Colors, patterns, and furniture are usually the first things that come to mind when you think about designing your home. But too often, homeowners don’t consider the room-by-room layout that defines their home. Before you buy any major accessories, it’s important to have a good idea of what will be installed in your home and where. Otherwise, you’ll end up rearranging over and over again, or even replacing things entirely.
Making a floor plan doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Start by defining the purpose of each room (bedroom, kitchen, living room) and write down the things you need for each. How many seats are needed in the kitchen? Do you need a coffee table for the living room? How big should the cabinets be? Once you know what each room needs, you can start taking measurements and adding size limits to your floor plan.
Next, consider the flow of traffic from room to room. Some rooms naturally get more use than others; For example, you probably spend more waking time in the living room and kitchen than in the bedroom. For high traffic areas, make sure there is enough space for people to pass without bumping into doors or furniture. There should be a clear line in and out of the room. Keep in mind that you may have to downsize your furniture to do this.
You should also consider the lighting in the room when planning the layout of each room. Generally, the rule is that the less natural light there is, the more open the room should be. So if your bedroom only has a small window, keep furniture to a minimum and leave plenty of free floor space. This makes the space look more spacious and prevents it from feeling too cramped. Similarly, if a room is well lit, you can balance it out by placing more furniture.
Finally, decide where to place rugs and rugs. Will you need a rug for the entrance, between two rooms or under your furniture? Furniture rugs are great for defining areas in large rooms, while more neutral rugs work well as room dividers. Choose one that suits both your needs and your decorating theme, and you’ll have the perfect accent piece for your design.