That tiny efficiency might be the perfect place for you to live while you’re in college, or if you travel for weeks at a time for your job. Still, it’s home. You want it to look nice and feel comfortable, no matter how big it is. You need to spend some serious time thinking about how best to furnish the apartment.

With a small apartment, you want to focus on getting the most bang for your buck. You want to buy the right kind of furniture for the apartment, recognizing that it isn’t probably furniture that you’re going to take with you when you move to a home or to a bigger apartment.

You can start with secondhand stores, because you never know what kinds of gems you’re going to find. The main thing about shopping at a secondhand store is to really evaluate what kind of condition the furniture is in. You want to worry less about the finish (you can always strip and refinish a table, for example) and worry more about whether or not it’s sturdy.

You can also look at discount furnishing stores, although you’re more likely to get the ready-to-assemble “disposable” furniture at those places. That’s fine if you’re inclined to spending a full Saturday assembling a bookcase, but just know what you’re getting into.

Another principle to keep in mind is that you want furnishings that reflect your own personal taste and style. Try not to mix styles too much, if you can help it, or your apartment will just feel discombobulated.

Consider adding some color to your apartment, too. If your landlord will permit it, consider painting a wall or walls. A simple splash of color on a single accent wall can really change the mood of a room. If you’re not into painting, you could add some color to the room with things like linens, window dressings or hanging artwork.

Finally, keep functionality in mind. You’ve got a small space to work with, and although you don’t need to Feng Shui it up completely, you do want your rooms to flow into one another and be easily navigated.

Make sure to invest in renters insurance, too, as it will help you replace those furnishings in the event that a disaster strikes your apartment.

Photo via Lboogiepeace