What are the 10 essential furniture items to have in your apartment?

Furnishing an apartment is not about packing it with as many items as possible, but about choosing the pieces that make the home comfortable, practical, and suited to daily life. This selection depends primarily on the available floor space, the number of occupants, and their lifestyle habits.

In France, apartments used as a primary residence averaged 63 m² in 2024, and a quarter of them are under 45 m². Nearly 40% of apartments have only one or two rooms. This explains the strong interest in proportionate, modular, and sometimes multi-functional layouts.

Here are the 10 essential furniture items for a well-thought-out apartment, ensuring no wasted space or unnecessary equipment.

1. Bed and bedding

The bed is the ultimate essential furniture item in any apartment. It dictates how well you rest from the very first night and directly impacts your ability to maintain a normal professional routine. It is mandatory in a furnished rental and represents the top priority for any move, even a short-term one. A low-quality mattress can cause sleep disorders and back pain, which will directly affect job performance, especially during a period of adjustment to a new role.

2. Table and chairs

A table and seating options allow you to eat, work, and organize daily life. In temporary accommodation, they often serve multiple functions, particularly when space is limited. This essential furniture setup structures daily routines. Opting for a table of an appropriate height (standard 75 cm) and ergonomic chairs prevents neck strain during long remote work sessions. Knowing which furniture to choose will also depend on the planned length of stay.

3. A refrigerator with a freezer compartment, essential for an independent apartment

The refrigerator ensures food independence. Without it, the home becomes dependent on costly and restrictive external solutions. It is one of the legal requirements for a furnished property. Having a freezer compartment allows you to store meals prepared over the weekend, reducing your food budget by 30% to 40% compared to eating out or ordering deliveries.

4. Cooktop or microwave

Cooking equipment allows you to prepare simple meals and maintain a balanced lifestyle. It is a mandatory requirement that directly contributes to the independence of the accommodation. A cooktop offers more versatility than a microwave alone: it allows you to cook fresh meals and preserve healthy eating habits, which is key to avoiding fatigue and stress.

5. Sofa or primary seating

The sofa is used for resting, hosting guests, and sometimes informal remote work. Although not explicitly mandated by regulations, it is consistently used in temporary housing. It is a must-have furniture piece that ensures daily comfort in an apartment.

6. Storage furniture

Storage units allow you to unpack immediately without living out of cardboard boxes. They facilitate quick organization of the home and are among the expected features of any functional furnished rental. Ample storage space (wardrobes, shelves, dressers) reduces the daily stress of searching for items and creates a sense of order that improves psychological well-being, essential when adapting to a new professional and personal environment.

7. Desk or workspace

The desk has become an essential piece of furniture for any apartment with the widespread adoption of remote work. A dedicated desk with an ergonomic chair provides a psychological separation between professional and personal time, promotes better posture, and reduces musculoskeletal disorders associated with unsuitable, prolonged positions on a dining table or sofa.

8. Lighting fixtures

Lighting fixtures ensure sufficient and safe illumination. They are mandatory and essential to make an apartment usable at any hour, even if they are rarely thought of as furniture in their own right. Poorly adapted lighting (too dim or too direct) leads to eye strain, headaches, and low morale, particularly in winter. Multiplying light sources (ceiling lights, side lamps, reading lights) allows you to adjust the ambiance according to the time of day and preserves visual comfort.

9. Dishes and kitchen utensils

Dishes and utensils allow you to have meals without needing additional equipment. They are mandatory and participate in daily independence in any fully equipped apartment. A complete set of dishes (at least 4 plates, cutlery, glasses, pots, and a pan) prevents having to invest right when you move in and allows you to host guests easily, facilitating social integration into a new environment.

10. Appliances and basic cleaning equipment

Certain equipment, such as a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine, is essential. They allow you to maintain the property without relying on external services. A washing machine is an essential asset in an apartment, saving 2 to 3 hours per week compared to using a laundromat.

Furnished apartments: that do the regulations say in France?

When an apartment is rented furnished as a primary residence, French regulations require a minimum list of equipment. Decree No. 2015-981 of July 31, 2015, specifically mentions bedding, a cooktop, an oven or microwave, a refrigerator with a freezer compartment, dishes, kitchen utensils, a table, seating, storage, lighting, and appropriate maintenance equipment.

This baseline provides a useful benchmark, but it does not cover all expected comfort. A sofa, a desk, or better-adapted storage can make a real difference in daily use.

Furniture rental: the solution to furnish without a permanent purchase

Buying all the furniture for an apartment represents a significant budget and implies managing delivery, assembly, and sometimes storage, resale, or transport.

Furniture rental allows you to equip an apartment more simply, especially during a gradual move-in, professional relocation, or transitional period.

With Homat, you can rent furniture and appliances to furnish a home without a permanent purchase, complete with delivery, installation, and furniture removal at the end of the contract.

And beyond the practical aspect, renting furniture is also part of an eco-responsible approach to furnishing: it avoids the production of single-use new furniture and extends the lifespan of equipment by reusing it through several successive rentals.