Gifts for the new Graduate's First Apartment

Graduation is an exciting and scary time for everyone. It’s a huge milestone, it’s the first step into adult life.  This post is incredibly appropriate given that our Spring intern, Erika, and design assistant, Halie are both graduating this semester.

Oftentimes, graduation is followed by a move for a new job. This means new beginnings, a new city, and a new apartment.  To help the graduate in your life adjust to this new found adulthood and take a step in the right direction, here are a few ideas to spice up their surroundings and make them feel more at ease to this enormous transition.

Every young professional should have a dedicated place to work at home. In college they had the library, their dining table surrounded by other stressed out college kids, and even their roommates’ floor. But this is where all that comes to a halt and becomes polished and sophisticated. I know it sounds cliché but there is something about an actual desk with the correct stationary that seems so productive.

(Photo Credit: traveling mama.net)

(Photo Credit: wendesgray.com)

Quirky, one of a kind pieces bring fun and personality to any space. And if it’s a gift from you, it will of course be even more special. Every time your grad comes home from a stressful day at their new job or is feeling homesick, this piece will ease their mind thinking of you. It can literally be anything, a piece of artwork, a statue, a book… anything.

(Photo Credit: blog.designpublic.com)

Your grad has come a long way from Thirsty Thursdays and frat parties. So why not upgrade them to an “adult bar”. This doesn’t take much. Just a small corner in their new apartment, a bar cart or bar tray, and basic barware like an ice bucket and shaker. They will be able to easily move this around since it is so small and mobile, we all know our first apartments aren’t as big as we hope so this is perfect for cramped quarters.

(Photo Credit: brit.co)

Speaking of cramped quarters, your fresh graduate will be forever grateful if you show them the ways of stylish storage. No more plastic furniture, they’ve grown past that. Instead buy them nice floating shelves for over their new desk, or adorable storage cubes, or boxes and bins to help organize their new professional wardrobe in that tiny closet of theirs.

(Photo Credit: fabuloushomeblog.com)