Start your first Oona project

Use this guide if you are new to Oona, starting a new room project, or wondering why Oona asks a few questions before the design conversation begins.

Oona works best when it understands what you want the room to feel like and what it needs to handle in real life. A clear brief helps suggestions feel personal instead of generic.

Choose how you want to begin

When you start a new project, you can pick Design together (recommended for most rooms) — a short guided consultation — or Chat directly, when you already know what you want to ask.

If you began a guided Space Refresh earlier, Oona may offer to resume where you left off.

What happens in the guided flow

• Welcome: choose guided path vs quick chat.
• Spatial context: room photos, dimensions, pieces that must stay, hard limits.
• Style direction: up to three directions, inspiration, notes on what to avoid.
• Goals & budget: priorities, budget posture, timeline, decision-makers.
• Your profile: home type, rent vs own, household needs.
• Review brief: edit any section before Oona uses it as starting context.

A good minimum brief

• One clear photo of the space, if possible.
• What you want to improve first.
• Anything that must stay.
• Hard limits (renter-safe, no drilling, etc.).
• One to three style directions or inspirations.
• A rough budget posture.

If something goes wrong

For uploads, see Upload room photos. For vague advice or refinements, see Ask Oona for better suggestions or How to refine a design without starting over. For privacy worries, see How Oona handles your images.