First Apartment {31 Days of Moodboards}

Let's pretend that you're just graduating from college and about to start your first job. You find an apartment near your work place and now you need to fill it. And you want it to look nice. You don't have much money, but you do have a week before the job starts and you don't mind painting some furniture for the look you want.

Oh, and you have your Dad's truck for the weekend.

So you peruse craigslist.org. 

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 First you spy a set of black bookshelves from World Market for $300.

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Then you see a wood-and-metal coffee table for $50. 

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You're not sure you can believe this--a quality leather couch for $50? What's wrong with it? It's worth checking it out, since you'll be driving around anyway.

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This oak dresser, also for $50, will make a perfect place for the TV and add storage as well!

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This score--an Anthropologie area rug, cream and lime--determines your color scheme, and only costs $100!

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You'll have to make several trips with the truck, but a round table with a leaf and four chairs for $99 seems worth it. And you can paint it!

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Finding a queen-sized cherry bed frame really makes you feel like a grown-up. For $150, it will still be a good deal once you purchase a mattress set. For now, you'll leave it as-is, but it would look so pretty in white with some glazing to bring out the details!

via craigslist-sacramento

Your bedroom also needs a dresser and a pair of nightstands. You like that they're solid oak and you might not get around to painting them for a few weeks, but what a sweet deal for $150!

You can see it now, your pretty, grown-up apartment, craigslist style!

Sure, there are still some major projects and quite a few other purchases to make, but in just one weekend you've scored all of the major furnishings for your apartment for $649!!! That means you can totally afford throw pillows, paint for the dressers, table and chairs, mattresses and bedding, a few baskets for storage, and some inexpensive curtain panels (IKEA vivan, $10/each shown). You might even take the time to paint a stripe on the bottom of the curtains, and you're definitely going to find a cool picture you took recently and have it blown up at an office supply store. And that sunburst mirror? Can you say rainy weekend project?

Hello, grown-up world! Are you ready for me?

I hope you're enjoying this series! Moodboards are available upon request.