The Furniture Procurement Checklist: Everything You Need Before You Start
Projects run smoothly when you start with the right inputs. Here's what to gather.
The briefs that generate the most useful sourcing plans are not the longest or most detailed — they're the most accurate. A one-paragraph brief with correct room dimensions, a real budget, and a clear deadline produces a better plan than four pages of Pinterest links without those three things. Here's what to prepare.
Room measurements
- Overall room dimensions — width × length (measure twice)
- Ceiling height — affects pendant lighting and tall furniture
- Door and window positions — where natural light enters, where traffic flows
- Doorway widths — any doorway under 32 inches may require disassembled delivery
- Awkward features — fireplaces, radiators, columns, sloped ceilings
What you already own
List anything you're keeping from the existing room. If you have a rug staying in place, all furniture must be planned around it. If you're keeping a dining table, we source chairs to match it. Knowing what's staying prevents misaligned pieces and saves sourcing time.
Budget
Give a real number, not a range. 'Around $20,000' is fine. '$15K–$35K' isn't useful — the spread is too wide to spec properly. If you're flexible, say so, and give us a floor and a ceiling. Note: the budget is for the furniture itself. Accessories, rugs, art, and window treatments are separate unless you include them explicitly.
Timeline
- Move-in date or target completion date
- Whether the date is hard (lease start, opening day) or flexible
- Any known constraints — a renovation that needs to complete first
Style direction
Three to five reference images are more useful than any written style description. 'Modern but warm' means something different to everyone; a sofa photo doesn't. If you have a Pinterest board, a saved collection, or photos of rooms you like, attach them. If you have photos of rooms you specifically dislike, those are equally useful.
Specific needs
- Pets (upholstery choice depends on this)
- Children (affects fabric, material durability, table corner shapes)
- Allergies (some foams and fabrics trigger reactions)
- Work-from-home use (affects desk, storage, and lighting requirements)
- Hosting frequency (determines seating capacity, dining table size)
What you don't need
You don't need to know exactly what pieces you want. You don't need to have chosen materials or colors. You don't need a complete list or a formatted document. The brief can be a voice note, an email, or three sentences in the chat. We ask follow-up questions. The checklist above is what makes those questions shorter — not a prerequisite for submitting.
Ready to send? Open a brief — we'll ask the questions we need from there.
Submit a brief →A well-written furniture brief gets you a precise sourcing plan in 24 hours. A vague brief gets you follow-up questions and delay. Here's the difference between the two — and how to write one that works.
Read →A good brief gets you a good plan. Here is exactly what to pull together before you start a furniture procurement project — room dimensions, style references, budget, and timeline.
Read →Furnishing a new construction home requires starting the procurement process earlier than most buyers expect. Here's how to align the furniture timeline with the construction close date.
Read →