You Should Always Add These Things to a Room Last

If you’re moving into a new home or planning to make over a room that just needs a refresh, chances are you’ve already got some ideas on how you want to furnish and decorate the new digs or outdated room.

But does it matter what order you bring in the items from your mood board? Absolutely, according to a few interior designers we asked. For example, placing a rug first will save you from the headache of having to rotate it once it’s underneath furniture.

But what about those items you should place last? Here, designers share what they always add to a room last—and why you should follow their leads.

Artwork

“Art should be the final layer because it responds to everything that comes before it—furniture scale, color temperature, lighting, and mood,” says Philip Thomas Vanderford, owner and founder of Studio Thomas James.

This applies to any kind of art, from paintings and framed prints to sculptures and wall tapestries.

Vanderford explains that “Introducing art too early can force a room to work backward, bending design decisions to fit a piece prematurely.”

Another aspect to consider is whether the artwork is a fragile or precious piece, in which case you definitely want to move it in last to avoid accidentally damaging it while you’re furnishing the rest of the room.

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Objects and Collectibles

When she designs a space, Meghan Hackett Cassidy, cofounder of Village Design Studio, adds the small objets d’art last, and the same principal applies to home goods that serve a purpose, like matchboxes, storage baskets, or throw blankets.

“We don’t bring those pieces in any earlier because you truly need to feel the room first,” she says. “If you select these blindly, you’re far more likely to miss the mark: the spines of books may read too bright; a decorative object might feel off scale.”

Although decorative pieces are small in size and last in the order of operations, they’re not insignificant.

“Those last layers may seem minor, but they’re what give the room its polish, personality, and that finished quality that sets it apart,” Cassidy says.

Phoebe Beachner, a principal at DesignGLXY, adds that these items are what make a space feel like home, but it helps to get a sense of the nearly completed room before adding them, or they might clash.

Plants

Plants should also go in last so you can figure out what heights and widths would work best in the space—plus they can be great for some last-minute balancing in the room.

For instance, if you feel a corner of the room looks bare, you can fill it with a planted tree of an appropriate scale. Or if some shelving looks lopsided, you might want to add a small succulent or air plant to visually even things out.

Just make sure to place them where they can get enough sunlight and you can add water easily (if they’re real).