Getting ready to move into an apartment? Need some inspiration? Keep reading to pick up some small apartment living room ideas you absolutely need to know.
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Most people think that getting furniture for an apartment is expensive and depending on your taste, it could be expensive. There are ways to get what you want at a reasonable price though!
You are about to get some of the best-kept secrets to help you with apartment living room ideas on a budget, small apartment living room ideas, and college apartment living room ideas that’ll make your small space feel huge!
Pro tip: Companies are not going to advertise options that’ll help you save money, but I promise you, once you walk into a furniture store they are not going to want you to leave without purchasing something. Keep reading to find out what to do!
This post is about small apartment living room ideas you need to know.
Apartment Living Room Ideas:
1. Couch / Sofa | Living room ideas
So this is definitely one of the most known furniture items in a living room.
You absolutely need to have something for you and your guests to sit on.
I recommend getting a couch that can convert into other functions. It is extremely beneficial for small apartments. A couch like the one above gives you more seating options and can opt for a place someone can crash if needed.
Getting furniture on a budget
You will never believe this, BUT you can walk into a store like Rooms to Go, pick out your furniture, set up a delievery day, and walk out without paying a dime.
Literally, this option never even occurred to me when I was moving out of state. Most people would automatically wait until they have all of this money saved up before buying furniture, but I’m telling you, there are ways around this.
Now, we all know that nothing in life is free. You certainly will have to pay… just not for another month or so.
If you’ve saved up money, GREAT! Keep saving!!
But if you’re someone who is moving without much money, you don’t have to sleep on the floor for months. There are financing options.
Click here to get a FREE Moving Checklist Printable that will help you prioritize what you need to do before moving.
My living room sofas (a large couch, oversized chair, and ottoman) cost me about $1500 in total BUT because of the financing option, I only had to pay about $100 per month.
Obviously, you don’t even have to get two seating options and an ottoman, but I had spent so many months saving for furniture that I could have splurged on an extra chair and ottoman.
How to find the best deals
You should definitely shop around before committing to one furniture store.
Rooms To Go was the very LAST place I went to. My search started at Ashley’s Furniture Store – which I decided NOT to go with because it would have taken 3 MONTHS for my furniture to ship to my new home.
That’s three months too long! Now granted, it was definitely due to me moving in the middle of a pandemic (COVID-19) but nonetheless, I didn’t want to have to sleep on a floor for three months if it could have been avoided.
After that place, I went to Conn’s Furniture, which ended in disappointment because my credit score wasn’t good enough for them…Oh well! It’s their loss!
Stopping at Rooms To Go saved me! I also ordered a lot of furniture items from Amazon.
Monthly costs
Remember how I mentioned that I only had to pay $100 per month?
Well if you’re financially smart, it would be in your BEST INTEREST to pay more than $100 if you can. Especially if you’ve spent some time saving for furniture anyway.
If you are looking for resources to become financially literate, click here to see the two resources that helped me go from $0 to $3100 in 2 months.
2. Entertainment Center/TV Stand
Guess where you can get a beautiful entertainment center from. AMAZON!
My entertainment stand cost me about $130 total which is a GREAT deal.
It’s a beautiful farmhouse brown wood type and it fits my need of simply holding my TV up.
You will have to assemble this on your own, but it took my brother and me about 30 minutes to set up the whole thing.
Setting it up is super easy! It is also very satisfying upon completion when you stand back and admire what you just built.
3. An Actual TV
Now, it doesn’t make sense to buy an entertainment center if you don’t have some sort of entertainment for your space.
For example, if you don’t have a television in your apartment, why would you go out of your way and waste money on a TV entertainment system?
BUT if you do have a TV (I’ve always had a TV) you should make use of the entertainment center and storage that comes with it. You can get a smart TV for a nice deal at Amazon.
4. Large Area rug
Here is the exact rug that I ordered for my living room. I got it right from Amazon of course. Shopping for a large area rug has never been easier!
There are plenty of area rug options you can sift through on Amazon.
The biggest problem you may run into when shopping for rugs at stores in person is the rugs fitting in your vehicle.
I drive a car so I didn’t want to embarrass myself by trying to finesse a large carpet into my car 😅.
Order it online and get it shipped to your place. Problem solved!!
5. Large Mirror |Bonus Item
This item is something that you absolutely DO NOT need.
It’s a great decor piece for your small apartment living room. In fact, adding a mirror to a small room can make the room appear LARGER than it actually is.
There are cool DIY projects you can also do to your mirror to make it look cool and fit your vibe.
When guests come over to my apartment, I’ve noticed that everyone kind of uses it. Isn’t that interesting?
If you’ll use it, get it. It beats having to run to the restroom or your closet to quickly see how you look. Save yourself some time!
This wraps up the small apartment living room ideas on a budget list. This isn’t your typical inspiration post. It’s more like an educational post because the reality is, most people are unaware of all of the options available to them when it comes to moving or living in an apartment on your own for the first time.
Related Post: 25+ First Apartment Essentials You Need | First-Time Renters
There is no shame in being on a budget while moving, especially if you’re young! As mentioned earlier, companies are not going to advertise options that’ll help you save money, but I promise you, once you walk into a furniture store they are not going to want you to leave without purchasing something.
This means that you have the upper hand in this. They most likely are getting paid by commission-based sales, which means the more money you spend, the more money they will make.
Remember, if you’re trying to be financially intelligent (because being the opposite is NOT cute) start saving money and find resources that can potentially help you save a lot of money.
This post was all about small living room ideas on a budget you need to know about.
Other Post You May Like:
Moving Checklist | The Best Checklist For Moving Out of State
First Apartment Essential Items You Need
7 Pros and Cons of Apartment Living You Need to Know Before Moving
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