Decorating Your First Apartment

 Planning and decorating your first apartment can be baffling and overwhelming. Apartment units or outdated brownstones are often small, sterile and architecturally deprived. But you can transform them into a personal, unique space. Don't be a confused, first-time decorator: Enjoy the adventure.

Ponder these seven points as you transform your new apartment into a home that reflects your personality.

1. Develop a point of view
The trick to creating a cohesive, put-together apartment is to decide what kind of "look" you want. Study magazines and watch home decorating shows to help you determine your favorite style. Rustic? Sleek and modern? Traditional? Country French? Once you find your preference, try to stick to your theme in every room. The similar style in each room will create flow and rhythm, which will give your place a sense of harmony and balance. But keep in mind you're not decorating a movie set—not every detail has to perfectly match. The oddaccessory gives your place personality and should tell something about the person who dwells there—you. Avoid creating a "circus" atmosphere by using too many styles, too many different colors and too many patterns. Carry your point of  view throughout    A similar style in each room will create flow and rhythm.

 

2. Choose a color scheme
Select three or four of your favorite colors, and use them throughout your apartment. If you use objects and fabrics of wildly different colors in each room, your place will seem choppy, broken up and visually distracting. For example, if you like blue and white, create a living room that features white walls, ivory slipcovered furniture, blue and white porcelain accents, and light-wood tables and shelves. In your bedroom, you could use a deeper blue and more of it via a patterned bedspread, pillows and curtains. Your kitchen could carry the theme by using blue and white checked curtains, while introducing yellow as an accent color.

3. Pay attention to scale
Unless your dad is Donald Trump, chances are your first apartment is not going to be a gigantic floor-through with fabulous views from every room. Keep the size of your rooms in mind when purchasing furniture and accessories. If your living room is small to medium, don't waste the space by purchasing a giant-screen TV that will take up most of the area.

Don't invest in an oversized, overstuffed chair and ottoman that won't leave room for anything else and will make you feel crowded. In smaller rooms, one or two small pieces of upholstered or leather-covered furniture work well with plain traditional wood or modern chrome chairs. Sofas now come in all shapes and sizes so don't overlook an armless version to give a sense of open space, or a slightly curved design to lend shape to a boxy apartment.

Always measure door height and width to be sure all your furniture will fit—many older brownstones were built with much smaller doorframes. Check out the size of your building's elevator, too.

 

4. Buy off the beaten path
It's tempting to browse the upscale shops, but only one purchase could leave your pockets empty and your apartment looking barely filled. Instead, why not consider antique malls, church bazaars, junk shops and flea markets? These can be gold mines loaded with treasure for the first-time decorator. Five-hundred dollars will serve you very well at a flea market. In many cases you'll be able to find enough unique stuff for an entire room.

Check out the "U.S. Flea Market Directory: A Guide to the Best Flea Markets in All 50 States" by Albert Lafarge. Its extensive listings of markets and dates will help you decide where to go. Many of the decorating magazines run calendars that list flea markets and antique shows by state.And lots of home furnishings stores like Crate & Barrel and Ballard Designs have outlet shops with dishes, furniture and unique accessories that are greatly reduced, mostly in good condition. "The Furniture Factory Outlet Guide" by Kimberly Causey is a good resource that lists many wonderful ways to purchase furniture at less-than-retail prices.Every July, Marshall Field's department store in Chicago holds a "Paris Flea Market," with special items at great prices. Watch for something similar in your area. Read the local newspaper. Many cities have their own  magazines and listings of local events. Keep your eyes open.

 

5. Put quality first
Good news: Even though you are trying to stay budget-minded on your first foray into decorating territory, it is possible—and recommended—to find items of quality that are well-made and built to last. If you purchase a new but poorly crafted table or upholstered piece just because it comes at a bargain price, it's really no bargain at all. It will show wear early, perhaps lasting only a few years at best and then you'll have to replace it. Better to hunt for a chipped but solid old table and give it new life through a sanding and wax touch-up or can of paint. A slightly worn cushioned chair can be taken to a professional, who can reupholster it with that beautiful, vintage fabric you paid practically nothing for—and you will have a lovely, solid, good-as-new chair. Research the North Carolina furniture factories, like Hunt Galleries Inc. in Hickory, N.C. Many offer deeply discounted upholstered pieces to the public.

6. Make lists and stay focused
It's all too easy to become distracted when you're standing in the middle of a super-sized home store or roaming the aisles at a flea market the length of a football field. In the overwhelming midst of so much stuff, chances are you'll purchase something you don't want or decide to wait until later to buy something you saw, only to find it's already been snatched up by another savvy shopper. Make a list of all the items you plan to purchase, accompanied by any important room measurements and size requirements.