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New furniture can change the way a room looks, feels, and functions, but the setup process starts before the first box is opened. A little preparation can make delivery and assembly much easier, especially for larger furniture pieces, items that ship in multiple cartons, or designs with drawers, trundles, or fold-out features.
This guide covers how to measure and clear the room before delivery, check cartons and packaging when they arrive, organize parts and hardware, prepare for assembly, and document anything that does not look right before moving forward.
Before your furniture arrives, measure the space where the piece will go. This includes the wall, floor area, ceiling height, and any nearby furniture, windows, doors, or vents.
It is also important to measure the path into the room. Check doorways, hallways, staircases, landings, and tight corners to make sure the boxes and assembled furniture can move through the home safely.
If the furniture opens, extends, or pulls out, measure for both the closed and open position. This is especially important for storage beds, trundle beds, daybeds with trundles, Murphy bed chests, and any piece with drawers or moving parts.
A bed with a trundle may fit beautifully when closed, but the room still needs enough space for the trundle to pull out. A storage bed may fit the wall, but the drawers still need clearance. A Murphy bed chest may look compact when closed, but it needs enough open floor space when extended.
The best setup is one that works in real use, not just in the corner of the room.
Before the furniture arrives, clear the room as much as possible. Remove old furniture, rugs, loose items, storage bins, and anything that may get in the way during assembly.
A clean, open work area makes it easier to lay out parts, read instructions, and move around the piece safely. It also reduces the chance of scratching floors, bumping walls, or misplacing hardware.
If you are assembling a larger item, such as a bunk bed, storage bed, or Murphy bed chest, give yourself more space than you think you need. Some pieces require parts to be laid flat before they are attached, and working in a tight corner can make the process harder.
It can also help to choose the room where the furniture will live as the assembly area. Moving a large assembled item from one room to another may be more difficult than assembling it in place.
Some AFI Furnishings products ship in more than one box. Depending on the carrier and shipment, those boxes may not always arrive at the exact same time.
Before beginning assembly, check that you have all cartons for the item. If a product ships in multiple boxes, starting before every carton has arrived can lead to missing parts or an incomplete setup.
When the boxes arrive, keep them together in one area if possible. Check the labels and compare the cartons with your order details. If something seems missing or unclear, it is better to pause and contact Customer Service before moving forward.
You can review more information on the Shipping & Delivery page.
Before opening each box completely, take a moment to look at the outside packaging. If a box appears damaged, crushed, torn, wet, or opened, take photos before unpacking further.
Photos can help the Customer Service team understand what happened and review the situation more quickly. Try to capture the full box, the shipping label, and any damaged areas clearly.
Once you begin opening the cartons, keep the packaging nearby until the furniture has been fully inspected and assembled. Do not throw away boxes, labels, or packing materials too early. They may be helpful if a part needs to be identified, a shipment needs to be reviewed, or an issue needs to be documented.
Before assembly begins, lay out the parts and hardware in an organized way. Compare them with the included assembly instructions so you can confirm what you have before you start.
AFI Furnishings products include the hardware needed for assembly, along with an Allen key when one is required. The main tool customers should have ready is a screwdriver.
Do not use a drill or power tools unless the assembly instructions specifically direct you to do so. Power tools can overtighten hardware, strip holes, damage parts, or affect how the furniture fits together. A screwdriver gives you more control and helps protect the product during assembly.
Keep screws, bolts, washers, and small hardware pieces together in a safe place. A small bowl, tray, or labeled bag can help prevent small parts from rolling away or getting lost.
It is also a good idea to read through the instructions before attaching anything. This gives you a better sense of the order of steps, which parts are used first, and what tools or help may be needed.
Assembly instructions are included with AFI Furnishings products. Keep them nearby throughout the process, even if the steps seem straightforward at first.
The instructions will also tell you how many people are recommended for assembly. Larger pieces, such as beds, bunk beds, storage beds, Murphy bed chests, and heavier furniture, may require more than one person for certain steps.
If the instructions are missing, damaged, or you need another copy, contact Customer Service for help. The team can assist with identifying the item and helping you get the information you need.
It is better to pause and ask for help than to guess on a step that feels unclear. This is especially true for furniture with moving parts, drawer systems, trundles, staircases, or fold-out designs.
You can reach AFI Furnishings through the Customer Service page.
If anything looks damaged, unclear, or different from what you expected, take photos before continuing.
Clear photos of the box, label, part, hardware, damage, or assembly issue can help AFI Furnishings’ Customer Service team review the situation and provide the best next step.
Helpful photos may include:
Do not throw away packaging or continue forcing pieces together if something seems wrong. Keeping the parts, hardware, instructions, and packaging together can make it much easier for Customer Service to help.
Furniture assembly is easier when it is not rushed. Choose a time when you have enough space, light, and patience to work through the steps carefully.
Follow the instructions closely, especially when lifting, aligning, or attaching larger parts. Having the right number of people helps make assembly easier and can help prevent damage to the furniture or the room.
Make sure children and pets are kept away from the work area during assembly. This helps keep the process safer and prevents small parts or hardware from being moved or lost.
A careful setup is worth the extra time. It helps the furniture come together properly and makes the finished piece easier to enjoy.
Once the item is assembled and everything looks correct, you can clean up the packaging. Until then, keep boxes, labels, instructions, and packing materials nearby.
This is especially important if you notice damage, missing parts, or anything that needs review. Packaging can sometimes help identify the shipment, carton, or part involved.
If you need help with a damaged item, missing part, warranty question, or product issue, these pages can help guide you to the right next step:
Furniture delivery and assembly are easier when the room, cartons, parts, and instructions are handled with a little care from the beginning.
Measure the space, including the open and closed dimensions for pieces with drawers, trundles, or fold-out features. Clear the room before delivery. Check that all cartons have arrived before starting assembly. Have a screwdriver ready, follow the included instructions, and avoid drills or power tools unless the instructions specifically direct you to use them.
Keep packaging until the item is fully assembled and inspected. If something does not look right, take photos before continuing and contact Customer Service for help. Clear photos and complete packaging can make it much easier to review the issue and find the right solution.
A little preparation helps your new furniture feel easier to set up, easier to enjoy, and ready for the room it was chosen for.
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© 2026 AFI Furnishings. All rights reserved.
