Your Guide to an In Home Design Consultation in Central Florida
So, what exactly is an in home design consultation? Think of it as a personalized, collaborative session where a professional designer from our team visits your Central Florida home to get a firsthand feel for your space, your style, and what you’re hoping to achieve. We know it can be a challenge, but this is the perfect first step to finally transforming that room you've been struggling with into a space you absolutely love.
What an In Home Design Consultation Really Means
An in-home design consultation is less of a formal meeting and more of a creative partnership. This isn't just about picking out new furniture; it’s a dedicated session where an expert from our design team comes right to your home in Orlando, Lake Mary, or anywhere in Central Florida to see your space through a professional lens.
It's easy to feel stuck or overwhelmed when decorating. We’ve all been there—a sofa looks incredible in the showroom but feels completely out of place at home. An online photo can't possibly capture the unique natural light in your living room or the true scale of your dining area. This is precisely where meeting in your home becomes so valuable.
The Expert Eye in Your Space
During the visit, our designer is there to assess everything that impacts your home's feel and function. They don't just see a room; they see its hidden potential.
This collaborative approach helps you sidestep common and often costly mistakes. It’s about so much more than just measurements; it’s about understanding the way you actually live in your home.
- Understanding Your Lifestyle: Do you have kids or pets running around? Do you love to entertain guests in your Sanford home? Your day-to-day life is what really dictates the best materials, performance fabrics, and layouts.
- Seeing the Big Picture: A designer can help create a cohesive flow from one room to the next, ensuring any new pieces you choose will beautifully complement your existing decor.
- Maximizing Your Home's Features: They'll take note of architectural details, high-traffic patterns, and how that famous Florida sun moves through your space during the day.
At Slone Brothers Furniture, we believe great design starts with listening. Our goal is to translate your vision into a practical, beautiful reality that truly works for your family.
As a local, family-owned business serving Central Florida since 1980, we're proud to offer this as a complimentary service to help our neighbors bring their ideas to life. We’re not just selling furniture; we’re helping you build a home you love.
You can learn more about our complimentary interior design consultation services and see how our team can help you get started. This process is the foundation for creating a personalized plan, whether you're furnishing a single room or an entire house.
The Real Benefits of Working with a Designer
An in home design consultation goes so much deeper than just picking out pretty colors. It brings real, tangible benefits to the table, solving some of the biggest frustrations we see from homeowners here in Central Florida. Think of it less as an expense and more as a smart investment in your home’s long-term comfort and value.
The biggest advantage? Expert guidance. A designer helps you pull together a cohesive vision that actually reflects your personality. This prevents that disjointed, "something's not quite right" feeling that happens when you try to furnish a room piece by piece over time. They become your trusted partner, making sure every single choice has a purpose.
Saving Time and Avoiding Costly Mistakes
Let’s be honest—a designer is your best defense against those expensive “oops” moments. We've all heard the horror stories: a gorgeous sofa arrives, only to completely swallow the living room. Or you pick a fabric that looks perfect in the showroom but can't stand up to the intense Florida sun and humidity.
A designer helps you nail it the first time. This professional oversight doesn't just save you money; it saves you the headache of returns and replacements. It’s the perfect complement to our Low Price Promise because it’s all about getting incredible, lasting value right from the start.
This expertise is also invaluable for tricky spots. A great designer can come up with creative kitchen design ideas for small spaces, completely transforming a challenging area into a room that's both beautiful and incredibly functional.
Unlocking a World of Possibilities
Maybe the most exciting part is getting access to a world of furniture possibilities you might not even know existed. Our designers are masters at navigating our extensive custom-order programs, opening the door to amazing brands known for their flexibility and American-made quality.
- Tailored to You: They can walk you through the endless fabric and configuration options from Smith Brothers, ensuring your new sofa offers custom comfort perfect for your family.
- Perfect Dimensions: A designer can help configure an American Leather sectional that flawlessly matches the unique layout of your living room—no more awkward gaps or tight squeezes.
- Cohesive Style: They’ll help you select the ideal wood finish and hardware for a Simply Amish piece, turning it into a true family heirloom that showcases beautiful craftsmanship.
Working with a designer isn't an expense; it's an investment in functionality and joy. We maximize every square foot to improve your home's flow—a must for any growing Orlando-area family.
And it’s clear families are seeing the value. The global interior design market, which includes the in home design consultation service, is expected to hit USD 204.23 billion by 2031. This shows a huge trend of families, especially in established areas like Greater Orlando, choosing to invest in the homes they already love.
Our complimentary design service is one of the main reasons we're known as one of the top furniture stores with design services in the entire region.
Our Design Process from Start to Finish
Here at Slone Brothers Furniture, we know that inviting someone into your home to help shape your space is a big deal. It’s built on trust. Since 1980, we’ve been working side-by-side with our neighbors across Central Florida, and we’ve fine-tuned a process that’s clear, collaborative, and honestly, pretty fun. Our goal is to make sure you feel confident and comfortable every step of the way.
Let’s walk through what you can expect when you partner with our in-house design team.
