WAS THE NEWSLETTER #62

how to furnish your entire home on a budget

Author

Maren Loveland
January 31, 2025

#62

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where a mattress without a bed frame is FINE.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

A lot of people I know right now are setting up entirely new households due to the LA wildfires. It’s one thing to figure out your home when you’re fresh out of college, or you’ve finally moved into your own space after years of roommates. Or when you’re merging households with a partner. In these situations, you’re coming into it with stuff. It may not be stuff you love, or even can agree on, but you can build on it.

In the case of a lot of Angelenos, they are literally starting from nothing and that’s a lot to deal with and I’m so sorry. This is such an overwhelming process to undertake, so I’ve organized a jumping off point. If you have no idea of what to do or where to start, here’s your guide, especially if you’re on a budget and you can’t do it all at once.

You start with the first tier, which are the basic needs of sleeping, eating, and gathering, and you build from there.

In order, here’s how I’d furnish a place from the ground up:

FIRST TIER

  1. PRIMARY BED/KIDS ROOMS

  2. KITCHEN/DINING AREA

  3. LIVING ROOM

SECOND TIER

  1. OFFICE SPACE

  2. PRIMARY BATH/KIDS BATH

  3. LAUNDRY ROOM

  4. GUEST ROOMS

  5. SECOND BATH

  6. PAINT

PRIMARY BED

FIRST TIER:

  1. MATTRESS

  2. BEDDING

  3. BED FRAME

  4. BEDSIDE TABLE

  5. BEDSITE TABLE LAMPS

SECOND TIER:

  1. DRESSER/CONSOLE

  2. CURTAINS/BLINDS

  3. RUG

  4. MIRROR/ART

KITCHEN/DINING AREA

FIRST TIER:

  1. NECESSITIES (dinnerware, glassware, etc.)

  2. DINING TABLE

  3. DINING CHAIRS

  4. COUNTER STOOLS

SECOND TIER

  1. LIGHT FIXTURE

  2. BLINDS

  3. KITCHEN LAMP

  4. BOWLS AND DECOR

LIVING ROOM

FIRST TIER

  1. SOFA

  2. COFFEE TABLE/OTTOMAN

  3. CONSOLE FOR TV (ITEMS THAT HELP HOUSE THINGS OR PROVIDE A LANDING PLACE)

  4. CHAIRS OR RUG

  5. SIDE TABLES

  6. LAMPS

SECOND TIER

  1. CURTAINS/BLINDS

  2. THROW PILLOWS

  3. ART ABOVE THE FIREPLACE

  4. FLOOR LAMPS, EXTRA LIGHTING

  5. BOOKS AND DECORATIVE OBJECTS

  6. ADDITIONAL ART

OFFICE SPACE

FIRST TIER

  1. DESK

  2. LIGHTING

  3. STORAGE

SECOND TIER

  1. RUG

  2. EXTRA LIGHTING

  3. RANDOM ART

PRIMARY BATH/KIDS BATHS

  1. SHOWER CURTAIN (IF NEEDED)

  2. BATHMAT + TOWELS

  3. EXTRA STORAGE

  4. RUG

LAUNDRY ROOM

  1. EXTRA STORAGE

GUEST ROOMS

FIRST TIER:

  1. MATTRESS

  2. BEDDING

  3. BEDFRAME

SECOND TIER:

  1. DRESSER/CONSOLE (MOST BEDROOMS HAVE A CLOSET)

  2. CURTAINS/BLINDS

  3. RUG

  4. MIRROR/ART

SECOND BATH

  1. SHOWER CURTAIN (IF NEEDED)

  2. BATHMAT + TOWELS

  3. EXTRA STORAGE

  4. RUG

PAINT

  1. MOVE EVERYTHING TO THE CENTER OF THE ROOM AND PAINT BEFORE FULLY FURNISHING

My heart goes out to you if reestablishing a living space is something you or your family has to do right now. But by starting with the basic needs like a place to sleep and a place to sit, you’ll have the elements of what you need. As you progress, you’ll start to get into what you want, into what pieces speak to you and your aesthetic, and soon your new place will start to feel like home again.

I wish you guys all the best in this process <3

KATE’S PAINT COLOR OF THE WEEK

Sherwin WIlliams: Dark Hunter Green

Finish: Any

Room Light Level: Any

Check out Kate’s paint consultation business here!

xx,
P