If you are redesigning your apartment and want some inspiration, check out Apartment Therapy. They have a blog, store, virtual house tours, and shopping guides for New York, LA, DC, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. My favorite is the Shopping Guide where you can view a calendar of sales and events in your area. I found some great sample sales and discounts through this. You can also browse stores specific to your location (i.e. Nob Hill and The Mission in San Francisco).
Archive | 11:28 pm
Quote of The Day
14 Oct“The first step – especially for young people with energy and drive and talent, but not money – the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. To model and demonstrate the kind of world you demand to live in. To write the books. Make the music. Shoot the films. Paint the art.”- Chuck Palahniuk
Furnish Your Apartment on a Budget
14 Oct
Getting a new apartment can be fun, unfortunately our entry level salaries can put a damper on the situation. 60 dollar pillow? Yeah I’ll stick with Mom’s old ones. 1000 dollar tv? I’d rather watch Hulu on my computer. The good news is there are lots of ways to furnish and decorate your apartment on a limited budget. I recently moved into a new apartment and found these resources to be very useful:
EQ3: This is a really fun store for nearly everything for your home. The company aims at providing alternative furnishings for young people. Check out the Value Price section.
Ikea: If you can brave it through Ikea, you will find some great finds. I just got a nice modern lamp for my room for 6 dollars, and a fun jewelry holder for 5. For the larger items, be prepared to do lots of building, but for the price its well worth it.
CB2: This is a hip new affordable store by Crate and Barrel. It has modern and fun kitchenware, furniture, bedding and decor. (Just opened one up in San Fran!) Check out their web site- I recommend the sale section.
West Elm: This is a great place to find wall decor, furniture and bedding at affordable prices. (From the founders of Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn)
allposters.com. If you are like me and love art but don’t have thousands to spend, this is a great source. They always have discounts and sales in addition to their already low prices.
20×200 One of my all-time favorite sites which offers new prints by emerging artists every Tuesday and Wed. You can purchase the small prints for 20 dollars.
If you are looking for electronics, ask your local electronics store if they have any open-box deals. These are either returned or display items that are on sale for as much as half off to customers. I got a great new tv this way for really cheap! Check out Best Buy or Circuit City, but be prepared to check in everyday for updates.
Also, don’t let high prices scare you away for shopping from your favorite stores- just go straight to the sale section. Stores like Anthropology and Urban Outfitters have fun stuff for your home that can be up to 75% off. I found some beautiful plates from Anthro the other day for 1.99 each.
