While this particular editor is not necessarily a fan of all the “You must do this before you turn 30!” lists—certain ones can make you feel like a failure—they’re useful for prioritizing things like your wardrobe and, in this case, home decor. Since we have only so much money on hand to put toward adultifying (what? It’s a word!) our lives, here are nine items you should strive to have by 30…or at least 30ish.
You Got This, Girl
A Matching Dish Set
We consider two things to be of utmost importance when it comes to your home in your 30s: your bedroom and your guests' experiences. While some can pull off the mismatched dish set with charm, having a matching set on hand will help you seem more together than you likely are (if you're anything like us). Target is a great resource for starter sets, but we're currently coveting this Calvin Klein investment for an extra dose of adulthood.
Matching Wine Glasses
Ditto what we said previously, with a little bonus commentary on the fact that the older you get, the more friendly you become with wine. In your 20s, you and your girls may have gone out for margaritas, but this decade of life is often more about snuggling up with a glass of wine at the end of a long day, girlfriends present or not. We love this particular set because it feels so grand—you can pretend you're a medieval princess leisurely drinking wine like its water instead of an overstressed working woman chugging two-buck Chuck.
Hand Towels For Guests
Nothing's worse than washing your hands at a friend's house only to realize there's no towel with which to dry them. (And speaking of, don't skip the hand soap either!) Having a matching set for your bathroom is a must by the time you reach a certain age—please, no beach towels or promotional towels after the age of 25.
Non-Wire Hangers
We'll admit that replacing your wire hangers is the lowest priority on this list, since you can always just shut your closet door when company comes over, but we've included them anyway because you spend hard-earned money on your clothes and they deserve to be properly hung in ways that won't distort their shape. If you're worried about throwing away all those metal hangers, don't be—your local dry cleaner or Goodwill will likely be happy to take them off your hands.
Something Living
The key with this one is to take baby steps—start with a plant and work your way up to a pet, and then maybe a human infant. Snake plants and succulents are the hardest to kill, but here are some of the most popular plants on Instagram to choose from as well.
Matching Nightstands
As with dishes, some people can pull off mismatched nightstands in a way that looks intentional and haphazard-chic. If you're not one of these people—trust us, you'll know if you are—getting matching nightstands is an easy way to pull a room together and elevate its aesthetic.
An Investment Mattress
You're not old, but your poor, technology-wrought spine has seen better days. If you invest in nothing else on this list, a good mattress is the one item we do actually think is critical to own by your 30s. We're big fans of the Casper brand, but if the price is giving you sticker shock, shop around for other direct-to-consumer sites for lower prices. (As always, use Honey to look for discounts.) Extra adulting points for a headboard, too.
High-Quality Linens
Sleep is one of the most critical components of your overall health and well-being, so the bedroom is not a place to cut corners. After investing in a good mattress, look for high-quality, comfy and stain-free sheets that match. For extra adult points, have a cotton set for summer and a flannel set for winter.
Art
Good art is expensive, but there are all kinds of ways to cheat this—check out our beginner's guide to collecting art. We also love the idea of framing art made by friends for a truly personal (and likely inexpensive) touch. As a cutting-edge alternative, we're super into this digital art display by Electric Objects, which involves a Netflix-esque library of artworks you can trade out at anytime.
