The desire to create a cozy-chic environment conducive for unwinding is a common sign that you’re an adult. That matching bedding set and strangely playroom-like furniture from your college years are still functional, but you’re starting to reconsider the duo in your first grown-up living situation. After hustling your heart out in the real world — when all you want to do is collapse on the couch and channel Olivia Pope with wine and popcorn in hand — you deserve to come home to a space that looks just as sophisticated as you now feel.
Whether you’re moving into a first apartment or you’re thinking of revamping your current interior for the fall, we crafted a shopping guide filled with essential homewares that are suited for your grown-ass self. Knowing that not all beginner independent-dwellers want to drop entire paychecks on single home items, we threw some more-within-budget sets and bundles into the mix too. Ahead, the key pieces from smaller basics to larger anchor-pieces that will make a starter apartment look and feel more like a refined home (fit for Olivia Pope).
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Great Bay Home 100% Cotton Towel Set
Towels are an essential in any home — if you like to dry off post showering. Instead of going with a mismatched jumble of past-their-prime rags from your college days, invest in a matching set that gives you the biggest bang for your buck and decor style.
Great Bay Home 6-Piece 100% Cotton Towel Set, $32.99, available at Amazon
Snowe Stemless Wine Glasses
The biggest difference between a sophisticated dweller and an aspiring adult? Owning stemware that doesn’t solely consist of plastic solo cups. Try picking up a chic set that can serve as both water, juice, and table-wine glasses.
Snowe Stemless Wine Glasses (Set of 4), $48, available at Snowe
Anthropologie Bibi Throw Blanket
A simple throw blanket makes your couch feel that much more comfy and look that much more sophisticated.
Anthropologie Bibi Throw Blanket, $62.4, available at Anthropologie
Project 62 Hillside Console Table
Instead of trying to budget out a living-space lineup with multiple bookshelves to side tables and entertainment consoles, invest in one piece that can pull triple-duty while streamlining all your grown-up stuff.
Project 62 Hillside Console Table, $119.99, available at Target
Muse Bath Apothecary Hand Ritual Soap
A little bottle of premium hand soap goes a long way when it comes to elevating a space. This two-bottle pack filled with aloe, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils does the luxe trick for under $20 — and, if you want, you can refill its minimalist-chic bottle with the generic store-brand stuff after it runs out (we won’t tell).
Muse Bath Apothecary Hand Ritual Soap, 16 oz (2 Pack), $19.98, available at Amazon
Potluck Cookware Set
Don’t struggle in the kitchen trying to make it (a.k.a. breakfast, lunch, and dinner) with just one sad skillet, because investing in a quality cookware doesn’t have to blow up your budget. This seven-piece set (three lids, four pans) from Potluck is crafted with tri-ply stainless steel and will cover all your daily meal needs in sophisticated style.
Potluck Cookware Set, $160, available at Potluck
Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set
You spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, so you better make sure your bedding is butter soft. These top-rated sheets are crafted from durable long-staple cotton in a rich "buttery-smooth" 480-thread-count weave.
Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set (Queen), $149, available at Brooklinen
Urban Outfitters Naya Pop-Up Coffee Table
Coffee tables may be the furniture benchmark for adulthood. For a piece that you’ll be using every damn day for years to come, they are essential and therefore worth saving up to splurge on a quality one — like this top-rated wood style with a pop-up top and bonus interior storage.
Anthropologie Naya Pop-Up Coffee Table, $399, available at Anthropologie
Mint Pantry Valia Full Dinnerware Set
A complete set of dinnerware guarantees that there will be no awkwardly mismatched plates when you invite your friends over for a made-by-you (or Seamless-ed) meal.
Mint Pantry Valia 16 Piece Full Set, Service for 4, $56.99, available at Joss & Main
Ella Jayne Home Pillow Set
We’ve heard that pillows should be thrown out every one and half to two years, meaning that restocking your sleep support lineup post new move-in may be a necessity — do so more affordably by investing in a bundled set.
Ella Jayne Home Gusseted Microfiber Medium Density Pillow, $64.97, available at Nordstrom Rack
Erin Gates By Momeni River Beacon Indoor-Outdoor Rug
Your flooring takes up the most surface area in your home. If your apartment comes with less-than-ideal floors, owning a unique and durable area rug is crucial for styling things up — like this indoor-outdoor style from Erin Gates by Momeni with its artfully handwoven blue hues.
Erin Gates by Momeni River Beacon Denim Indoor-Outdoor Rug (5′ X 7’6"), $202.69, available at Amazon
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Source: Refinery29 – Venus Wong