Move in is the next few weeks. I’ve lived on my “own” (roommate I never interacted with) for a couple months my last semester of college, but that was a temporary setup whereas I’m hopefully moving out for good this time.
Bear in mind that the place has window/wall A/C and electric heating.
Things I’m already considering:
- Drain guard
- Bidet
- Cold brew coffee maker
- Rice cooker
- Space heater? I’d like to keep the temp largely down during the winter to save money while warming up the part of the place I’m in
- Key for washer/dryer
Things I already have:
- Most furniture
- Air fryer
- Seltzer water thingy
- Meal prep containers
General advice is also welcome!
Get some art. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just buy some prints off etsy or some shit.
Idk your sexual orientation, but if you wanna have a special someone over it def impresses them if you actually have some nice stuff on the walls. Bare walls/college dorm posters of the Godfather are a bit of a turn off I’ve learned.
Fumbling a baddie thanks to my five identical posters of Ex Machina (2014) starring Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac
Some art on the walls is a nice touch.
I have one (1) framed poster I’ll be bringing. Will look to see what else strikes my fancy
Beat me to it. Nothing makes a domicile a home faster than art and photographs on the walls. Pictures of family on the mantle or on the bar, some Pier 1 cheap-ass prints, maybe a decorative plant, boom. Home.
Gonna plaster the place with pics of my dog
based
Bidet definitely. I refuse to poop anywhere else now.
Peg boards are really handy for hanging pots and pans and save you a lot of cabinet space
Similarly installing small shelves in the kitchen area for spices frees up counter space.
Ricer cooker with a steam tray on top, just remember you’ll need more water when cooking rice and steaming something at the same time. I love cooking tamales and steam baos from in mine
rice cooker was one of the best purchases i’ve ever made, it’s the easiest way to make food when im very depressive since i can just turn it on and leave it for an hour or so. and rice is hella yummy and cheap and i eat it all the time
yummy yummy burrito bowls in my tummy 🤤
a peace lily
If you have white walls get a cheap amazon projector or two. You can do all sorts of cool visual art on them or use it with friends. You can modify them to be extremely quiet too if you know how to strip and twist wires. The bulbs on these are cheap and they typically are low power.
Walls are kind of a slate color. I actually have an ancient boardroom projector that was probably a decade old when I got it a decade ago I might keep out
Rice cooker, for sure.
Get good sheets.
It’s been mentioned already, but good knives for the kitchen.
Space Heater
Try a heated blanket. You can warm yourself directly, without having to heat the whole room.
Idk why I didn’t think of this
Also anyone read that YA sci-fi book where the guy turns invisible because of a heated blanket
Cold brew coffee maker
I just use a French press to make cold brew and it works super well, with the benefit of being able to make hot coffee too.
A high quality chefs knife is a game changer in the kitchen. You don’t need a whole block of knives or anything, just a good 7-9 inch knife. Also a knife sharpener, I just use a little pull-through one from Amazon and it works well enough. A good sharp knife is so much easier to use and safer than a dull one.
Bathroom trashcans with lids.
Bookshelves, books and other things on those shelves
consider a rug
One of the main steps from “livable” to “cute” is rugs and throw blankets for your furniture. They’re good for decoration, but they also keep you warm. You can thrift them.
Art is huge, but cannot recommend throw rug enough.
Stuff that looks ugly in a thrift store comes alive when put against apartment carpet or vinyl flooring. Absorbs sounds too.
- A nice fan
- Reusable soap dispensers (Can also save you money in the long term)
- Shower organizers
- A nicer bagged vacuum
- In sink sponge holder
- Lamps for indirect lighting
For ricr cooker, I haven’t seen any meaningful difference between the cheaoest rice cooker and a medium priced one. Either go for the zojiroshi or by the $20 one.
All good shouts. I have a dinky little stick vac I might just use for the moment as there’s no carpet
Get one of those straw brooms at the Asian market to sweep up before you vac
Ok broomer 👍
Unironically
what are those snaking showerheads, like the detachable ones? Those are nice
Have you considered using a bunch of empty liquor bottles as decoration? An empty bottle of Jameson on a mantle or on a windowsill has a je ne sais quoi that well put together apartments rarely have.
Doubly so if you don’t actually drink.
Next time I move into my own place, I am aiming to have a framed picture of Josip Tito next to an empty bottle of Tito’s Handmade Vodka somewhere visible but not prominent as an irl visual gag.
