Serena & Lily is one of my go-to resources for furniture and home decor. Their traditional, elegant and coastal-inspired designs seem to always align well with my aesthetic. Here is a list of the items I own and love from the brand.

Tip: Buy Rattan from Serena & Lilly

You can find everything from upholstery to case-goods (aka. hard furniture) and home accessories through the retailer but one of my favorite products to buy from Serena & Lily are their rattan and woven pieces. 

Their beautiful rattan furniture has clean, simple lines that will last you for years and work in countless spaces. For example, I have used my rattan counter stools from Serena & Lily in two different apartments with very different kitchens designs, but the chairs looked beautiful in both spaces. 

The rattan pieces I own from Serena & Lily are the Balboa Counter Stool, the Balboa Bookshelf and South Seas Side Cart. 

Here are more beautiful rattan items to shop: 

Buy Mirrors That Will Never Go Out of Style: 

When I moved into my first apartment out of college, one of the very first items I purchased was this bamboo mirror from Serena & Lily. Five years and four apartments later, I have used this mirror in every apartment and I still love it just as much as I did when I ordered it. 

As you decorate and purchase furniture for your first apartments, buy classic pieces that you can use more than once. Don't just buy items to decorate your current apartment but buy things that you think you will love forever, so they can travel with you from one apartment to the next. 

Shop my favorite bamboo, island inspired mirror from Serena and Lily: The Lanai Mirror.  

More Chic Mirrors To Shop: 

Invest in Quality Seating For Your First Apartment 

Be it your first apartment or simply your latest move, you are bound to be on some sort of decorating budget; therefore, it is always important to consider where to save and where to splurge when you shop for decor. I always suggest splurging on the items you will use most - your bed and mattress and seating (sofa and chairs.) There are ways you can trick the eye to make something 'look' nicer but there are not very many ways to 'fake' comfort. Something is either comfortable or not and that usually comes down to quality. 

I own and love these traditional wood-painted dining chairs in grey from Serena & Lily: the Tucker Dining Chair. Another great option is their classic Parisian style bistro dining chair: the Riveria Dining Chair. (my parents have these!) 

My navy velvet sofa is from Lee Industries and something I purchased through my interior designer (as the product is not available directly to the consumer.) However, if I were buying a sofa on my own, Serena & Lily would be on the top of my list as I know they are well made. Purchasing a quality sofa is undoubtedly an investment up front but it will be highly worthwhile as it should last you years and years as you move from home to home. And should your interior design scheme change in a new home, you can have the sofa recovered in a new fabric for much less than buying a completely new piece. I love the lines and dimensions of the Miramar Sofa from Serena & Lily. 

Shop Comfortable Seating from Serena & Lily:

Want to see more of my apartment?

• Click over to this blog post to learn more about my old New York apartment and how an apartment tour was featured on HouseBeautiful.com

• See more of that colorful tablesetting in my NYC kitchen in this blog post when I set a table with India Amory linens