1. Clear surfaces.<\/h2>\n
Nothing brings your adulthood stock down more than having clutter all over your apartment. Surfaces and floors should be clear, with a home for everything and everything in its place. Sort your mail when you come through the door instead of leaving it out on the table, KonMari your wardrobe, and buy storage containers to keep unsightly things out of sight and out of mind.<\/p>\n\n Art taped to the wall belongs in a dorm room, not in your grown-ass apartment. IKEA RIBBA <\/a>frames do the trick. Before you hang them, make sure the art speaks to who you are now \u2014 swap the concert poster from that band you liked five years ago for an enlarged photo of your recent vacation or a printable art piece <\/a>from Etsy.<\/p>\n Make your friends a cocktail and they\u2019ll leave thinking, \u201cWow, they\u2019re a real adult.\u201d If you have no idea where to start, pick up a copy of The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails. A New Way to Drink<\/em><\/a>. You can grow your liquor collection slowly and collect glassware at thrift stores (there are always amazing crystal rocks glasses on the shelves). Remove plastic cups from your cupboards, entirely. If you don\u2019t want to invest in a bar cart, buy a nice tray to corral your collection.<\/p>\n If your mattress is currently chilling on the floor, give it a lift. On a budget? Look for a universal metal bed frame (like this option<\/a> from Amazon for under $70). Next, adding a headboard will create a focal point. Again, you don\u2019t need to drop hundreds on a tufted velvet headboard \u2014 try these 19 styling tips <\/a>to make an impact on the wall behind your bed.<\/p>\n Is there a cohesive color story or are your sheets mismatched? Has the white fabric turned grey in the wash? Is your boxspring showing? Are there stains, rips and perpetual wrinkles? If you answered \u2018yes\u2019 to any of the above, it\u2019s time to buy a boxspring cover and new linens (try these 9 layered bedding ideas <\/a>for a hotel-worthy bed).<\/p>\n The other day, my friend dropped the ultimate adulting decorating bomb: \u201cI don\u2019t need to get married or have kids to prove I\u2019m an adult, I just want to be able to get into the bed from both sides.\u201d If you have the space, consider moving your bed away from the wall and flank it with two matching end tables and lamps.<\/p>\n Because the best way to prove you\u2019re an adult is to take care of something other than yourself.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to make one investment for your grown-ass apartment, it should be getting a nice couch. You can find great secondhand options on Kijiji, purchase the floor model at a furniture store for a steep discount, or splurge on a sofa from Article <\/a>that will be delivered to your house in less than two weeks. It\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n This is the latest \u2018adulting\u2019 upgrade I made \u2014 I finally hung curtains instead of wrestling with the cheap, broken blinds my apartment came with. You don\u2019t have to buy the most expensive drapes \u2014 there are great options at IKEA <\/a>that have a weighty feel. The ideal length will just kiss the floor.<\/p>\n The bathroom is where your guests go to secretly judge if you\u2019re an adult or not. Keep it meticulously clean and purchase accessories with intention. Buy a couple matching bath towels, install a hand towel ring near the sink, purchase hand soap in a pretty container, invest in a nice shower curtain and bathmat. The details matter here.<\/p>\n Because you don’t have to be a ‘real’ grown-up to look like one. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":196437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2019-10-15T12:00:25Z","apple_news_api_id":"21cafa71-962f-4398-a72c-7be799b233e7","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2019-10-15T12:00:26Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AIcr6cZYvQ5inLHvnmbIz5w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/u48r14.digitalhub.com\/sections\/09b86915-7d2b-3acd-915b-b215002d01b7"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11118],"tags":[11113,11195,11144],"coauthors":[10245],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/adulting-101-clear-surfaces.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/a>Photo: lindsay_hill_interiors\/Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n2. Framed art.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: jesskeys_\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n3. A designated bar area.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: cocktailcourier\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n4. A bed with a focal point.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: designingatinyempire\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n5. New bedding.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: theheartandhaven\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n6. End tables on either side of the bed.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: sarahyatesmora\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n7. Plants.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: collectedjungle\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n8. A nice couch.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: nest.and.nourish\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n9. Proper curtains.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: rebeccahaydesigns\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n10. Elevated bathroom accessories.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Photo: alexandragater\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n