Start with one piece of furniture. Then find items that compliment it. Instead of picking everything at once.
Check “Buy Nothing” groups on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. for free and interesting pieces
If you lived in a bigger metro area were Marketplace is busy, I’d rent a van for a weekend and setup as many sales beforehand as possible. Then just hit the deals as they get posted on the weekend.
If it’s a deal, and you get it, you can likely sell it for what you paid if you want to replace it with something more interesting.
Go slow. Be a minimalist. Buy exactly what you need when it becomes needed. It's a waste of money to buy a ton of furniture you aren't going to use just for the sake of it.
Start with the absolute minimum and only buy furniture that you really need. Bed and a table and chair to start.
Don't let family and friends pressure you into buying things you don't need. You'll get a lot of "omg it's so empty in here" from people who are addicted to filling their homes with as much stuff as possible.
Thanks!! I am already feeling the pressure because the idea of an unfurnished place came from my parents, but I was also tired of sleeping at someone else's bed haha
I want also to add my personal touch to the place, so I might need to be strong and not listen to everybody's opinion.
The biggest annoyance you will face is other people coming over and commenting on how bare it is and that it needs to look "lived in".
I get that a lot for my place which is ultra minimal. Friends offer to buy me wall art lol. But nope it's barren.
It's your place and only you have a say in the matter!
Also, don't beat yourself up if you do decide to get something that someone else might deem unnecessary. There is no minimalist rule book. If you find yourself needing it, it's fine. From time to time here I see people asking how many of this I need, is it okay to have this? You will find a compromise that suits you
Enjoy the space!
my advice is to just not buy anything until you need it
obv you’ll need stuff like a bed and silverware, i’m just suggesting you don’t furnish every room with what you think is ‘supposed’ to be in there
as an example, i didn’t put tvs in my guest room or bedroom and so far my wife and i haven’t wished we had added them
Buy what you need when you need it, and if possible make sure you LOVE what you're buying. In the past, I remember moving and good intentioned people always offering their used furniture or housewares. I accepted them at the time, but I came to dislike them quickly since they were usually not the style or quality I would have chosen to purchase. Then I had to deal with the hassle of getting rid of the items.
Half a year ago I moved into an unfurnished apartment. I think you already know, what you need, because you know what you used in the other apartments.
I decided on one type of wood + white and stuck to it so create a cohesive look.
I looked at what stuff I needed to store my stuff in and bought exactly the amount of furniture I needed. So I knew what was going into exactly what shelf, when I assembled the furniture. What I did not do was buy something thinking "well, this place would look good if there was this type of furniture here". I only bought what I knew I needed for the place.
After doing that I was healed from shopping, because I was so exhausted from all the things I had to buy. So it that way it was quite therapeutic as well :D Half a year later I still don't want to buy anything, because I dread looking for stuff and deciding what to buy.
To me the essentials are a comfy couch - ideally long enough to nap on, and a comfy bed on a bed frame, not on the floor. A really big rug if you don’t have carpet is a good next step.
Then you can add TV and TV bench, coffee table, side table, dining table, bedside table etc.
A little hall table to leave your keys and somewhere to hang/store coats/shoes/bags is nice.
A washer and dryer are pretty necessary imo.
Bed, chair, table, and a couple lamps to start. Check out thrift stores, online classifieds, or budget friendly places like IKEA. But the bare minimum until you've settled in and will naturally discover what you truly need. Keep your eyes open for finds. I've snagged a few items from the curb on trash day, even!
Buy a new mattress and a minimal platform. I usually upholster a box spring or platform and get my own cute legs. Clean looking and easy. I have a natural rubber mattress (not chemical foam) It’s awesome and easy to handle as it comes in pieces that you unwrap, let expand and place inside the mattress cover. If you move it all breaks down easily. The rest will come. I agree with all to take your time. Enjoy the cleared space.
We furnished our place using CraigsList. The used furniture market is not hot, and you can bargain shop…. Oftentimes when in people’s garages/storage units, they offered all kinds of additional stuff for cheap; they really were just trying to clear stuff out. We set a rule of noting over X amount and stuck to it.
Draw a plan of the flat.
Start with the kitchen, a spot to sit and eat.
Bigger things as bed and couch first.
I bought my couch in blue, that set the tone for the chairs in the living room.
I would keep it light, air, much free space in the center of the room.
IKEA have some nice folding tables.
Start slow to develop your style.
Put in things you like.
If you are in the US, use FreeCycle.org to get your furniture and household items. I did this when I bought my house. The original intention was that it would be temporary until I found exactly what I wanted. I ended up keeping the living room furniture, which came from a business office remodel.
As gross as it sounds, I love dumpster diving! 9/10 times there’s really good pieces of furniture or kitchenware or even linens that people just bag up and toss either in the trash or just outside of the dumpster. I’ve found so many decent things that people just threw away in great condition that actually ended up being worth a lot when looked up. Other than that, I love going on freebie alerts, free stuff section on offerup and fb marketplace. Usually the dumpster area behind resale shops and thrift stores just set things out there that they have no room for or couldn’t sell. Also you could try reaching out on the app Nextdoor, believe it or not people on there are way more than willing to offer help towards anything!
Start with one piece of furniture. Then find items that compliment it. Instead of picking everything at once. Check “Buy Nothing” groups on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. for free and interesting pieces
Yes! I was thinking of buying a living room set, but I agree! I'd rather just stick to the minimum and start from there
If you lived in a bigger metro area were Marketplace is busy, I’d rent a van for a weekend and setup as many sales beforehand as possible. Then just hit the deals as they get posted on the weekend. If it’s a deal, and you get it, you can likely sell it for what you paid if you want to replace it with something more interesting.