Step 1: The Initial Conversation
Your journey starts right here in our Longwood showroom. This first meeting is really all about getting to know you. We’ll sit down and just talk—about your vision for the room, how your family actually uses it day-to-day, what styles you love, and any little quirks or challenges the space presents.
This is the perfect time to pull out your Pinterest boards or share any inspiration photos you've saved. It’s a friendly, no-pressure chat where our main job is to listen and start dreaming up ways to bring your ideas to life.
Step 2: The In-Home Visit
Next, one of our expert designers will schedule a time to visit you at home. Whether you're in Lake Mary, Sanford, or anywhere in the Greater Orlando area, this step is absolutely essential. Seeing your space in person helps us understand its unique character, from the way the natural light falls to the existing architectural details.
During this visit, we will:
- Take precise measurements to make sure every new piece will fit just right.
- Look at your existing furniture and chat about what you’d like to keep or replace.
- Analyze the room’s flow and see how your family moves through the space.
This personal touch is what allows us to create a plan that’s truly tailored to your home and your lifestyle, not just a generic design.
Step 3: Collaborative Design and Planning
With measurements in hand and a deep understanding of your goals, we head back to the showroom to get creative. Our designer will work up detailed floor plans and 2D or 3D renderings that help you truly visualize the transformation. This is where things get exciting and your vision starts to feel real.
We'll present a curated selection of furniture from our incredible collection of brands. For example, we might show you a timeless Stickley dining set for its heirloom quality or a customizable Canadel table that’s perfect for your entertaining style. This phase is all about teamwork; we want your feedback to tweak and refine the plan until it feels perfect. If you're curious about how to map out a project on your own, you can learn more about how to begin the interior design process for a room with our helpful guide.
Step 4: The Final Presentation and Execution
The final step is the big reveal of the plan. We’ll walk you through the complete design, showing you how the furniture, fabrics, rugs, and accessories all work together to create a cohesive and inviting space.
And don’t worry, we’re always mindful of your budget and committed to our Low Price Promise throughout the entire process. Once you give the final thumbs-up on the design, we handle everything else—from placing the orders to coordinating delivery. We want you to enjoy the experience and end up with a room you'll absolutely love for years to come.
How to Prepare for Your Consultation
To really get the most out of your in-home design consultation, a little prep work on your end can make a world of difference. Think of it as a creative partnership—your ideas, your needs, and your vision are the most important tools we have. By spending some time gathering your thoughts beforehand, you help our designers cut straight to the heart of what you're looking for, making sure the final plan is a perfect fit for your Central Florida lifestyle.
The goal is to give us a clear picture of both your dreams for the space and the reality of how you live in it day-to-day. When we start on the same page, that's when a truly successful and beautiful transformation happens.
Creating Your Pre-Consultation Checklist
The more you can share with us, the better we can dial in the perfect design. Before we stop by your home in Longwood or Lake Mary, we suggest pulling together a few things. It doesn't have to be a formal presentation, just a collection of your thoughts.
- Gather Inspiration: Start a Pinterest board or tear out pages from magazines. Collect photos of rooms, colors, or specific furniture pieces that catch your eye. Don't worry if they seem all over the place; sometimes the best ideas come from mixing and matching different styles.
- Analyze Your Current Space: Take a moment to think about what you love and what you can't stand about the room as it is now. Is it too dark? Does the furniture layout make it awkward to walk through? Do you never have enough seating when guests come over?
- Think About Function: How does your family really use this room? Is it where the kids do homework, where you host big family movie nights, or is it a quiet spot for reading? Knowing this helps us pick furniture and fabrics that can stand up to real life.
- Establish a Budget: Having a rough budget in mind is incredibly helpful. It allows us to point you toward the best options that fit your financial comfort zone while still delivering the look you want, all backed by our Low Price Promise.
This is a simple look at how we approach the first few steps of any project, making sure we get all the details right from the start.
This straightforward process—from our initial chat to the home visit and the planning phase—ensures nothing gets missed.
Your Role in the Process
With the cost of housing being what it is, more and more homeowners are choosing to stay put and invest in making their current home better. While only 21% of recent home purchases were made by first-time buyers, redesigning and renovating has become the go-to way to improve daily life. This is exactly where our complimentary design services provide huge value, helping Central Florida residents make high-impact updates that truly make their homes more enjoyable.
Your preparation helps us make every minute of our time together count. If you're able to get some basic room measurements before we arrive, that’s a fantastic head start. If you're not sure where to begin, check out our guide on how to measure a room for furniture for some easy tips.
Bringing Your Vision to Life with Custom Furniture
This is where an in home design consultation really shines. It's the bridge between what you see on our showroom floor and the perfect piece for your actual living space. Our core strength as a local, family-owned business is crafting custom-order furniture that’s uniquely yours, and a designer is your personal guide to making that happen.
It’s one thing to admire a beautiful sofa under showroom lights, but it’s a whole different ballgame to have an expert help you tailor it to your home, your family, and your life. Our design team helps you see beyond the standard options to what’s truly possible.
