Alexandra’s One Big IKEA Shopping Spree Gets Her Studio Furnished!

January 31, 2013 | By Alexandra AuthorMy First Apartment

Just when you thought the hard work had all been done – you’ve found a place, negotiated with the landlord, signed the lease and collected the keys – you open the doors to nothing more but a shell. It is then that the real task begins – furnishing your new apartment. For some, the term…

Starting to Decorate and Furnish Your First Apartment

January 21, 2013 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

We’d all love to have Martha Stewart’s living room … a splash of color here, a nice piece of furniture over there … but for those of us without Ms. Stewart’s experience and budget, decorating isn’t just about choosing the right furniture – it’s a combination of financial savvy, an eye for design, and the…

Decorating with Roommates

January 7, 2013 | By Sabrina AuthorMy First Apartment

Your home is a reflection of you. The color tells us about your character, the many accessories tell us about your interests, and the positioning tells us about your thoughts. Decorating with roommates can make the shared living situation more interesting with an explosion of different ideas. However, danger lurks when each roommate’s unique flare…

First Apartment Hunting and Furnishing Tips for New Single Moms

November 19, 2012 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

This post is in response to a request we recently received from a soon-to-become single mom. Some roommates leave dishes in the sink. Other roommates crowd the apartment with hideous furniture and bizarre knick-knacks—but your roommate? He’s happy to let you decide the décor. When your first roommate is your baby, you’ll get to decide everything.…

Smart Tricks for Increasing Usable Space in Your Bedroom

October 21, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

When you move into your first apartment, you might be surprised at how small a space you have, particularly if you’re moving to a dense city like New York or San Francisco. Here you are, on your own, and you can’t even fit all your clothes in your bedroom! What are you to do? Well,…

Put the Finishing Touches on Your Place: Four Great Online Sites

September 27, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Now that it’s autumn, there’s a good chance you’ve found your apartment, you’ve moved in, and you just need a few finishing touches to make the apartment truly yours. Some of us have an ideal thrift shop we turn to, or a discount furnisher that we love – but a lot of us, especially if…

Win $50: How To Make Your Apartment Feel More Like Home

August 27, 2012 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Congratulations to Catt, our lucky winner of the $50 AmEx gift certificate and thanks to all who shared great tips for making their new apartment into a home! As we approach September, we hope you’ve been successful in your summer rental search. Knowing what a HUGE month September is for moving, we wanted to share…

How I Made My DIY Candle and Flowers Centerpiece

June 2, 2012 | By Christina AuthorMy First Apartment

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to have flowers or candles in my centerpiece, so I made one using both! 1. Start with a plain white sculpture of any shape you like. I prefer white because it contrasts really well against the red flowers we’re going to use. Make sure there is an opening at…

Easy Fixes to Personalize Your New Apartment

February 6, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

You moved into your new apartment a few months ago. All your major chores seem to be done: Unpacked all your boxes? Check. Hung up your pictures? Check. Learned the basics of your new neighborhood? Check. But something feels a little bit off … and you can’t quite put your finger on it. Perhaps it’s…

Katherine’s10 Essential First Apartment Items

December 11, 2011 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Our guest blogger Katherine has made a list and checked it twice. No, not the list you’re thinking of; it’s her list of essentials every first apartment needs to have. TEN ESSENTIAL FIRST APARTMENT ITEMS by Katherine There are a lot of things you might want for your apartment; a modern version of a Victrola or…