Interior Design Guide for New Home Buyers: Start Smart, Not Stressed

La-Z-Boy Southeast | January 9, 2026

Decorating a new home works best when you start with a plan, buy versatile pieces first, and build your style gradually. The smartest approach includes:

Prioritizing functional pieces (bed, sofa, dining table) before decorative items
Mixing budget-friendly finds from Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, or even eBay with quality investment pieces
Furnishing one room at a time instead of rushing to fill every space
Starting with neutral foundation pieces and adding personality through accents
Giving yourself months, not weeks, to curate a home that reflects your style

Buying your first home is exciting, but that empty space can feel overwhelming. Here’s how to turn those blank walls into rooms you’ll actually want to live in—without maxing out your credit cards or ending up with a hodgepodge of mismatched furniture. Download our handy guide here ⬇️

Presentation – Interior Design Guide Download

Start with What You Actually Need

Before you start browsing furniture stores or scrolling through Pinterest, walk through your new home with a notebook. What will you do in each room? Where will you eat dinner, work from home, or curl up with a book?

Your “must-have” list should focus on function first. A comfortable place to sleep, somewhere to sit and eat, and proper lighting aren’t negotiable. That decorative ladder for blankets you saw on Instagram? That can wait.

Most new homeowners do best furnishing in this order: bedroom, living room, dining area, then everything else. You’ll spend the most time in these spaces, and they’re where guests will visit.

Set a Realistic Budget (and Stick to It)

The average American spends $7,000-$10,000 furnishing a new home, but your number depends on your space and style. The key is deciding what deserves your budget and what doesn’t.

Apply the 80/20 rule: spend 80% of your furniture budget on pieces you’ll use daily—your sofa, bed, and dining table. These workhorses should last 10-15 years. The other 20% can go toward accent pieces, decor, and experimental finds.

When you’re ready for those investment pieces, shop end-of-season sales at furniture retailers. But for everything else? Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, or even eBay are gold mines for budget-friendly and gently used furniture at significant savings.

Mix High and Low (It’s Actually More Interesting)

A room where everything matches perfectly and looks brand new can feel sterile and staged. Real homes have layers—pieces collected over time that tell a story.

Buy your sofa new if your budget allows, but that coffee table? A refinished vintage find from Facebook Marketplace or a simple design from Amazon adds character without the hefty price tag. Side tables from eBay, an inherited dresser from family, and a splurge-worthy rug create depth and personality.

This approach also spreads out your costs. Instead of furnishing an entire living room in one weekend, you build it thoughtfully over months.

Measure Everything (Yes, Everything)

Nothing kills your design momentum like furniture that doesn’t fit. Before you buy anything—especially large pieces—measure your doorways, hallways, stairwells, and the actual room.

Create a simple floor plan using graph paper or a free app like RoomSketcher. Include windows, outlets, and how doors swing open. This prevents the classic mistake of buying a sectional that blocks the only electrical outlet or a dining table that makes your room feel cramped.

When shopping secondhand on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or buying from Amazon, always confirm the measurements. Add a few inches of clearance for walkways—you need about 30 inches to move comfortably between furniture pieces.

Start with Neutrals, Then Add Personality

Those trendy colors and bold patterns look great in photos, but they’re harder to live with long-term. Start with neutral foundation pieces—your sofa, bed frame, dining table—in colors like gray, beige, navy, or warm wood tones.

Here’s a pro tip that saves time and money: choose your major upholstered pieces before you pick paint colors. It’s far easier to match wall paint to a sofa you love than to find the perfect sofa to match paint you’ve already applied. Fabric swatches are also easier to carry to the paint store than dragging paint chips around furniture showrooms.

You can add personality through:

Throw pillows and blankets (easy to swap seasonally)
Artwork and wall decor
Rugs that define different areas
Lighting fixtures that make a statement
Plants that add life and texture

This strategy keeps you from getting stuck with an expensive lime green sofa when your tastes change in two years. It also makes it easier to find matching pieces online, whether you’re browsing Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, or eBay.

Light Your Home Like You Mean It

Overhead lighting alone makes every room feel flat and uninviting. Proper lighting works in layers: ambient (overhead), task (reading lamps, under-cabinet lights), and accent (highlighting artwork or architectural features).

A simple formula for living rooms: one overhead fixture, two table lamps, and one floor lamp. For bedrooms: overhead light plus bedside lamps on each side of the bed.

Thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, and Amazon often have unique or affordable lamps that fit any budget. New shades and a quick dusting can transform dated finds into statement pieces.

Don’t Forget the Walls

Bare walls make even furnished rooms feel unfinished. You don’t need expensive art—just something that reflects your personality.

Budget-friendly wall ideas:

Framed family photos in matching frames
Vintage posters from eBay or affordable prints from Amazon
A gallery wall of smaller, mismatched pieces
Large-scale DIY art (abstract paintings are surprisingly easy)
Floating shelves displaying books and objects

Hang art at eye level (57-60 inches from the floor to the center of the piece). In a gallery wall, maintain 2-3 inches of space between frames.

Invest in Quality Where It Counts

Some furniture is worth paying more for because it affects your daily comfort and lasts decades:

Worth the investment:

Mattresses and bed frames (you spend a third of your life here)
Sofas with solid wood frames and quality cushions
Dining tables in solid wood or quality veneers
Ergonomic desk chairs if you work from home

When you’re ready to invest in these major pieces, take advantage of free design consultations. At La-Z-Boy Southeast, our design consultants help you plan your space, choose the right sizes and configurations, and coordinate colors—at no charge. This service helps you avoid costly mistakes like buying furniture that’s too large for your space or choosing pieces that don’t work together.

Fine to buy budget or secondhand:

Coffee tables and side tables
Dressers and storage pieces
Decorative accents and lighting
Outdoor furniture (it weathers regardless of price)
Bookshelves and media consoles

While La-Z-Boy does carry tables, lamps, rugs, and accessories for every room, these are also categories where shopping around on Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, or eBay can stretch your budget further. You might find unique vintage pieces or budget-friendly options that complement your investment furniture beautifully.

Give Yourself Time

The most stylish homes aren’t decorated in a weekend—they’re curated over months and years. Living in your space for a few weeks helps you understand how you actually use each room before you commit to major purchases.

Start with the basics you need to function, then add pieces as you find them. That perfect vintage credenza will pop up on Facebook Marketplace when you’re not desperately searching for it. The highly-rated dining chairs on Amazon or the mid-century finds on eBay will appear. Patience usually rewards you with better pieces at better prices.

Your Home, Your Timeline

There’s no rule that says your home must be “done” by any particular date. Some of the most interesting, comfortable homes are perpetual works in progress—and that’s not just okay, it’s actually ideal.

Focus on making your home functional first, then comfortable, then beautiful. Those three don’t always happen in the same shopping trip, and that’s perfectly fine.

Ready to find quality furniture that fits your style and budget? Visit any La-Z-Boy Southeast location across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Our design consultants can help you plan your space, choose versatile pieces that grow with your style, and make your new house feel like home.

We’d be happy to help you bring your dreams to life at any of our locations in NC, SC, and GA.