A well-planned home makes a big difference because the layout is clean, comfortable to reside in and also free-flowing. What this means is that everything is in the right place, right from the walls and cabinets to the seating and other furniture. That’s probably why creating a functional floor plan takes time and effort, because not every plan works for everyone.

Let’s say you’re the owner of a new home and it’s time to get things straightened out; now, you can’t just go around putting things in random places and hope for the best. Even simple things like planning a party or packing for vacation takes some amount of planning, so something much larger in scale like designing a good floor plan requires a certain level of understanding. You can always check out timber frame floor plans from Hamill Creek Timber Homes because they’re easy to understand, install and affordable as well.

Let’s look at some useful tips and tricks that will help you create a better floor plan:

Draw it out

Even before you get to figuring out what goes where you need to lay it out flat on paper or a drawing board. You could also use some new software that helps you with designing a basic floor plan blueprint if you’re good with tech. A blueprint is pretty much like a flowchart that will help you understand how much space you have in which area. Of course, this is only a framework and not the actual plan, because you still have to plug in measurements and distances to get a more accurate understanding. Mark doors, pillars, windows and all entrances.

Take measurements

You can use a basic industry-grade measuring tape to measure out one wall from the other so that you have a basic idea of how much internal space you actually while. While this is a rather tedious task, it can make a really big difference to how well your floor plan can be made. Next, you also need to measure the distance between open spaces and windows and the same with doors. This is so that no item or furniture blocks entrances or areas of ventilation.

Follow shapes

For someone who’s creating a floor plan for the first time, shapes can act like stencils that will help them arrange items more neatly. The most common shapes that furniture is laid out in is either a rectangle or a square. For a slightly different look, you could also try a triangular or circular stencil. For this as well, you’d be required to measure how the spaces between each piece of furniture, so that they’re not sticking to each other and there’s also enough space to move around.

Consider lighting

Consider lighting

The main source of lighting in any home, apart from the electric lights, of course, are open entrances like windows. Windows also account for cross ventilation. Now, when you place desks or other items of seating, it’s always best to have windows on either side, rather than directly facing it. This is so that the incoming lighting is not disturbing for the people seated there and does not blur the visibility.

Keep space from walls

Letting furniture touch walls in a home makes it look cluttered, because there aren’t enough empty or unoccupied spaces. For a home floor plan, it’s always advisable to keep at least 2-3 inches of space between pieces of furniture and the walls. In the long run, this also prevents walls from getting stained or dirty.

Account for doors

When we say doors, we’re not just talking about doors that are entrances/exits, but also the door of cabinets, cupboards, compartments, showcases and so on. You have to ensure that any door that opens up has enough space to be opened fully, and isn’t being obstructed by any other furniture. Some people for this reason alone prefer to use furniture with sliding doors, rather than fully opening ones.

Ample space for walkways

Ample space for walkways

Walkways act like an outline that run around your furniture settings. Walkways need to have enough space for people to walk around comfortably, without bumping into stuff. 3-4 feet is the minimum space advised for walkways, so keeping in mind your total inbuilt space, you need to make a provision in your floor plan for walkways.

Do your research!

It’s always a wise idea to ask people, professionals, and even do some research through books and online portals to understand the various elements that go into making a sound floor plan for your home. Since a floor plan is a total essential foundation for how your home will eventually look, a good amount of research will surely help you!

Finally, working on a floor plan doesn’t seem so impossible now, does it? All you need to do is understand what tools and information you need to create one. Floor plans are very simple to make, as long as you have all your facts and verticals in place. So, with these useful tips, you should find it easier to do so!

Categories: Flooring

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