Working with a Resource Designer: a Guide to Your First Showroom Visit

Perhaps you’re remodeling or refurnishing your existing home and would like to update the interior to a more modern look or layout. You may be a downsizer in a need of a more flexible home that can adapt to your changing needs. Or maybe you are an aspiring minimalist looking to live an edited life with a smaller footprint. Whatever your reason for embracing the multifunctional lifestyle—you’ve decided you’re ready to think outside the box, design a home with intention and live without limits—put simply, you’re ready to work with a Resource designer.

Every Resource Furniture showroom is fully staffed with a team of experienced designers, equipped with the tools, skills and knowledge to help you realize the true potential of your space, no matter its size. From your initial showroom visit to installation day, your designer’s goal is to ensure your complete satisfaction through every stage of the process. We know from experience that this goal is best achieved when a designer collaborates closely with you, the client, to pinpoint your needs, preferences and style, and arrive at a solution that’s uniquely suited for your home and way of life.

If you’ve never worked with a designer before, you may be wondering what to expect from your visit, what preliminary questions to ask, or what materials to bring. There are a few things to keep in mind:

First, know that your visit to Resource Furniture will be quite different from any other showroom experience you may have had in the past. Unlike other furniture dealers, our process is a highly collaborative and consultative one and it involves a host of professional design and demonstration services. In fact, demonstrations and showroom tours are instrumental to truly appreciate the full scope and potential of our products. That is because our transforming furniture systems are, we are proud to say, groundbreaking innovations in the movement towards smart, sustainable home solutions, and frankly unprecedented in the design industry. Customers benefit from working with our team of specially trained, transforming interior experts, working one-on-one with clients to select their products, style their furniture systems and plan their spatial configurations.

Second—being that ours is a collaborative process—the more information you can provide to your designer the better your experience will be. Our team has the tools and industry experience to match you with the living systems you need—all we need is your input. To that end, we’ve compiled this comprehensive, step-by-step guide to working with your Resource designer, so you can arrive prepared and make the most of your showroom visit:

If you’re looking to transform your space through sensibly designed, multifunctional furniture, chances are you’ve already given considerable thought to your needs. You may be looking to optimize square footage and increase storage in an apartment, or you may want to make better use of a rarely-used designated guest or dining room. Whatever the case, determining precisely what you need your furniture to accomplish before your initial visit will not only help your designer match you with the right selection of products, but will also allow you to develop a roadmap as you move forward with your home redesign.

TIP: Once you’ve assessed your needs, your Resource Furniture experience starts with a phone call or visit to one of our showrooms. Appointments are not required, but highly encouraged as this allows us to tailor your showroom tour around your particular interests and make the most of your valuable time.

1. Always remember that with any remodel, refurnishing, or move, planning is key. If your intention is to design a multi-functional home, you will need to consider how you’d like each room to function. Your Resource Furniture designer can help you optimize even the toughest layouts, but the better you can communicate to your designer what you need and want from your space during these early consultative stages, the easier this process will be.

Prepare for your Resource Furniture showroom visit by taking measurements and photos of the existing room or rooms—bonus points if you can provide basic measurements and floor plans! Providing accurate measurements helps your designer provide you with the best planning advice and find the most appropriate products for your home.

TIP: For tradespeople, our team offers CAD blocks and a SketchUp library to help you streamline your project.

Good communication is key to ensuring you achieve the space you’ve envisioned and are satisfied with the end result. We encourage our clients to play an active role in the design process—our job is to use our tools and expertise to help you realize the home of your dreams!

TIP: After your initial appointment, your Resource Furniture designer can also provide an in-home consultation to help perfect the final design. Remember, we are here every step of the way to ensure you receive the absolute best in quality and function from your living environment!

Every home redesign starts with inspiration—perhaps a picture in a magazine, a visit to a friend’s newly remodeled home, or a beautifully curated vision board. Actively look for sources of visual inspiration around you to nail down your personal taste as this will help you narrow down your product selection and fabric/finish search later on. Collect color palettes and photos from sites like Pinterest or Houzz and share these with your designer.

Resource Furniture transforming home solutions are highly customizable and made-to-order so your designer can use these inspiration samples to identify a look that fits your unique design aesthetic. Furniture systems can be customized to fit the necessary dimensions of the space, and are available in a wide range of fabric and finish options—your Resource designer offers a plethora of choices to meet the needs of any home project.

TIP: Our expert design team will plan your new, multifunctional space around your home’s unique spatial challenges, but for more immediate needs Resource Furniture also offers an array of Quick Ship items ready for delivery in the US, usually within three weeks.

Ready for your visit? Find a showroom nearest you, then call or make an appointment to see how multifunctional furniture systems can completely transform the way you live!