Both had lived in dorm rooms in college, but this was the first apartment. Both girls have started jobs in their chosen careers, but they are paying off student loans so they so not have a great deal of extra money for decorating. They each had some basic bedroom furniture and they each bought pieces for the living room and dining area. They wanted the apartment to be unique and they did not want hand me downs from others. They wanted to take some time to decorate and then have the parents over for dinner.
Six weeks after we had helped the girls move in they invited us to dinner.
I knew my daughter has always liked bamboo baskets so I bought one and filled it with hand towels and soap and hand cream to give her as a house warming present. When she opened the door and saw the bamboo basket she started laughing. Once I walked into the living room area I understood why she thought the gift basket was funny. There were several bamboo baskets set around the room. They had decided that they would use bamboo baskets to decorate because they are inexpensive and functional. Along with the bamboo baskets they had also purchased grass mats to use as area rugs on the floors and bamboo placemats for the dining room table.
My daughter was anxious for us to see her bedroom area.
She had also carried the oriental theme into this room. She had large bamboo baskets that she was using for lamp stands. They were three feet tall and shaped like vases. She placed a round piece of glass on the top to create a surface for the bedside lamps and alarm clock. In her closet she had additional bamboo baskets to sort her laundry in and to use as a hamper.
The bathroom area was the last area they had left to decorate.
The gift basket I had brought was the first decorative item in the room; it certainly fit with the décor of the rest of the apartment. The basket was neutral enough to fit with any color scheme. My daughter mentioned that she was thinking of buying bamboo baskets to set on the floor with extra towels, because the linen closet is small. She thought she would be able to match the bamboo baskets with the one I brought.
My daughter has wonderful taste and I know that as she makes money she will continue to add to the decorations of her apartment. I also know that there is nothing as fun and exciting as decorating your first apartment with money that you have earned from your first career job.