You can actually start with the furniture, design the house to fit the best arrangements and end up with a smaller, better-tailored house as a result. Oriental-rug collection dictates room sizes. Knowing the size of each rug from the beginning of the design process, the architect scaled each room to fit the rug specified for that room. Here, pretty but uncomfortable, a setting of antique East Lake furniture sits in its own alcove, where the owners can enjoy looking at it without its being in the way. Many architects will ask their clients what existing furniture they plan to bring to a new home or addition.
Some people are embarrassed by the question.
We can think about that later. But by putting off this discussion, the architect must make the rooms large enough to accommodate the biggest couch, chairs and dining table. So it can be helpful to take an inventory of what you possess and decide what you really want to keep, what can be disposed of and what you might want in the future. I suggest that my clients put together a photo album of all the furnishings in their current house before we start the design process. I ask them to measure each piece, being sure to include height as well as width and length, and to include rugs, paintings and other special treasures that will need a place.