Think of it this way: a consultation solves that all-too-common problem of finding a piece that’s almost perfect. A designer helps you close that final gap, turning "almost" into "absolutely."
From Almost Perfect to Absolutely Perfect
Let's get practical. Say you've fallen hard for a Craftmaster sofa, but you're worried about how the fabric will hold up to movie nights with the kids and the dog. Our designer can walk you through a world of high-performance fabrics you might not even know exist, finding one that’s both stylish and tough enough for real life.
Or maybe you’ve found the ideal Simply Amish dining set, but the wood finish clashes with your kitchen cabinets. Instead of settling, a designer will show you all the available stains and finishes, ensuring the final piece feels like it was always meant to be there. This is a level of personalization you just won’t find at a big-box store.
The North American interior design market is a giant, holding a 39.09% global share, and that passion for great design is alive and well right here in Central Florida. That’s why our free in-house design services are so valuable. For a homeowner in Longwood frustrated with generic options, our team can tap into our robust custom-order program to source Amish-crafted or American-made furniture that perfectly matches their vision. You can explore more about the rise of personalized interior design to see just how big this trend is.
Unlocking the Potential of Top Brands
Our designers are fluent in the brands we carry. They know their specific strengths and, most importantly, the incredible range of customizations each one offers.
- For Versatile Style: They can show you how a brand like Bassett offers hundreds of fabrics and configurations, letting you create a sectional that fits the unique nooks and crannies of your room.
- For Modern Functionality: Need a specific size or metal finish for a contemporary dining chair? They'll guide you through the massive catalog of options from Amisco.
- For Timeless Quality: They'll help you select the right wood, finish, and hardware on a Smith Brothers piece, making sure the final product reflects the American-made quality you’re looking for.
A consultation unlocks a world of possibilities, ensuring the final result is a true reflection of your personal style. It's not just about buying furniture; it's about creating it.
Ultimately, a designer turns the potentially overwhelming process of custom ordering into something genuinely exciting. They’re your personal guide. If you’re curious about what’s possible, you can learn more about how our team makes custom furniture simple.
Start Your Transformation at Our Longwood Showroom
An in-home design consultation isn't just another service—it's the beginning of a real partnership. Think of it as a collaboration, a way to finally create a home that’s not only beautiful but truly works for the way you live. As a family-owned business serving the Greater Orlando area since 1980, we’re deeply invested in helping our community live better, surrounded by quality and comfort.
The whole process starts with a simple, friendly visit. We invite you to come down to our showroom in Longwood, FL, where you can meet our design team face-to-face and see what genuine craftsmanship looks like. It’s one thing to see pictures online, but it’s another to experience the quality of our American-made and Amish furniture for yourself.
Come feel the incredible ergonomic innovation of a Stressless recliner, or run your hand over the solid wood artistry of a Mavin dining set. We’re confident that once you experience the difference, you'll understand the lasting value we bring to every home.
Our team is here to answer your questions without any pressure. Let's start the conversation and take that first exciting step toward creating a home you'll absolutely love for years to come.
Common Questions About Design Consultations
We get it—inviting a designer into your home for the first time can bring up a few questions. To help you feel completely comfortable and ready to get started, we've put together some straightforward answers to the things our Orlando-area clients ask most often.
As a family-owned business, we believe in being open and honest. Think of us as a helpful neighbor here to guide you through every step.
Is There a Fee for the In-Home Design Consultation?
No, our professional in-house design services are completely complimentary for our customers. We see it as a true partnership, and it's our way of helping you find the absolute perfect furniture for your home here in Central Florida. It's a key part of the value you get when you choose a local business that’s been part of the community since 1980.
Do I Have to Buy All New Furniture?
Not at all. In fact, one of the best things about working with a professional designer is their knack for blending new pieces with the furniture you already have and love.
During the home visit, we’ll take a look at your most cherished items. From there, we can help you select new pieces that pull everything together for a cohesive, refreshed look.
- Maybe it's a new Smith Brothers sofa that offers custom comfort and perfectly complements your antique coffee table.
- Or perhaps it's a beautiful Canadel dining set that finally ties the whole room together.
Our designers are experts at creating a balanced space that feels both brand-new and authentically you.
What if I Only Need Help with One Room?
That’s a perfect reason to use our service! Our design team is ready to tackle projects of any size, whether it's a complete home makeover or just finding the right pieces for a single room.
If you need to furnish a home office in Lake Mary or update a living room in Longwood, you'll get the same dedicated, expert advice. No project is too small for a thoughtful design plan.
How Long Does the Design Process Usually Take?
The timeline really depends on the scope of your project and whether you choose in-stock items or go for custom-order furniture. Once we've had our initial chat, our design team can give you a much clearer, more personalized schedule.
We make it a priority to keep you in the loop every step of the way. Plus, our reliable home delivery service includes order tracking, so you’ll always know what to expect as your vision comes to life.
Ready to find the perfect piece for your home? Visit the Slone Brothers Furniture showroom in Longwood, FL, and let our design experts help you get started!
