young professional – anchored & adrift

Tools of the Trade: The 8 Items You Need Before Moving Into Your First “Real” Place

The core of your home consists of the walls, windows, roof, floors, and the tools you use to decorate this space. I’ve watched many of my friends move into their first young professional apartments with their sole tool being an Allen wrench that came with their first IKEA purchase (I remember mine fondly).

But enough is enough! How can your apartment, condo, or house become a home without the essential tools? Will photos and tapestries forever be held up with thumb tacks or tape as in your college days? How can you be a “real person” without being able to measure dimensions for furniture, or as you align gallery walls by “eyeballing it”?

It’s time to take a stand with these 8 tools of the trade. Continue reading “Tools of the Trade: The 8 Items You Need Before Moving Into Your First “Real” Place” →

Anchored, Home Design

How to Have an Environmentally-Sound First Apartment

For most recent college grads, sustainability is not the top priority for your first place. You’re mainly concerned wth location, price, and quality of life in said apartment (cleanliness, age of kitchen, and whether a washer and dryer are in the unit, for example). Unfortunately, the dream world of planned environmental design is not your reality, and that is perfectly fine. But, you can consider small details that make a big difference in the overall footprint of your first place both while you’re searching and when you have found “the one”. Continue reading “How to Have an Environmentally-Sound First Apartment” →