Over the past 10 years, we have moved A LOT (a combined 23 different locations!!). There's an excitement that comes with moving into a new space, but there can be a lot of headaches and hassles with each move as well. Then, just when you think you're finally getting settled into your new spot and have figured out how to adapt to your apartment's quirks, you've got to start thinking about your next move! Sound familiar? Depending on where you live and your current stage of life, this may ring all too true!

Luckily, given all the moves we've made nearly every year for the last decade, we've learned a TON about streamlining the moving process and some hacks for making a temporary living space feel a little more like home. We've put together a list of the essential items that have made each new apartment feel like home to us.

6 New Apartment Essentials

#1 Rugs

You might really like those hardwood floors at your new place, and the temptation to plop your furniture down and run will be VERY strong after your move, but don't succumb to barren floors! Rugs are one of those subtle touches that bring a room together and make it feel comfortable and inviting. They are one of the key elements that will make a room feel settled and lived in.

#2 Artwork

And we don't just mean prints or paintings! In fact, there's a ton of ways you can incorporate design and decor on your walls: shelves with objects, uniquely shaped clothing racks, calligraphy, prints, photographs, paintings, and really anything that adds some life to your walls. One of the worst things about renting is those depressingly empty, usually off-white, plain, undecorated walls. If your apartment is filled with only functional items, it will feel like a bachelor or bachelorette pad. Art will bring lived-in life to those sad, lifeless walls!

#3 Mattress

Do not (I repeat DO NOT!) sacrifice on comfort! Most of our waking hours during the week are not actually spent in our apartments, so one of the most important parts of feeling at home is being comfortable in your room. We're re-styling our bedroom right now and are loving how much more at home we feel in our bedroom already. We often talk about if we someday buy a home we'll be looking for a decent sized master bedroom and (fingers crossed!) a king size bed!!

#4 Plants

Similar to art, plants give LIFE to a home. Quite literally. We've even named our plants which really gives a whole new feel to seeing our green guys growing up! There's something so fresh and lively about having plants around and it's SUCH a simple way to make your place feel like home.

#5 Lighting

Gah... worse than the evil off-white walls that all landlords seem to have secretly agreed is suitable punishment for their tenants is the ubiquitous flourescent overhead lighting fixture! Your first lesson in Adulting 101: buy some decorative ambient lighting fixtures. You will not regret your purchases.

#6 Storage

Living in the city, you won't always have the luxury of extra storage space for food or clothing items. Part of making your apartment your own will be about organizing your things and finding a way to store them. In our current apartment, we have pretty good closet space, but we needed some additional kitchen storage. We added a wall rack for some of our pots and pans, and we built our own DIY pipe shelves and DIY clothing rack to create a pantry off our kitchen. We especially love our pipe shelves because they are customizable and relatively easy to dissamble, so if our next place doesn't have as much space we can build the shelves in a different arrangement.

Special thanks to Casper for partnering with us on this post. Keep scrolling for a few moving hacks from Casper and from us to get you into your new apartment more quickly with less headaches, so you can start making it feel like home!

Moving Hacks

What are some ways you have made your apartment feel like home? We would love to hear your stories in the comments below!

With love from Chicago,

Daniel + Jennifer

6 New Apartment Essentials and Moving Tips