You’ve finished your Havenly process, put in the order, and now….you wait. Waiting is the worst! Especially when you’ve just been presented with the room of your dreams! Don’t worry… there are a few things you can do to make the wait seem less daunting.

Re-review Your Layout

Your designer has given you a blueprint to putting everything together, so be sure to study it carefully. Designers keep an eye out for things that you may not consider like traffic flow, focal walls, etc. Your layout is your guide to making your space as beautiful as it is in your rendering once everything arrives! Look at the details as well. How high above a console table is the art hung? How much space is there between art pieces in a gallery wall? Once you’re ready to put these things up, you’ll start asking yourself questions like – “How high and wide should I hang my curtains?” If it isn’t totally clear from your layout, be sure to clarify with your designer!

Make A Plan

Evaluate the pieces that you have coming, the pieces that you currently have in your room and determine what needs to be moved and when! If you have a new sofa coming and know that you need to get rid of your current one – make sure that you time your craigslist post right, or you might get stuck with two sofas, or worse… no sofa!

Consider the order in which you’ll be installing pieces as well. There’s nothing worse than trying to lift up a sofa to shove a rug underneath it, so try to plan for laying your rug first.

If you’re swapping out lighting, this can be done easily and whenever it arrives. If you’re hanging a pendant light or chandelier, hiring an electrician to install it is always a safe bet. Find a referral from NextDoor or Angie’s List and make your appointment for shortly after your light fixture arrives. Some lighting will need to be returned within 90 days, so the sooner you can make sure it will work or fit with your space, the better!

If you’re painting, be sure to do that first to allow for enough time to dry before you start moving new pieces in.

Prep For Install

Most furniture will require some sort of assembly, even if it comes from somewhere other than Ikea. It can range from something as small as screwing legs in to something larger like attaching table tops. This makes it much easier and cost effective to ship. You can make the assembly process easier by being prepared with the correct tools! See below for some of the things you’ll want to have on hand.

• Measuring Tape (very important for hanging artwork and window treatments)
• Hammer
• Nails & Screws
• Drill (This will save you time and sore hands!)
• Scissors
• Level
• Pencil
• Screwdrivers
• Helpers!

And if you’d rather kick back with a margarita while it all magically gets put together, we recommend scheduling a TaskRabbit!

Be sure to share your finished space with us via our hashtag #realrooms. We can’t wait to see!