The phrase "at first preferred" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate an initial choice or inclination towards something before possibly changing that preference later.
Example: "At first preferred, the blue design was later replaced by the red one after further discussion."
Alternatives: "initially favored" or "originally chosen".
Left-wing parties such as the Communists, who still run the state of West Bengal, at first preferred to stick with ideological soul-mates.
With few interests beyond software and the potential of information technology, Gates at first preferred to stay out of the public eye, handling civic and philanthropic affairs indirectly through one of his foundations.
Developers at first preferred to develop their own physics models; it was not until 2003, he says, that the logic of buying one off the shelf and then customising it for a particular game became generally accepted.New games are in the pipeline that will further extend the use of physics models.
At first preferring to de-emphasize liturgical elaboration in accord with Puritan views, he soon came to accept Elizabeth's policy of moderation.
It is a style most associated with Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter, each of whom resisted having a strong chief of staff at first, preferring what was called a "hub and spoke" model in which many people had access to the Oval Office.
"At first, he preferred not to play with me; I was below his skill level," Corallo said of her husband.
At first, I preferred Levi's circles to M.J.'s hyperbolas, which opened onto an infinity that no howitzer could possibly reach.
At first he preferred to retell the lives of more or less infamous men, as in the sketches of his Historia universal de la infamia (1935; A Universal History of Infamy).
Almost a third preferred not to be present at handover during labour.
The combination of Chelsea and the meat-packing district may feel a little spread out at first; I prefer to think of it as pleasantly aerobic.
In that case, at least at first, it prefers to see existing sanctions made more effective, rather than extending them into entirely new areas, with the possible exception of a conventional arms embargo.
