MY FIRST PLACE 101: PART 2

In part one, we discussed what to look for when expanding your furniture, past the dorm room, and past your old bedroom at Mom and Dad's place. In part two, we'll talk a little about life as you become more financially established and achieve your first place that is all your own, whether you're finally living all alone and looking to finally have that truly adult space, or whether you're half of a new couple getting started and looking for something more grown-up.

We won't get into the issue of couples melding their furniture, tastes, etc. The areas we covered in part one about melding with roommates applies to couples as well. You may not think of couples as being like roommates, but they are, it's just that being part of a new couple comes with more fringe benefits.

Once you are more financially established and have acquired your first "real" home, the one you see your self/selves renting or owning for three or more years, there are some steps you will gradually want to take.

Replace the college-era furniture you have.

Unless you were able to purchase or otherwise acquire well-made, solid wood (or mostly solid) furniture during your college years, or there's something you can't bear to get rid of for sentimental reasons, we recommend you find replacements. As we stated in part 1, fiberboard and particleboard-based furniture does not last, and in all honesty, it looks awful. There's nothing better than a paper veneer made to look like wood at screaming that something was a cheap purchase.

And, please, do not confuse cheap and frugal. Frugal is when you found a nice-looking, well-constructed piece for a price that didn't make your wallet wilt. Cheap is an "I just needed something," poorly-constructed, and bargain-priced purchase. We never recommend cheap, but we always champion frugal where possible.

Other pieces you may want to replace ones that "have seen better days." Maybe a coffee table that is covered in water stains, scratches, and dings from long, rough use. Or, a chair that has been ripped and repaired several times over. Of course, since there is such a push these days for "reclaimed" and "distressed-looking" items that you may want to keep that old table, and just repaint or refinish it, with all the scratches and dings left intact.

Now, how do accomplish the task of replacing your old, badly made or in poor condition furniture, without stripping your wallet, too? Simple - make a list of all of the items you want to replace, and rank the list in order of most important to replace, down to least important, and then replace the pieces on the list one-at-a-time. You can take a few items at a time, if they're small or typically not very expensive.

Reference our tips from the last post when it comes to finding new pieces. Find solid or mostly solid pieces where you can for bookcases, desks, tables, media consoles, and other wood-related items. And, when you've found an item with which to replace an old item, remember to donate the old item - don't just throw it away. Someone, somewhere, can always use your castoffs.

Buy yourself some art.

Art is a wonderful investment. It doesn't matter what your personal style is, or whether you prefer sculptures over oil paintings. The art you choose doesn't have to be from a famous or even semi-famous artist. Art of any kind will add ambiance and value to your home.

Art can be found in a variety of sources. We've already mentioned amazon.com's Artwork section. Here are some additional places to look online and offline:

• Art.com - Art.com's website has a wide variety of prints, photographs, paintings, three-dimensional art, and tapestries. Many of the pieces can come framed or unframed. If you prefer to shop through Amazon, you can also shop art.com's selection through their Amazon store.
• Bed, Bath, and Beyond - While you won't find any originals from famous artists here, you can often find decent prints and photographs in their selection. This is good for the decorator who is just starting to branch out into the world of art.
• Antique stores/flea markets - The myth of the person who finds an undiscovered Renoir amongst the dusty prints in a backwater flea market is just that - a myth. However, you still have the possibility of finding a print or oil painting that you think is a treasure, when you search through the inventory of your local flea market or antique store. A word of caution when doing the antique store circuit while traveling - antique stores that are close to the main tourist centers often mark up their wares, sometimes steeply. If you're looking for a bargain, go off the beaten path a little.
• Art festivals - These are great places to discover new artists you will love. But, like antique stores, you need to be wary of the prices you will pay in these venues. Artists often make the bulk of their yearly sales here. Don't be afraid to talk to the artist about their prices, however. Some will be willing to come down on the price of a piece you really love, especially if you buy more than one piece. Many artists also have websites now days, too. If you see an artist whose work you really like, but you can't afford the cost right now, ask for their card and keep their art in mind for when you are able to afford it.
• Frame shops - As you may have noticed by walking by many of your local frame stores, they sell much more than just frames in most cases. These shops are great places to get prints of not only well-known artists, but sometimes fledgling and local artists. Don't be afraid to go in a browse a little.

We think we've given you enough tips on upgrading your furniture and bringing art into your life to give you a good start. So, we'll end it here. Going forward, we'll be handing out advice on one or two focused subjects, rather than the more broad subjects we've covered so far. Check back with us soon for tips on dividing up large, open floorplans and mixing patterns, and most of all, taking your life beyond the taupe.