TL;DR
Interior designer Allison Smith recommends asking where a furniture item could go next before buying it. Her “Second Location Rule” favors pieces that can work in more than one room, while also advising shoppers not to sacrifice personal taste for versatility.
Interior designer Allison Smith says she asks one question before buying furniture: where else could this piece go? In an Apartment Therapy report, Smith describes the approach, which she calls the “Second Location Rule,” as a way to favor furniture that can adapt to changing rooms and needs rather than serve only one purpose in one spot.
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Smith, of Florida-based Gem & Clay Interiors, told Apartment Therapy that repeated moves shaped the rule. She noticed that the pieces she wanted to keep were those she could fit into more than one place, and began using that observation to guide later purchases. The article presents the idea as her personal design approach, not as a formal industry standard or a guarantee that a versatile purchase will save money.
In practice, the test is to picture a piece in another room or role before bringing it home. A side table might work in a living room, hallway nook or guest bedroom. Smith told the publication she recently bought a bookcase for her bathroom because she could also imagine it in a living room, dining room or study if her needs changed.
She also described a vintage French wardrobe that failed the test. It suited a bedroom without a closet, but its size made it difficult to imagine using elsewhere. Smith’s advice has a second condition: versatility is not enough if the buyer dislikes the item’s style. She says shoppers should not buy a piece solely because it could fit into multiple rooms.
How Flexible Furniture Can Pay Off
The rule speaks to a common practical challenge: furniture is expensive, rooms can change function, and people may move. Choosing pieces that can be reused in a different room may give shoppers more options later, whether they are rearranging a home or deciding what to take to a new one. Smith’s account also links reuse with personal attachment: she says a piece can become more valued as it finds new roles over time.
That does not establish a measurable financial benefit, and the source offers no price comparisons or research showing how often this approach works. Its value is as a shopping prompt: test a purchase against possible future uses, while still considering its size, function, cost and whether it fits the buyer’s taste. The advice can also help people pause before buying an item that only works in one specific layout.
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Moves Shaped Smith’s Buying Rule
Smith told Apartment Therapy that she began noticing the pattern after moving several times. Pieces that could fit multiple spaces were the ones she most wanted to keep. She then started filtering furniture decisions through that experience. The report does not give dates or details about the moves, and it does not suggest that every buyer has the same needs.
The rule also informs how Smith works with clients who are furnishing new spaces. The article says she helps them consider which existing items to keep, with versatile pieces often making the cut. She describes reusing an item in a new setting as a way to give it a new life and increase its value to its owner; that is her assessment, not a measured finding.
““There was a period of time when I moved several times, and I just started noticing the pieces that I loved and wanted to keep were the pieces that I could really fit multiple places.””
— Allison Smith, Gem & Clay Interiors, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Limits of the Second Location Test
The Apartment Therapy report shares Smith’s advice and examples; it does not provide consumer research comparing versatile furniture with single-purpose purchases. It is unclear how much the approach saves, how often an item will actually be moved, or whether the same criteria suit different budgets, homes and household needs.
The article also does not define a threshold for “versatile.” A piece may fit in another room but still be impractical because of its dimensions, storage needs or function. The central point is a question to ask before buying, not a promise that every multi-use item is a sound investment.
Apply the Question Before Purchase
Smith’s suggested next step is straightforward: before buying new or vintage furniture or decor, picture at least one other place or use for it. Consider whether the piece’s size and function would work there, then weigh that flexibility against whether you genuinely like it and whether it meets the current need.
There is no reported follow-up study or further development. For shoppers, the decision remains individual: use the second-location question as one check among several, and wait for a better fit when a purchase would otherwise be a placeholder you do not want to keep.
Key Questions
What is the Second Location Rule?
It is designer Allison Smith’s practice of asking where a furniture item could go besides its intended spot before buying it.
Does the rule mean every piece should serve more than one purpose?
No. Smith’s advice is to consider whether an item could work in another room, not to buy something just because it is flexible. She also says shoppers should like its style and find it suitable for their needs.
What examples did Smith give?
She said a side table might move from a living room to a hallway or guest bedroom. She also described buying a bathroom bookcase that she could later use in a living room, dining room or study.
Why did a vintage wardrobe fail the test?
Smith said the wardrobe suited a bedroom without a closet but was so large that it would be difficult to reuse in another space.
Does the report show that versatile furniture saves money?
No. The report presents Smith’s personal design approach and examples, but includes no cost data or research demonstrating a financial saving.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
