff.)
And, if all else fails, there's always tons of makeshift options. Two plastic storage drawers stacked on top of each other can make a great end table. You're young and creative — use your imagination!
Ellen Fishel's column appears regularly in b.
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