Housewarming gifts and art for a new home or first apartment
Bare walls are the moment a new place feels least like home. A few pieces of art change that faster than any furniture, and they're the housewarming gift people actually remember.
Here's how to decorate a new home or a first apartment, room by room, without overthinking it.
By Marie, Kitsune Design Studio
A first apartment on a budget
Downloads are the budget-friendly way to fill walls: buy once, print the sizes you need, and reprint when you move. The more you add, the less each costs, so three or four pieces for a first place work out cheaply.
Renting? A poster with wooden hangers needs only a single hook, and no frame.
The kitchen, where everyone ends up
Fresh lemons, cherries and oysters make a kitchen feel lived in from day one. A matching set of five fills the wall above a bench or a breakfast nook.
Disco Fruits, set of 5A ready-made wall, already discountedThe bathroom, which always gets forgotten
Animals in bubble baths were made for this room: a lion, a tiger or a highland cow soaking in the tub makes every guest smile. One above the towel rail, or three in a row over the bath.
The Bathtub Animals, set of 13A ready-made wall, already discountedOne big piece for the living room
Above a sofa, one large piece looks better than lots of small ones. Go for 24 × 36 in, or two 18 × 24 in side by side, hung so the bottom edge sits 8 to 10 in above the back of the sofa.
Giving it as a housewarming gift
Not sure of their taste? Choose art for the room with the least personality: the kitchen or the bathroom. Send a framed print to their new address, or give a ready-made set so they can hang a whole wall on day one.
Questions
- What is a good housewarming gift?
- Art for a room that's easy to get right, like the kitchen or bathroom: cheerful fruit and oyster prints, or animals in bubble baths. Send it framed to their new address, or give a ready-made set for a bare wall.
- How do I decorate a first apartment cheaply?
- Buy digital downloads, print them in the sizes you need and reprint when you move. Buying three or more saves 25% or more, and hanger posters need no frame.
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