Steps and timeline for furnishing an entire house?

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We are in the midst of an extensive, down to the studs remodel of our 1942 minimal traditional home. The remodel will take 5 months and our house is due to be ready in late February 2021. We have moved out of state temporarily for the duration of the remodel. The new home will be 5 bedrooms, 3 baths with a combined living/dining room, kitchen, and media/family room. It’s modest at 2200 sq ft. We are a family of 4 with 2 kids who will be close to 8 and 6 when we move back in. We expect to be in the house for 7-12 years (not our forever home).

We got rid of all of our furniture when we moved out as the old furniture was mostly IKEA, hand me downs, or cheap Craigslist purchases. We are excited to refurnish our house with a closer eye to actual aesthetics and design. But I am overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.

Our budget is $75k to cover both buying the furnishings and paying for any design help.

Questions:

Should we hire an interior decorator or use an online service like Havenly? We already work with a designer through the design build firm remodeling our house. She has helped us with picking all the finishes, we are looking for help on picking actual furniture, decor items and artwork, color and pattern palettes, etc. I’m worried we can’t afford an actual interior designer or decorator and we don’t want to blow the budget. E.g. we are okay to invest $3-5k in a nice sectional sofa but not $10k+.

What is the right order of operations considering I am coordinating the purchasing from afar? We can have stuff delivered to the house and stored in the garage probably starting in January. We are making monthly visits back to the area.

I know I should not expect a HGTV like “reveal” but I also don’t want to live in a half furnished house for months due to lack of planning. I’m thinking I should first pin down the design, then focus on the long lead time/essential to daily living items (like beds, dining table, and at least one couch), then move on to making decisions around non-essential items when we are back in the house?

Thank you in advance for any advice. I also want to acknowledge that this is a ridiculously 1st world problem to have and we are extraordinarily privileged and fortunate.

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Comments (3)

lindac92
5 years ago
I can't imagine either the luxury or the angst of completely redoing everything. I would not consider having it all "complete" for at least a year after you move back. Things will arise like how the light enters a room and how you use a certain space that will affect all sorts of things.
I would not hire a designer....but that's my preference as I know what I like better than any designer. But I would get the basics....like a sofa and a couple of chairs....a table and chairs to eat from...or bar stools if that's how you roll....a bed for everyone and a storage piece....then see if you need more end tables a desk in the living are or individual desks in each bedroom etc.

good luck with the project....I sort of envy you and sort of pity you! It's a hard job!
I did know someone, whose husband was climbing the corporate ladder, and who moved every 2 or 3 years and who completely re-did every house on a theme....wild west....sea side, mid century modern etc. Re did everything....dishes accessories, linens...everything. I guess it's what kept her busy!
Donald
5 years ago
I’d hire a designer, if you felt like you really liked them and their style and they you. They don’t have to do everything and maybe they can be virtual. An experienced sounding board or a trusted friend that you can send pics to and they say yes or no. They would also know makers and companies and options that you might not have considered. But big picture, I think you’re on the right track by yourself, buy the necessities now and fill in the gaps when you get there.
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Allison0704
5 years ago
When we built our summer home in Colorado, we used a local to us (here, not there) furniture store. Since the order was so large, we paid 50% of retail and they shipped everything there at once. Necessities (kitchenware, towels, etc) and accessories/art were purchased and collected afterwards.

Good luck with your remodel.