You’re home/apartment shopping and during the tour, you’re enthralled by the space and its opportunities. You walk through thinking “Oh! This can go there” and “That could go up there”. The day arrives of you moving in, your stuff goes in, and suddenly… it’s way more cramped than you thought!
You aren’t about to downsize nor will you settle for stacking things on things. You pull a pencil & paper and start drawing — meticulously detailing how to stage the home. Then, you get a clever idea and need to start all over again… yuck.
Need some help with planning and designing your layout? Check this out!
Phase 1: Getting Everything Together
There are a few things you’ll want before drawing the plans — this includes:
- Floor plan documents
- An inventory list
- Theme
The floor plan documents should be accessible in your rental/ownership documents. Else, accessible from the realty website. These will help you understand the real dimensions you’re working with versus eye-balling the spacing and layout.
Secondly, create a list of what’s going into the area. This could include the furniture, decor, and any other gizmos to complete the look & feel. Use this time to measure the big items.
Third, think about how the room is themed. A good way to do this is picking a central piece and developing the theme around it. Or, if you’re in the market for an upgrade, plan your room around design features found in product lines by Stanley furniture or whichever designer brand you enjoy.
Phase 2: Load Up the Tools
Pencil & paper is fine for rough drafts and getting ideas going. But, you’ll want to use an online drafting tool to work in the finer details. These online tools let you use templates, draw, or import floor plans to give an exact layout of what you’re working with!
Try one of these tools:
- RoomStyler.com
- PlanYourRoom.com
- Floorplanner.com
Ever play the game The Sims? It’s a lot like that.
The tools use WSYWIG and drag-and-drop features to place items in the area. Some attached to furniture sites will import real furnishings to the layout as you go (letting you shop while planning). Once you’re done, you can do a 3D/virtual tour to get a better sense of how it’ll look.
Or, you can find help from the community! There are many people sharing their home layouts to gain a bit of feedback or swap ideas. Dig around and you’ll get a nice, boost of inspiration in your planning.
Phase 3: Put It in Action
It’s time! Go ahead and print the floor plan/layout and tack it to the wall.
Then, do this:
- Move everything out of the room so you have a fresh slate
- Thoroughly the clean the areas (while you have the chance)
- Bring in your centerpieces according to plan
- Fill in the rest based on your printed layout
Then… wait.
Let the layout “stew” for a day or two before you begin making changes. See how it looks in daylight and at night — since this will change the look & feel of the room. If you’re happy? Pat yourself on the back and move onto the next room. If not? Reload the online tools and start tweaking.
It’s Not Set in Stone. Have Fun!
Turning your house into a home is a state of mind. It’s when you feel like you’re in your place. This can change as you mature and experience new things. Your layout is never set in stone.
So:
Keep exploring exciting furnishings or playing with the online tools. Draw inspiration from design groups, Pinterest, or Facebook creative pages. Never settle. Have fun with the design!