Building a home around your furniture

At first the idea of building a home around your furniture may seem a bit backwards, but in an age when building costs are down and existing homes just waiting for a floor to ceiling remodel can be had for a song, it’s a good time to think a bit out of the box.

The reason you should consider building or remodeling around your furniture is actually fairly logical and practical. First, many people have an spent thousands of dollars on their furniture and second, many homeowners have become pretty attached to their favorite furniture pieces, such as a large sectional sofa, a modern chair grouping, an heirloom dining room set that’s been in the family for generations – or a huge four-poster bed you picked up in an antique store in Connecticut.

There are lots of horror stories about people who have built a new home or remodeled an existing one, only to find that a doorway or wall was just an inch shy of allowing a piece of furniture to be moved in. Buying new furniture to fit is just one more costly addition to an already strained budget for many of us.

To build or remodel your home around your furniture, here are some helpful tips:

Building a new home?

If you’re still mulling plans prior to construction, now is the time to make sure your furniture will fit. Pencil out how your furniture is going to fit in the rooms before you finalize the blueprints. If the master looks too small after fitting in your bed, dressers and seating area, you can always make small changes now rather than expensive ones once your house is well under way.

If you have special collections or prized pieces such as an antique grandfather’s clock or a Ming vase for that matter, be sure your new design has a place for them. And while you’re at it, review the lighting design for the home as well, to be sure that the focal points in the home are lit correctly and dramatically. It’s far easier to build lighting into the home as it’s built than retrofit it later.

Remodeling an existing home

Few people would argue that there’s rarely been a better time to buy a house. And if you find a diamond in the rough, remodeling is a good investment, as long as you don’t have to blow your budget on furniture to fit.

As you mull plans, be sure that your furniture is going to fit the remodeled spaces. If you’re knocking out a bathroom wall, make sure it’s not going to make your dining room so small that your beloved dining room set won’t fit.

While you have everything down to the bear walls, bring in an electrician and put outlets where you’ll need them. That way your office will have the outlets it needs near your desk, cabinets and other furniture that holds computers, printers and such.

Finally, don’t forget to factor in windows. If you’re adding windows or relocating them, make sure the furniture you’re planning to put there isn’t going to block the light. The extra time you spend in planning will not only pay off in reduced building or remodeling costs, but allow you to keep the furniture you love for years to come.