Ever decided to pop into a furniture store on a whim? As you walk around you may start to realize that you like what you see, but aren’t sure what’s right for you. You may even be tempted to buy something off the showroom floor without fully considering all the aspects of your space. After all, it’s just so comfy and looks amazing in that store display.

While I love a carefully curated “eclectic” look, I don’t ever recommend making furniture purchases on a whim. A successfully designed home or room has many layers that all work together. Furniture is just one of those layers. A beautiful home starts with a Design Master Plan, purposefully building up from the very base layer during construction or renovation, all the way through to the finishing touches with furniture, window treatments, art and decor.

Proper furniture planning is an important step when I design your home from start to finish.

Buying Furniture Starts with Planning

Planning for the furniture phase of a project starts with these five important questions. Each question helps us to determine what goals you have for furniture in your home. Listening helps me get to the heart of a client's overall aesthetic preferences, usage and desired longevity for that particular space.

Asking these 5 questions before buying furniture help me to create beautiful and functional rooms to delight my clients! The answers to these questions guide the overall furniture design and selection process.

5 Questions to Ask Before Buying Furniture

What type of space do you want to furnish?
Who uses the space and how often?
What do you focus on most when making purchases?
How long do you intend the space to be used in this way?
What are your design goals?

“A successfully designed home or room has many layers that all work together. Furniture is just one of those layers.”

What type of space do you want to furnish?

This question helps determine the types of furniture pieces that will be needed. For example, a bedroom will have different furniture needs from those of a game room or a dining room.

Types of rooms we provide furniture designs for include:

Formal living room
Family room
Guest Suite
Game Room
Bedroom
Primary Suite
Bunk Rooms
Kitchen & Dining Rooms
Multi-purpose rooms
Outdoor rooms
For even more inspiration, read Crafting Extraordinary Living: Elevating Your Home with Customized Interiors

2.Who uses the space and how often?

Throughout the furniture design process I am curious to know more about who uses the spaces and how to help create optimal functionality for them. These answers run the gamut depending on family structure and lifestyle needs and can include…

Who
- Adults
- Family members with special needs or those aging in place
- Families with young children
- Empty Nesters
- Vacation Renters
How often
- All day
- In the mornings/evenings
- On formal occasions
- When guests visit
- Ski season

3. What do you focus on most when making purchases?

When I ask my clients this question, I want to know more about how they prioritize the following…

Quality
Value
Added features or customization
Convenience
Good Service and Warranty
I share more about value, quality and the unfortunate cost of bad design in another post called How Much Does “Cheap” Furniture Really Cost?

4. How long do you intend the space to be used in this way?

Knowing the answer to this question helps me to guide you to a comprehensive design plan with pieces that will stand the test of time for the desired longevity of your project. This question might also sound like…

Is this your forever home?
Are you planning to move in the next 5 or 10 years?
Do you plan to upsize or downsize with your next move?
Will you be planning for future transitions like multi-generational living or aging-in-place?

5. What are your design goals?

This question helps me to know more about what you want the overall space and the furniture to look like. Do you want to create a space that is…

Comfortable and relaxed
Formal and tailored
Dramatic and unique

Mixes in treasured heirloom pieces
Showcases iconic furniture pieces or a curated art collection (or both!)

Why Thoughtful Furniture Planning Matters

When I approach furniture and those truly special finishing touches as part of a larger integrated design strategy rather than standalone purchases, I’m able to bring to life interiors that feel intentional, effortless, and uniquely yours.

These five questions are where that strategy begins. They help me curate custom furniture design plans that are not only beautiful but deeply functional and aligned with how you truly live.

Because for me, it’s never just about filling a space. It’s about crafting a home that reflects your values, your lifestyle, and your vision for the future.