Lovelyish

If that is an actual picture of your place, then you want a table that can double as counterspace/work area for food prep. Good Will, yard sales, Big Lots, any type of consignment store. You may have to do some work/elbow grease to get your purchases in top condition, but then they will be yours and you can paint/decorate them however you want. Also check out TJ Maxx, Ross’s Dress for Less, and Marshall’s for cheaper furniture!

DON’T use those hooks with adhesive on the back in stead of nails. I bought some at Target, I think the brand was Scotch, and I hung up a mirror and a (very expensive) small decorative plate. I got home one day, a few days after hanging them, and found the decorative plate smashed on the floor and my mirror on the floor, the frame broken.

I would scratch the table idea and try to find some sort of eat-in island instead that, as mentioned before, can double as a counter/work space. Ikea is a great store for finding cheap furniture, and would have islands with countertops and such, but you could also make your own simply by buying a piece of laminate countertop from Home Depot or Lowe’s for $40 or so, and either building a frame on the bottom to support it (preferable with some shelves), or buying cheap, unfinished cabinetry and attaching it to that. You’ll have to paint the cabinetry yourself, but it’s much less that buying it already done. If you really want to save money, just make the top out of plywood and paint it, then you can make it whatever you size you want.

Also, since the space is small, try to make all your furniture have multiple uses. For example, instead of using a TV stand for your TV, buy a dresser and put your TV on that. Mirrors help bounce light around the room, and since you can’t hang it on the wall, try just resting it against the wall on top of your dresser. For non-permanent artwork, try finding posters that are artistic, or print your own art/photos and then frame them with either construction paper or ribbon, and attach them to the wall with masking tape or painters tape which won’t mess up the wall.

I know it’s cheap, but Walmart and Target and places like that have pretty cute furniture. It’s not all that well-made, but if what you’re looking for is cheap then that’s a good way to go. And if you take relatively good care of it, it really does last a pretty long time.

If you’re looking for cheap but good quality, and are maybe up for a little project, check out your neighborhood Good Will stores or 2nd hand shops. They often have really GREAT pieces but some of them may need some sanding and/or new coat of pain to get them to be what you really want. They’re also super cheap, and they’ll last for a long time. @armsraceofsound@xanga - I learned the secret with those hooks! I had a few that weren’t working (they were supposed to hold up to 3lbs. and I only put my keys on the hook!) and kept falling and I couldn’t figure out why. Turns out, I was using them wrong lol. You have to really read the instructions on the back and then they work perfectly! Now I use them all the time since they’re better than putting holes in walls! 

Ikea has cute little tables, they have little rolling islands, couches, chairs. Or hobby lobby, the one by me has tons of those oriental folding screens that are room dividers, they have side tables and tons vases and storage stuff its my favorite store ever, and sometimes if there’s a scratch or dent they will give you a discount

I agree with MochaSprinkle to check out Goodwill and other second hand stores for gently used furniture.  Older furniture is heavy duty and will last because it is made with actual wood rather than ground-up tree pulp.  They might need a little TLC but you can paint/decorate it to your liking.  Also, other commenters noted that you should stick to multi-purpose items like the dresser doubling as the TV stand.  I’d go with simple, classic items if you can find them so you won’t have to spend a bundle for specific decorations to go with them.  I have bought furniture items from Ikea, they were nice but weren’t that sturdy.  Think of them as temporary furniture, maybe 5 years’ worth.  Also, look for furniture that has built in storage, like a coffee table with drawers, ottoman that opens up to store blankets.  Also, Hal0girl16 mentioned that finished cabinets cost a lot more than unfinished–after having bought finished and installed cabinets for my kitchen, she is totally correct about the cost.

@armsraceofsound@xanga - Oh no, I’m so sorry that happened! Thanks for the advice!

@sorority_girl86@xanga - Thank you so much for all of the tips! That is a pic of my apartment, and you’re right, we have absolutely no counter space at all!

@hal0girl16@xanga - Those are all such great ideas, thank you so much! I wish I was more of a DIY-er, I definitely would love to try to make my own counter top space like you suggested!

@pikaaa - Thanks for the tip! I’ve been meaning to make a trip out to Target, they do have some really cute stuff for cheap!

@lisajenelle@xanga - I had never heard of Hobby Lobby, it sounds great! I checked the locations and there’s one near where my mom lives upstate, I’m going to have to ask her to check it out! Thanks so much for the tip

@MochaSprinkle@xanga - Thanks so much for the tip, I’ll have to see where the nearest Goodwill is to my new apartment! Also, it’s good to hear the hooks actually do work, I might have to give them a try after all!

