What to Know About Furnishing After Construction

You’ve made it through construction — the hard part’s over, right? Not quite. Furnishing a brand-new home comes with its own set of challenges. From budget surprises to long lead times, many homeowners are caught off guard by how much planning goes into creating a fully finished, livable space. As a result, many homeowners put off furnishing altogether and end up living in a space that feels cold, empty, and far from the inviting home they envisioned. This post breaks down what many homeowners aren’t prepared for post-construction and why full-service design should include both the build and the furnishings that make it feel like home.

Furnishing Takes Longer Than You Think

Did you know that lead times for larger furnishings can range from 10–20 weeks, especially for custom or high-quality pieces? For this reason, we recommend clients do several things when hiring us for full-service design.

First, we talk about furnishings early on in the construction phase and allocate funds so that our clients are budgeting appropriately for a completed home — with both finishes and furnishings. We’re typically finished with the construction side of design (all hard finishes and plans laid out) before construction even begins. Once we break ground, we immediately dive into the furnishings phase of our design. This step in our process helps clients avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many design decisions at once, while also giving us, as the designer, time to select the right pieces, get client approval, and order items in time for the end of construction.

This saves our clients time, money, and stress come move-in day. When furnishings are skipped or delayed, you reach the end of construction and wake up to the reality of living in a “finished” home that still feels empty.

Budgeting for Furnishings Is Often Overlooked

If we’ve seen it once, we’ve seen it a hundred times. Many homeowners allocate their full budget to construction and leave little if anything for furnishings. The problem is, when clients only work with a builder and don’t bring an interior designer onto the team, they often have no idea this is an issue. That’s because it’s not the builder’s job to think about lifestyle — it’s the builder’s job to budget and build the shell of your home, not the heart of your home.

While every project is different, a good rule of thumb is that furnishings can account for 20–30% of your overall home investment — sometimes more, depending on the size of the home and the quality of the pieces. For example, in a home valued at $900,000, the build budget may range from $540,000–$675,000, meaning the furnishings budget should fall between $180,000–$270,000. Keep in mind, this will vary based on the level of quality and customization.

Many homeowners budget heavily for construction (materials, labor, appliances, etc.) but forget to plan for everything that makes a home livable: furniture, rugs, window treatments, lighting, art, and accessories. Skipping or underestimating this phase can lead to empty rooms, rushed purchases, or a space that lacks cohesion. Setting aside a realistic budget from the start allows for a more seamless transition from construction to a fully functional home.

Furnishing a Whole Home Requires a Cohesive Plan

The number one issue we see from clients who are furnishing their home alone post-construction is piecemeal shopping. Piecemeal shopping leads to mismatched pieces and underwhelming results. This is why we start our furnishings phase with a space plan in black and white to get a feel for what can actually work in the space before selecting items. Once clients approve the floor plan and overall color schemes, we work on adding in specific pieces that align with the palette and design style, creating a cohesive look that flows seamlessly from room to room and with the hard finishes of their home.

To create a cohesive design plan on the furnishings side, we take layout, scale, and flow into account. Layout determines whether each arrangement feels more casual or more formal. Scale ensures that no piece of furniture is too large or too small, while also ensuring the entire room is visually balanced before purchasing anything. Flow impacts how our clients will live in the space, which makes this part of the planning process one of the most important steps in creating a cohesive home.

You’ll Need More Than Just Furniture

Now, when we say furnishings, that includes far more than just a sofa, chair, and coffee table. Furnishings also encompass soft goods and décor — the elements that give every home a layered, lived-in look.

Homeowners often forget important pieces during the furnishing phase, such as smart storage solutions, lighting plans, window treatments, and artwork. Each of these items is an unsung hero of a finished space, creating the final layer that turns a house into a home.

You need more than just furniture because these smaller details add both function and beauty to your space. They enhance the atmosphere, improve how you live in the home day to day, and create that sense of warmth and completeness you simply can’t get from furniture alone.

Working With a Designer Can Actually Save You Time and Money

It’s easy to assume that hiring a designer is an added cost but in reality, full-service design often prevents expensive mistakes and streamlines the entire process. When homeowners go it alone, they’re more likely to face costly errors like ordering the wrong size furniture, choosing finishes that clash once installed, or making rushed decisions that don’t hold up over time. A designer brings foresight, expertise, and planning to ensure every choice is intentional and works in harmony with the overall vision.

Beyond aesthetics, working with a full-service designer means having someone who is deeply familiar with timelines, product lead times, installation logistics, and vendor coordination. We know which materials hold up to busy family life, which pieces are worth the investment, and how to keep your project on track from start to finish. Our established relationships with trusted vendors and trades allow us to navigate delays, resolve issues quickly, and keep your project moving forward often avoiding the kind of backtracking that can cost you both time and money.

Perhaps most importantly, full-service design removes the overwhelm. You’re not left managing decisions, shipments, and installers. As your design team, we manage all the moving parts so you can enjoy a cohesive, thoughtfully designed home that’s move-in ready the moment construction wraps.

Furnishing your home after construction is a big job — and one that deserves just as much care and planning as the build itself. With the right strategy, thoughtful budgeting, and expert guidance, your house can become a home that not only looks beautiful but feels effortless to live in. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, a full-service designer can help you bring your vision to life — down to the very last detail.