No matter if you’re planning a home, office, retail store or restaurant, an essential part of designing the space is creating a floor plan. The floor plan is a scaled diagram presented to show a room, floor or building layout with a wall arrangement, doorways, windows, furniture, and other fundamentals.
Whether you’re working on a construction project, interior design, or any other space related to a layout, floor plans are incredibly helpful in giving you an idea of how the space will look and function. Putting the time in to carefully think through layout and flow, a beautifully considered floor plan will make a space feel efficient, comfortable, and stylish. Discover more info here: https://www.livabl.com/how-to-make-your-open-concept-floor-plan-flow.
Why Floor Plans Matter
Rather than just a visual tool, a floor plan is a blueprint for how a space is used and used. A good floor plan not only allows space to be functional but also aesthetically pleasing. They help you make the best use of the elements, from how they move to the way they are lit to the overall tone and feel of a room. A floor plan helps you empty out space, improve comfort and create the best layout in both your home and office.
Floor plans are great for planning renovations, arranging furniture, or planning room layouts for homeowners. A floor plan can mean the difference between good workflow, good customer experience and happy employees for business owners.
Floor plans are used by architects, designers, and real estate professionals to communicate their ideas effectively, and to make design decisions that best satisfy their clients’ needs.
How to Make a Floor Plan?
When it comes to creating floor plans, you might feel like you won’t do a good job, but you’re wrong! We’ll explain the steps so you can start and enjoy the process. Here is a step-by-step plan to help you begin:
Define the Purpose of the Floor Plan
Think about what the floor plan is for before you start drawing. Are you planning a new house, redoing an office, or just moving things around in your room?
The amount of detail you need and any specific parts that should be included will depend on what the floor plan is for. Figuring out what the floor plan is meant to do will help you stay on track and make better design decisions.
Measure the Space Accurately
For a floor plan to work, the measures must be correct. With a tape measure, find out how long and wide the space is, and make a note of all the building features, such as windows, doors, columns, and walls. Also, measure the height of the ceiling if you’re making a 3D plan or working with vertical room, like for storage or lofts. Your floor plan will be more accurate if you measure things correctly.
Sketch the Layout
Draw out the layout first, either on paper or with an app or software that makes floor plans. Start with the outside walls, then add the inside walls and important building details like stairs, doors, and windows. When you’re using software, a lot of it has drag-and-drop features that make drawing lines and walls quick and accurate.
Hand-drawing can be good for quick first drafts, but digital tools make it easy to make changes and give more professional results. A lot of digital floor planning tools have measurement features that can help you get it right without having to do math by hand.
Add Furniture and Fixtures
Add furniture, fixtures, and anything else that will be in the room once the basic layout is set. Think about what each room is used for and put the furniture in a way that makes it easy to move around and feel good.
For instance, in the living room, make sure there are enough chairs and that the furniture is set up so that people can talk to each other. Desks and workstations should be put in an office so that they are easy to use and get to.
Adding furniture and fixtures at this point helps you see how the space will work in real life, so you can see if there are any plan problems and fix them. Find out more on this page.
Review and Refine
After putting everything in place, stand back and look over the floor plan. Have a look at how traffic flows, how the room is lit, and how it works.
Is there enough space for what you need? Is the furniture set up in a way that makes it easier to work and feels good? Are there any spots that feel squished or off? Now is the time to tweak the design, try out different styles, and make any necessary changes until you’re happy with it.