@babybug329@xanga - Thanks so much for the tips! I definitely will have to check out thrift stores, and try to find more multi-purpose items!

I live in a really similar apartment. It’s a studio and the layout is similar, but the kitchen is in a corner, so I have some counters. Yours looks a bit bigger than mine, but we still manage fine ( I live here with my boyfriend). 

One of the things I did is use the surfaces on the sides of my wardrobe to hang a corkboard and stuff like that. I also have a lot of pictures covering my fridge entirely, which makes it feel homy. Books and candles always make a place seem warmer and I also have decorations that hang from my windows. I had a few nails in the walls though, so I had a bit more to work with. 
Also, get over the door hangers or a vanity or something, like these, only cheaper; 
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jspid=20051751&color=001&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=A_DECORATE
They are life savers, especially if you can’t hang anything.

I also suggest going to both Ikea and local charity shops. Vintage furniture is always a lot more cozy, while Ikea are really good with solutions for small spaces. 

i always liked the idea of printing off photos in black and white and putting them in different frames that are the same color. you can probably get a lot of vintage frames from thrift shops. mirrors make the space seem larger.

@AshleyK - welcome, i got a side table from there for my wedding that is now in my apartment i love it, and they have a 4 person counter height table i want sooo bad! i just wish you could see what their selling on the website. oh, they also have a crap ton of lamps!

IKEA is the place to go, trust me. Their “As Is” section kicks ass. You can furnish your place very well through them, especially since they make a lot of things with a tiny, NYC apartment in mind.

@emptyabyss@xanga - Thank you so much for all of the amazing suggestions! I definitely need to get some magnets to hang things on the fridge, and some over-the-door hangers!

@x_papergirl@xanga - That is such a good idea! I do have a printer right now, so I’m definitely going to print out some photos! Thanks!

@lisajenelle@xanga - Ooo I definitely need some lamps, I wish they had a location near me! I’ll see if I can get my mom to check it out though

@lisajenelle@xanga - Ooo I definitely need some lamps, I wish they had a location near me! I’ll see if I can get my mom to check it out though

@AshleyK - no problem! and target always has such cute stuff, too. 

@chicbananas@xanga - They have an ‘as is’ section? That’s amazing news! I’m definitely going to have to make the trip out to Ikea this weekend! Thanks!

@AshleyK - You’re welcome.  Oh yeah, just thought of something else.  Don’t be afraid to shop clearance sections, such as Target and Walmart for decor items.  Look for bedding at Ross, Marshalls, TJ Max, especially “bed-in-a-bag.”  They are usually pretty inexpensive (starting at $30 a set), but they contain all the basic pieces to make up the bed without much extra effort to coordinate pieces.

@babybug329@xanga - You’re the best, I hadn’t even thought of bed-in-a-bags! Thank you!

@MochaSprinkle@xanga - I definitely second your adhesive hook advice!  They’re very commonly installed incorrectly, but if you read the back of the packaging and follow the instructions well, they hold like no other.  There are specifics about how you should clean the wall beforehand, how much pressure to use and how long to stick them on there, how long you have to wait before having them support weight, etc.  If you follow the directions, they work really well!  And if you follow the directions to take them off the wall when you move out, that’s easy, too!

holes are really REALLY easy to fill in. every landlord says no holes and everyone hangs things up. for a couple bucks you can get the stuff to fill them in at the end. i bet he does it himself after everyone leaves. and, worst case scenario, he charges you to fill the holes, itll only be a couple of dollars anyways. if he “hires” someone to do it then thats bogus.

@Vallery@xanga - exactly! I’m glad someone agrees

Better Homes and gardens has an on line program (free) where one can put in room measurements and then arrange funiture, etc. as one who can’t always visualize what something might look like, etc, i found it extrememly helpful and came up with some unique arrangements for rooms I’d never have though on on my own.  others may be available on line, too. make sure the color scheme matches your likes and color tones for clothers. if you are a  summer for fashion, you may not care about fall for a home coor scheme.  if you have these then it takes less time going thourh yard sales, thrift stores, etc. to find what you can use ( helps to know if  what kind of decor you’d like, too. ) I’m no expert, just almost fifty years of trying to buy a few new itmes and interpsere with what else one can ifnd on a budget. The chair you sit in most and your bed have to be comfortable.  Linda Joy Adams no expert, just sharing experiences.

@alexisdaughter@xanga - Thanks so much for all of your tips! I really appreciate it!