You've finally decided to spread your wings and leave the nest. This is a big step for anyone moving into their first apartment, so we decided to put together a guide addressing the things you'll need and how to go about decorating your first apartment on a budget.
Cover some pine pallets with fabric and foam and you'll have a lounge suite without spending or doing much.
Bedtime blues
If you're not taking your bed with you, and not everyone wants to take their old bed with them, you're going to need a new mattress.
Depending on your style, you could buy yourself a secondhand bed base and give it a couple of coats of paint in your choice of colour. Then you can splurge on a comfortable - and generally expensive - mattress. Let's be honest, you don't actually sleep on the bed frame and more often than not it gets covered up anyway. So, rather spoil yourself with the best mattress you can afford.
With so much emphasis being placed on using reclaimed materials wherever and whenever possible, making a bed using reclaimed wood saves you money to spend on other essential items for your first apartment.
While a small apartment may not have space for a full-in dining area, you have the option of making your own dining table and chairs or shopping around for a secondhand bargain.
If you want to build a bed using reclaimed timber or wood, select the best pieces that you can find. You also have the option of using PAR pine which is available at your local Builders Warehouse. Later on in this feature we look at investing in a few essential power tools if you plan to make your own furniture.
Take a seat
Unless you plan on using your new bed as a seat, you'll have to go shopping for a sofa or lounge suite.
If you or your parents are DIY savvy, making a sofa is not as hard as it looks. A plywood frame topped off with high-density foam cut to fit and topped off with a slipcover, which can be removed and chucked into the washing machine when it gets grubby, will do the trick.
Time to dine
While a small apartment may not have space for a full-in dining area, you have the option of making your own dining table and chairs or shopping around for a secondhand bargain.
In a small apartment, look at ways to incorporate a cosy seating area with a built-in dining nook or eat-in kitchen arrangement.
You will find plenty of ideas on Home-Dzine for making a modern dining suite, as shown above, to something more rustic using reclaimed materials. If you're buying secondhand or restoring a hand-me-down piece of furniture, follow these steps for repair and restoration.
In a small apartment, look at ways to incorporate a cosy seating area with a built-in dining nook or eat-in kitchen arrangement.
Home essentials
Now that the main pieces of furniture are sorted, there are a few other essentials you will need to set up your new home.
You will find affordable crockery and cutlery at most home decoration stores and you could start off with the basic essentials. A set of white crockery can easily be dressed up for special occasions and you could mix it up with grandma's old set for a quirky or eclectic look. While you're there, grab a pot or two for cooking up quick and easy meals.
With all the money you've saved by building your own furniture you can now afford that flat screen TV and entertainment accessories. If you need somewhere to place your new TV and accessories, knock up a TV stand or entertainment unit using a few materials and power tools. You will find plenty of tips, tricks, techniques and projects in our Beginners DIY section.
You will need bed linen, blankets and towels to set up in your new home. Again, these can be bought at home stores at reasonable prices.
If you have money left over, buy a few appliances to kit out your kitchen and living spaces. A couple of table lamps for the lounge and bedroom, a kettle, bar fridge or fridge/freezer combination, and perhaps even a washing machine for the kitchen.
Power tools
Buying a basic set of hand and power tools will set you up for making your own furniture, adding a few accessories here and there and making sure you can fix things along the way. Wait for seasonal specials as this is the right time to spend on more than one purchase.
If you're not sure what tools to buy, visit our Power Tool section, where you will find advice on tools and how to use them.
Article courtesy of www.home-dzine.co.za.
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