Post-Grad Apartment Tour

I’ve lived in this little one-bedroom apartment for just over three months now, so I figured it was time to finally host a post-grad apartment tour! I lived in apartments all throughout college since it was always cheaper than living on-campus. My college didn’t have many housing options, and they were super strict with their rules. After so many years in a dorm (I went to boarding school), I was just done with dorms.

I only just recently actually finished furnishing my apartment here in Orlando! I ditched almost everything after I graduated last April, and I had to repurchase everything! It took much longer than I imagined, which meant I slept on a mattress on the floor for much longer than I’d like to admit. Regardless of how long it took, I’m really happy with my apartment now. I live here with my boyfriend and my beagle-mix dog, Barbie.

Throughout this post, I’ll be sharing some tips for how I furnished and decorated my apartment on a tight budget! I’ll include links so you can find everything online if you think it’d make a great fit for your dorm or apartment! Enjoy my post-grad apartment tour!

Living Room

My living room is pretty big, and it’s the first thing you see when you enter my apartment. The couch is from IKEA and it’s a major downsize from the leather monstrosity I had before that easily fit two full-grown human beings laying down. We’re considering purchasing an additional add-on piece for this couch, but for now, it works.

My curtains, pillows, and small table are from Target. The black and white rug is from Walmart.

I like to DIY my own wall-decor. For this, I used my favorite quote from Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things) and a stock photo of an old-timey camera. I plan to make more of these for the rest of my place, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

This IKEA bookshelf is the newest edition to my apartment, but easily my favorite. I’m OCD about how I store my books, and they’re organized by series, color, and personal preference. I also mix a lot of things into my book displays like picture frames and the toy boat you see here. Click here to check out my latest book recs!

I found this modern and super inexpensive media center from the Zinus Modern Studio Collection on Amazon for under $50. It’s great quality, and it looks way more expensive than it is. In the TV, you can see the reflection of all my pool inflatable rafts outside.

My dining set was another Amazon find. If you couldn’t tell, I love getting furniture from Amazon. I love that I can read millions of reviews before purchasing, and it’s delivered right to the door so it feeds into my laziness. I didn’t even have a table at my last place so this is a huge improvement for me.

Kitchen

My old kitchen had stainless-steel appliances and it was super upgrades. This one, not so much. But it’s functional, and that’s all I need. I display all the magnets I gathered on my travels on my fridge. I also have a dry erase board calendar I use to write all my monthly events. Off to the right, there’s a small walk-in laundry room.

My kitchen is home to my coffee and tea stations. I got this Keurig my second year in college, and it’s really been a game changer (This Compact Keurig would be perfect for a dorm!). I also have recently gotten super into tea, hence my tea-pyramid in the second photo. I have even more not pictured, it’s pretty embarrassing. I drink this Tiesta Lavender Chamomile every night to help with my insomnia.

Bedroom

My bedroom is a weird pentagon shape, but I made it work. This is my dresser from home that I successfully painted white despite having rudimentary DIY skills. My mattress is this very affordable memory foam queen I found on (you guessed it!) Amazon. My metal bed frame is (surprise) also from Amazon and it was under $115!

The top of my dresser is covered with photos from places I’ve been, perfumes, and little souvenirs like my mask from Venice.

In the tiny corner beside my bed is my little work-at-home office. It’s tiny, but I love it. For blogging and writing, I use my iMac. My giant floral planner is the 2018 Life Planner by Erin Condren. I plan to hang blog-themed memorabilia above my desk. From the picture, you can see my Titanic sign from Dublin, Ireland, my Reeperbahn Festival 2013 print from Hamburg, Germany, and my good luck elephant mask from Accra, Ghana.

Post-Grad Apartment Tour

I hope you enjoyed this apartment tour! It’s completely possible to furnish and design a dorm or apartment on a budget! For more dorm and apartment design tips, check out some of my other posts below:

• Dorm Shopping Guide + Checklist
• Easy Dorm DIY’s by Valspar
• Apartment 101: Surviving Your First Year Out of the Dorms

What are your favorite design tips? How do you keep to a budget? Let me know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links which means I might receive a small commission for anything your purchase through this page at no extra cost to you. I only include products I use and trust.