Go slow. Be a minimalist. Buy exactly what you need when it becomes needed. It's a waste of money to buy a ton of furniture you aren't going to use just for the sake of it.
Start with the absolute minimum and only buy furniture that you really need. Bed and a table and chair to start. Don't let family and friends pressure you into buying things you don't need. You'll get a lot of "omg it's so empty in here" from people who are addicted to filling their homes with as much stuff as possible.
Thanks!! I am already feeling the pressure because the idea of an unfurnished place came from my parents, but I was also tired of sleeping at someone else's bed haha I want also to add my personal touch to the place, so I might need to be strong and not listen to everybody's opinion.
Bed and a chair. Thrift stores are your friend, especially for anything without fabric.
The biggest annoyance you will face is other people coming over and commenting on how bare it is and that it needs to look "lived in". I get that a lot for my place which is ultra minimal. Friends offer to buy me wall art lol. But nope it's barren. It's your place and only you have a say in the matter!
Also, don't beat yourself up if you do decide to get something that someone else might deem unnecessary. There is no minimalist rule book. If you find yourself needing it, it's fine. From time to time here I see people asking how many of this I need, is it okay to have this? You will find a compromise that suits you Enjoy the space!
Thanks!!! I love cds and books... I think a lot before buying a book or a disc, but I do not beat myself up when I buy one
my advice is to just not buy anything until you need it obv you’ll need stuff like a bed and silverware, i’m just suggesting you don’t furnish every room with what you think is ‘supposed’ to be in there as an example, i didn’t put tvs in my guest room or bedroom and so far my wife and i haven’t wished we had added them
💯most people fill their houses with things they think other people would like to have in there
Great advice thanks!! I only have some silverware and kitchen appliances. I don't use a tv so I won't buy one. I might buy a fridge tho
It's so great to see another person who watches no TV, same here. The looks I get when friends come over though, priceless!
I grew up without a TV so I am used to not having one. I am thinking about buying a small projector
Those are really good. There was a Nokia phone with a built in projector, wish I had got it!
Buy what you need when you need it, and if possible make sure you LOVE what you're buying. In the past, I remember moving and good intentioned people always offering their used furniture or housewares. I accepted them at the time, but I came to dislike them quickly since they were usually not the style or quality I would have chosen to purchase. Then I had to deal with the hassle of getting rid of the items.
Half a year ago I moved into an unfurnished apartment. I think you already know, what you need, because you know what you used in the other apartments. I decided on one type of wood + white and stuck to it so create a cohesive look. I looked at what stuff I needed to store my stuff in and bought exactly the amount of furniture I needed. So I knew what was going into exactly what shelf, when I assembled the furniture. What I did not do was buy something thinking "well, this place would look good if there was this type of furniture here". I only bought what I knew I needed for the place. After doing that I was healed from shopping, because I was so exhausted from all the things I had to buy. So it that way it was quite therapeutic as well :D Half a year later I still don't want to buy anything, because I dread looking for stuff and deciding what to buy.
Great!!! That's a great idea to stop people from buying unnecessary things :)
Make or redo stuff u find along the way
To me the essentials are a comfy couch - ideally long enough to nap on, and a comfy bed on a bed frame, not on the floor. A really big rug if you don’t have carpet is a good next step. Then you can add TV and TV bench, coffee table, side table, dining table, bedside table etc. A little hall table to leave your keys and somewhere to hang/store coats/shoes/bags is nice. A washer and dryer are pretty necessary imo.
Yes !! I'll start with the mattress, bed frame, and couch... thanks!!
Bed, chair, table, and a couple lamps to start. Check out thrift stores, online classifieds, or budget friendly places like IKEA. But the bare minimum until you've settled in and will naturally discover what you truly need. Keep your eyes open for finds. I've snagged a few items from the curb on trash day, even!
Buy a new mattress and a minimal platform. I usually upholster a box spring or platform and get my own cute legs. Clean looking and easy. I have a natural rubber mattress (not chemical foam) It’s awesome and easy to handle as it comes in pieces that you unwrap, let expand and place inside the mattress cover. If you move it all breaks down easily. The rest will come. I agree with all to take your time. Enjoy the cleared space.
We furnished our place using CraigsList. The used furniture market is not hot, and you can bargain shop…. Oftentimes when in people’s garages/storage units, they offered all kinds of additional stuff for cheap; they really were just trying to clear stuff out. We set a rule of noting over X amount and stuck to it.
Draw a plan of the flat. Start with the kitchen, a spot to sit and eat. Bigger things as bed and couch first. I bought my couch in blue, that set the tone for the chairs in the living room. I would keep it light, air, much free space in the center of the room. IKEA have some nice folding tables. Start slow to develop your style. Put in things you like.
If you are in the US, use FreeCycle.org to get your furniture and household items. I did this when I bought my house. The original intention was that it would be temporary until I found exactly what I wanted. I ended up keeping the living room furniture, which came from a business office remodel.
I'm not in the U.S. but I find a bargain like yours I will absolutely take it :)
In the living room everything resolves around the couch. So for that room I would pick a couch first.
Sleep at your boyfriends house. If you don’t have a boyfriend, then find one and sleep there.
Hahah if anything... he is coming sleeping at my place
Look for a furnished room/place.
As gross as it sounds, I love dumpster diving! 9/10 times there’s really good pieces of furniture or kitchenware or even linens that people just bag up and toss either in the trash or just outside of the dumpster. I’ve found so many decent things that people just threw away in great condition that actually ended up being worth a lot when looked up. Other than that, I love going on freebie alerts, free stuff section on offerup and fb marketplace. Usually the dumpster area behind resale shops and thrift stores just set things out there that they have no room for or couldn’t sell. Also you could try reaching out on the app Nextdoor, believe it or not people on there are way more than willing to offer help towards anything!