To get talent furniture...
Well, I don't know how, exactly, but sometimes, when you change talents, you get the furniture after completing your first challenge. It's happened to me since I first changed from designer to dancer, and it's happened ever since, but I never got furniture for my original talent, as designer.
Free players can only reach level 1. They get 6 level 1 challenges per talent.
Diamond Members get the premium features such as leveling and private club areas where only Diamond Members can go.
As a free to play player, you can do the challenges as many times as you would like and you can access the basic design table.