The start of 2022 has been incredibly busy because I moved into my first solo apartment! I knew the area I wanted to move in, but never expected things to go so quickly. I virtually toured two complexes, did an in-person tour at one the next morning, and had signed a lease by the end of that day. While life has felt non-stop, it’s been really exciting on top of being a lot of change. I wanted to hop back into the blog with a comprehensive list of everything you need for a new apartment. This roundup includes items I purchased for my new space so happy to answer product specific questions in the comments too!
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Everything You Need for A New Apartment | What I Bought for My Kitchen
On top of buying a dinnerware set, drinking glasses, and this Fortessa silverware set, I bought all of the cookware and bakeware in the graphics above. While some apartment purchases can be delayed, I knew these were things I’d want right off the bat for cooking and feeling at home during my first days in my new home. Some of the most important things to me:
- Hamilton Beach Electric Kettle — I start each work day with hot tea so having a tea kettle was a necessity.
- Cuisinart Nonstick Pot Set — I specifically wanted pots and pans that were dishwasher safe for when I was too lazy to hand wash and nonstick so they’d be easy when I did hand wash.
- Roll up drying rack — Because counter space is so valuable in apartment and condo kitchens, I opted for a drying rack that rolls up and can be put under the sink when I’m not using it.
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Quick update on the utensil set after using them for almost two months; the spoons in this set started melting while I was cooking on my stovetop which is clearly not what you want. I’ve replaced the set with this silicone cooking utensil set that’s heat resistant up to 450 and dishwasher safe.
Everything You Need for A New Apartment | Up Next on My List
This weekend will mark one month in my new place and some things I know I already want to add to my kitchen area include:
- An air fryer — love that this one also doubles as a toaster oven
- A blender — Spring is on the way which makes me excited to bring back fruit smoothies
- An 8×8 baking pan — I’ve made nachos a couple times (YUM!) but doing so on a baking sheet when I’m cooking for one often feels like overkill.
Everything You Need for A New Apartment | Living Room Purchases
Okay let me be honest; I didn’t want to love this TV but I do. I used this TV size to distance calculator to help me figure out which size TV was best for my living room. This would’ve been different if I had opted to put my sofa flush against the wall versus floating it in the middle of the room so be sure to take that into account.
How to figure out what size TV is best for your space: Click To TweetRELATED: 5 Home Offices I’d Like to Work In
I’ve raved about my Costco furniture experience on Instagram but I truly am so happy with my sectional couch. Buying online allowed me to have it delivered directly to my apartment with assembly included; a true time saver for me as someone that lives alone. The sectional can be rearranged into a large pit/bed if I have guests and also has been wonderful for work from home days when I don’t feel like sitting at my desk. I originally thought I would opt for a colorful couch; but it’s worked out well and I like having the knowledge that this sectional is one that will work in future spaces regardless of different future color schemes.
And the star of the show: this gorgeous turquoise, teal, and blue area rug. I first saw this in a Facebook ad and my mind kept coming back to it. I knew I wanted my apartment to feel colorful with jewel tones and this rug felt like the perfect center piece for that home decor journey.
Everything You Need for A New Apartment | Bathroom Purchases
I opted for a layout that includes a full bathroom as well as a powder room. For my full bath, I decided to go with this fun bathmat and made decor choices to coordinate. My half bathroom is still a work in progress but features black and white decor. In fact — I ended up using some of the leftover peel and stick wallpaper from my old room (remember this DIY?) to transform the standard rental beige into something a little more exciting. Neither of the bathrooms had hand towel bars so I ordered a set of Command hook towel bars.
Everything You Need for A New Apartment | Bedroom Purchases
Another one of my more expensive purchases was a new mattress. While you can order many mattresses online, I’d highly recommend going into a local mattress store so that you can test out the different options. The sales associate at my Mattress Firm was SO helpful in steering me towards options based upon my sleeping preferences (ex. I’m a side sleeper!) My store was running a deal where I was able to get an adjustable bed base at no extra charge with my mattress purchase and while I thought it would be over the top; I have been loving being able to sit my mattress up when I’m reading at night.
And that’s all she wrote! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about the products I shared; I’m happy to provide updates now that I’ve had almost two months to use these.
