Living in your first apartment can be a nerve-wracking experience, but furnishing a blank space, like an empty first living room, can be pretty pricey.
Take Stock of Your Space
Measure your future living room before you start shopping and mark out the area where the sofa will go. Also, consider how you’ll get the sofa into your apartment: if it fits into the hallway or entrance, etc. There are lots of options, like the classic 2-seater sofa, that can be great for smaller apartments and also leave room for other things like coffee tables and such.
A larger living room allows for more flexibility. For instance, an L couch looks great in a well-sized living space and doesn’t require you to buy several different pieces to get the same feel.
Consider Current Sofa Trends
Today’s interior design has become more about comfortable, approachable pieces than traditional, fussy shapes. Elegant, rounded furniture, deep seats, textured materials and light, airy, neutral tones tend to make a space feel comfortable and current. Some trends are longer-lasting than others, but most have staying power. Look for features that won’t go out of style. A basic, small loveseat, for example, covered in tough, durable fabric, could work for you for years to come. Also, because most of us live in small apartments, we need our furniture to work harder for us. Whether you choose to look for a sofa with a lift-up compartment to store your kdrama DVD collection or just something that doesn’t have a lot of, we’ll just call it ‘chill’ and let you make something up.
Stretching Your Dollar
A realistic budget is more than just the sofa itself. You should be factoring in delivery, a rug, lighting, throw pillows, a coffee table… Giving yourself room in the budget for these details will help your first apartment from feeling undone. When looking at different sofa options, take construction and fabric into account as well as how pretty it will look. A slightly more expensive sofa that’s built to last may offer more value than replacing a cheap version in a couple of years. And, most importantly, take your time. You don’t have to furnish that first place in a single weekend. Buy a sofa that fits well in the space, works for your life, and gives your budget a little slack for the rest of the room.