The Tin Roof
09-2025
Behind the Scenes: How We Furnish & Style a Home for the Home Show — And How You Can Too
Budgeting & Selecting Quality Furnishings
Walking through a finished model or show home, it’s easy to see the polish and forget the process. Here’s the real workflow we use at The Tin Roof so you can apply it at home.
Start with the Floor Plan
Before any selections, we map traffic flow, light, focal walls, and ideal sightlines. Tape out major pieces to confirm scale and pathways or create a floor plan. Think about how people will use the space. Watching TV? Sofa should be parallel to TV not at a 90degree angle (your neck will thank you). Entertaining friends often? Give everyone a place to sit and create conversation groupings.
Read the Finishes (Your Built-In Mood Board)
Cabinet stains, flooring, tile, stone, paint undertones, and hardware already tell a story—listen to it. We pull furniture woods, fabrics, metals, and accent colors from these finishes so everything sings in harmony instead of competing.Case in point: at Timbered Ridge, the kitchen tile had a soft green cast. We leaned into that hue for accent textiles and art notes, echoing the surrounding forest and bringing the outdoors in. The result felt intentional and calm—never mismatched.
Define the Style & Mood
Cozy craftsman, tailored traditional, quiet modern? Name it. This gives you a yes/no filter for every decision. Find inspiration online, in lifestyle magazines and in well curated showrooms.
Anchor with Quality Pieces
Invest in the sofa, dining table, and beds first. These set the tone for comfort and scale; everything else layers gracefully around them. I always say “spend the money where you spend the time” meaning the pieces you’re going to interact with the most in the rooms you plan to use the most deserve the most attention and budget. Lesser used items and rooms can be done for less.
Speaking of Budget—Set One
You have to set a realistic budget. Often based on the price of the home, a realistic furniture and decor budget (to style the whole home down to sheets and towels) can run anywhere from 10% to 20% of the price of the home itself. For a million dollar home, it may very well take upwards of $100,000 to fully furnish that home, including window coverings and bedding. Additionally, you want the quality of the home to be reflected in the quality of furnishings used. A high end home deserves high quality furniture, certainly as your anchors. Spread your budget in the secondary pieces like accent chairs, accent tables and lesser used rooms. Don't cheapen your largest investment with disposable pieces of furniture and decor.
Layer Texture, Lighting & Comfort
Rugs, drapery, pillows, throws, and warm layered lighting transform hard finishes into a livable home. Aim for a blend of matte, woven, and soft sheens. When choosing a rug to anchor the room there are some sizing recommendations - furniture should either sit complexly on or at the very least have all front legs securely on the rug. It is easier to start with a rug and coordinate fabrics and leathers to it than the other way around, but approach it however you feel comfortable.
Add Personality (Lightly)
Books, trays, greenery, and collected objects create warmth without clutter. Curate, don’t cram. Don’t feel tempted to fill space just to fill it. Sure, at the show homes we try to fill every space but we use items that give a curated feel, I go so far as to use my personal vintage items to give the home a more collected feel. I call it collected, not cataloged.
Edit & Refine
Do a final “guest walk.” Remove a piece, shift a rug, adjust lamp heights—small tweaks make a space feel resolved.Takeaway: Let your finishes set the palette, choose anchors with intention, and layer thoughtfully. That’s how you get harmony—not noise. Don’t expect a curated home to come together overnight, it can take months, if not years, to get your look just right. As always, we’re here to help you along that journey at The Tin Roof.
Shop the Look
Ready for a refresh?
From simple swaps to full redesigns, we can help transform your home into a place you love to be. Book your design consultation today to get started.