When commencing an interior design project, the very first thing you do is measure and draw. You should always start with a floor plan.
What is a Floor Plan?
A floor plan is a drawing or a visual representation of a home’s interior. It illustrates the placement of walls and includes key elements of the house like doors, windows, stairs, and furniture layouts. It also communicates the room names and sizes, as well as the dimensions between walls.
Floor plans are an essential part of interior design projects. If you have an accurate layout drawing in place, you can also pick out furniture, bathroom fittings, and wardrobe millwork, and ensure that they blend in seamlessly with the overall appearance of your space.
Speaking of leaving enough space, it’s also important to make sure there is room to move around in less busy areas of your home. For example, you should ideally leave about 45cm between sofas, chairs and coffee tables in your living room. This gives you plenty of space for sitting and moving around without having to stretch too far for your cup of coffee, remote control or shout across the room to have a conversation.
You need to ensure that you are not creating a potential hazard in your home. What might look like too much white space on a floor plan can actually contribute to a sense of calm in your room.
Tips for Perfect Floor Plans.
- When measuring existing spaces, lay your measuring tape flat on the floor and measure room dimensions in several places, especially where furniture will be a tight fit. Don’t assume your walls are parallel.
- The walkway between a piece of furniture and a wall should be at least 30 inches in a residential space (36″ is preferred). In a public space it should be at least 36 inches (42″ is preferred).
- To get a feel for the width of a walkway before placing furniture, put a tape line on the floor to see how different dimensions would feel.
- When placing furniture on a residential plan, remember that most furniture will actually sit 2 or 3 inches from the wall.
- Don’t line all the furniture up along the walls. Break up spaces by placing pieces out in the room. Setting rugs, sofas, or other furniture at angles can help avoid an overly rigid feel.
