Furnishing a home can seem like a monumental undertaking. Especially when it comes to the financial part of the equation — to say nothing of picking color palettes and procuring patterns that harmonize. If you’re wondering how much it costs to furnish a home, or you’re wondering what the essential pieces are, read on! We break it all down for you, room by room.
How much does it cost to furnish a house?
On the conservative end, it will cost you approximately $13,000 to furnish a one-bed home with just the basics. Of course, the number can vary greatly depending on the quality of furniture you want to buy, whether you buy in store (which can help side-step shipping fees), or whether you wait for sales and discounts. You can also shop at big box retailers to drive down that number considerably. It’s worth noting this number doesn’t include anything BUT furniture. Lighting, art, mirrors, and other non-essential decor pieces are not included.
What furniture do you need to buy for the living room?
For the living room furniture, you’ll typically want to invest in a sofa (or love seat, depending on your living room’s size). You’ll also want to consider a coffee table to add function to your sofa, as well as at least a single side table. Depending on need, you can invest in an accent chair to create more seating, or forgo it in favor of a TV stand or TV credenza. A rug is helpful in tying a room together, but it’s not a necessity by any means.
Sofa – $1,500 – $3,5000
Coffee table – $500 – $1,800
Side table – $300 – $1,000
Accent Chairs – $700 – $2,000
Media Credenza – $600 – $1,500
Rug – $300 – $1,500
What furniture do you need to buy for the bedroom?
If you have a relatively small bedroom, you may only need the most minimal of furnishings. Think: bed, nightstands, dresser. A dresser can often double as a media stand for a TV, if needed, forgoing the need for a media cabinet or credenza, as well. Given that most bedrooms are carpeted, a rug can be considered more of a nice-to-have than a necessity, but if you have wood or tile floors, you might want to allot extra money for a large area rug.
Bed – $500 – $2,500
Single nightstand – $350 – $1,200
Dresser – $900 – $2,000
What furniture do you need to buy for the dining room?
If function is your primary objective in the dining room, chances are that you can get by with just a dining set. Costs can vary greatly depending on material and size (think: four chairs vs eight), but oftentimes, you can score deal by opting for a vintage dining set rather than buying a new table and new chairs separately. While credenzas or buffets are common additions, many homes don’t possess large enough dining rooms to accommodate them, anyway. If your dining room does have room, but you’d like to save a bit of money, try a console In lieu of a large, costly buffet.
Dining set – $1,500 – $4,000
What furniture do you need to buy for the kitchen?
If your kitchen doesn’t have an island that accommodates bar stools — good news! — your furniture needs are likely to be minimal to nonexistent. However, if your kitchen has an obvious place for bar stools and no other dining room to speak of, chances are you’ll need to invest in bar stools. Again, costs can vary widely depending on how many bar stools your island can accommodate.
Single bar stool – $300 – $1,000
Lead image design by Lauren A Balkan Designs / Photo by Jenny Norris