Giveaway: Win New Duvet Set From Crane & Canopy

February 5, 2013 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

WE HAVE A WINNER! Our randomly selected winner of a Crane and Canopy duvet of her choice is Becky who added a burst of color to her bedroom with new gorgeous, super affordable curtains from Century 21. Congratulations Becky, we’ll email you with the directions to claim your prize. Thanks to all who shared their…

Ask a Designer: Interior Design 101

February 1, 2013 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

This February, we’re focusing on interior design to help you turn your new apartment into a cozy home you’ll love. Since not all of us are design wizards, we’ll be working with Chicago interior designer Kate Marengo of Arranging Order. She’s given me some great tips on decorating that I’ll be sharing throughout the month – and she’s…

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…