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The most important thing to remember when decorating an apartment

, the average American is expected to move eleven times in their lifetime.

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As a New York resident, I'm slated to move every four years until I settle into a long-term space.

Every apartment is different, and especially in major metro areas like NYC, one-bedrooms and studios aren't exactly known for being spacious. 

That's why the advice I received from interior designer Nina Etnier during a recent interview struck me as thoroughly reasonable: buy quality things, but things that you can take with you. 

nina etnier apartment
A Brooklyn apartment designed by Nina Etnier. Nina Etnier Interior Design

"I wouldn't invest a lot in things that you can't take with you," Etnier says. "Figure out simple alternatives."

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Yes, a Chesterfield sofa does emanate luxury — curved arms! tufting! —  but there's no guarantee that it's going to fit into your next place. 

Instead, get pieces that are easier to move. 

"A beautiful side table, a nice dresser, coffee tables — pieces that are going to work wherever you land," Etnier says. 

She also recommends investing in art work. It makes your space super classy and unique, plus it's portable for the next place. And you don't need to be buying original oil paintings. You can collect prints of your favorite works the next time you're at an art museum, or get nice prints of your favorite photographs. 

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In interior design jargon, you want your space to look "collected," that is, you selected each piece while on your various adventures in life, rather than making a trip to Ikea then CB2 and calling it an apartment.

"People put pressure on themselves to buy everything in one fell swoop," she says. But one of the most important ingredients to having an awesome pad is patience. The other is portability.

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