How to Incorporate Your Existing Furniture Into a New House

When you move to a new house with a new layout, you’re going to need some new furniture. That said, however, it’s often not practical or feasible to design a whole house from scratch. With that in mind, here are some of our best tips on how to incorporate existing furniture into a new house. Read them over to learn how to get it right.

Think outside of your current box

If your goal is to incorporate existing furniture into a new space, the first thing you have to do is to be willing to think outside the box. In this case, we’re talking specifically in regard to the way that your furniture is laid out.

For example, while you may have had an accent chair in your existing living room for years, you may find that in your new home, it will fit much better in your bedroom seating area. In short, you have to be willing to shake up your old routine and embrace change.

With that said, it’s also okay to try a couple of different layouts before you find the one that ultimately works best for you. There’s no shame in playing around with a layout to see what makes the most sense.

Give some of your favorite pieces a makeover

Color — and, in some cases finish — can be a great tool to use when you’re trying to pull a room together. If you have furniture pieces that fit well together in the space but don’t quite match, you may want to consider giving them a DIY makeover to make them look more cohesive.

When tackling a DIY interior design project, preparation is half the battle. Start by identifying the specific pieces that you would like to bring together. Then, look for some design inspiration that showcases similar pieces that have a cohesive look. Finally, research tutorials that walk you through how to create that look step-by-step.

Once you’re confident that you have a good sense of what is required to pull off the project, gather all your materials and follow the tutorials. Be sure to take your time with each of the steps and not to rush through. In the end, having patience is typically the other key ingredient to being happy with the end product.

Use accessories to pull the room together

If you’re not the kind of person who’s able to roll up their sleeves and invest sweat equity into making your pieces match, don’t worry. There is more than one way to go about achieving your goal. In this case, it may make sense to use accessories to bring the room together.

In interior design, “accessories” are decorative or functional items that add a finishing touch to the space. Typically, when an interior designer refers to accessories, he or she is referring to things like wall art, throw pillows, or decor items. As an added bonus, these items are typically cheaper to buy than furniture, so if you have to invest in a few new pieces to pull the room together, it likely won’t break the bank.

Beyond the traditional accessories, if your goal is to match different pieces of furniture, you may also want to look into using slip covers. Slip covers are typically affordable and come in a wide variety of colors. You can use them to give contrasting pieces of furniture a cohesive look. Just be sure to measure your furniture properly so you end up with a slip cover that fits well.

Embrace eclectic design

Lastly, if it suits you, you can always feel free to simply embrace an eclectic design style in your home. As the name suggests, an eclectic design is one where pieces with different aesthetics are mixed and matched within the same space.

However, if you decide to go this route, it’s important to follow a few rules so that the design still feels cohesive and doesn’t end up being confusing or overwhelming for the eye.

The rules are as follows:

• Start with a neutral background: A neutral background (i.e. using a neutral paint color in the room like white, gray, or tan) will go a long way towards giving you a blank slate to design the rest of the room against. When you are bringing together a lot of complex or contrasting styles in the furniture, you’ll want to provide somewhere for the eye to rest. A neutral-colored wall is just the ticket.
• Make sure each piece’s function is clear: In interior design, a piece’s function refers to the way in which an item is used. When you’re working with an eclectic aesthetic, it’s absolutely crucial that each piece’s function is clear from just a glance. Being able to instantly tell how a piece should be used will allow viewers to relax enough to focus solely on its unique design.
• Coordinate with color: Embracing an eclectic design does not mean that the room should be without any coordination. Here, you can use coordinating colors to pull the room together, even as each furniture piece’s style is different.