Furniture at the Forefront: Why It Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought

Let’s talk about furniture—not just how it looks, but how it shapes the way people experience a space.

You might be surprised how much something like the shape of a table, or the adjustability of a chair can affect everything from daily workflows to a company’s culture. As interior designers, we spend a lot of time upfront getting to know our clients. We ask the big questions: How do you work? What’s not working now? Where do you want to go next? That early research lays the foundation for a thoughtful space plan but too often, furniture is treated like an afterthought.

It’s penciled in as a placeholder. “We’ll figure that out later,” we say. But here’s the thing: what if we didn’t wait?

What if furniture was baked into the design process from the beginning, right alongside layouts, finishes, and lighting?

It sounds simple, right? But in practice, it’s surprisingly rare.

Designing a space and selecting furniture at the same time isn’t just more efficient, it produces a better result. Think of it this way: no hospital would finalize a floor plan without knowing exactly what medical equipment needs to go in each room. So why should an office be any different? If we’re designing an open-plan workspace, shouldn’t we consider the actual workstations at the same time as we’re designing the walls that surround them?

When furniture is part of the conversation early, it stops being a filler item and starts becoming part of the design solution. Spaces become more intentional, more functional, and honestly, more you. The final product feels cohesive, lived-in, and real.

It’s the difference between “nice” and “nailed it.”

So, why don’t more firms do it this way?

Sometimes it’s about resources. Not every firm has the staff or resources to tackle furniture planning during the early design phases. Other times, it’s just a habit. In many firms, furniture is treated as an optional add-on, not a core service. That mindset means it gets tacked on at the end, when it could have been driving thoughtful decisions all along.

But we believe that has to change. As designers, we know our clients, their goals, and their pain points better than anyone else. We’re already thinking holistically, it’s time to bring furniture into that mindset too. When we treat furnishings as part of the design from day one, the results are smarter, smoother, and more successful.

Furniture isn’t just the finishing touch. In most cases, it’s the foundation of the final function.

Ready to bring furniture to the forefront?

STUHF Studio partners with design teams early to help plan and specify furniture that truly supports your space and your people. Whether you’re starting a workplace renovation or building from the ground up, we’re here to help make the whole process smoother, and a lot more fun.

Let’s create something great together.