How to Design a House or Room
Oftentimes, there is a gap between what an architect or designer envisions for your new space and what you have in mind. He or she may not understand what you need. Designing your own home or room addition guarantees that you get exactly what you want. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Start with a list of what is absolutely essential for your space. If you are designing a bathroom, for instance, decide whether you want double sinks, a rain showerhead, a built-in closet. If it's a home you are designing, determine whether you want a split-bedroom design or a sewing nook as part of the laundry room, for example. For each room you are working on, put in writing everything that you cannot do without.
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Consider all the extras you would like to have, if you can fit them into your budget. You may love to have a skylight, a window seat or heated floors. Create a list for each room you are planning. Also consider all the functions the room(s) will perform. Be sure to allow enough space to accommodate, say, doing homework, watching TV, entertaining friends and working on hobbies.
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Sketch out a rough shape of the room or home as you imagine it. If it is an addition, draw the the room(s) onto an outline of the existing home. If it is a whole house, draw the rooms in the arrangement that you want them to be, starting with an entryway and moving to the right or left and back. Make sure you cannot see the kitchen sink, which is often messy, from the front door. Bathrooms shouldn't be within eyesight of the front door, either.
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Now consider the whole project. In which direction will it face? If it's facing north, consider adding more windows for better daylight. If it faces a wooded area, think about adding more overhead lighting. If there will be unsightly views, go for higher windows. Gorgeous views call for floor-to-ceiling windows. Louvered windows work for homes in the South, double-hung windows go with muntins in formal homes, and casements are often put in contemporary homes. Doors, too, need to be chosen: Among the options are six-panel, hollow-core, hinged and pocket doors.
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Using your sketches, rough in possible furniture arrangements. Think about where a fireplace would fit. Consider doorways, too; you don't want them to impede logical traffic flow. Create a to-scale drawing on graph paper, using one square for each foot. If necessary, tape pages together, or get a larger sheet at a graphic arts store.
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Make a final drawing, figuring out where light switches and plugs should be, as well as ceiling fixtures and fans and any wall sconces. Refer to ArchBlocks.com to find the symbols to draw on your sketch for your particular situation.
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Decide on the finishing touches. Choose your wall finishes: They might be drywall, some paneling, or even tile backsplashes. You can have smooth walls or a stucco finish. Choose your flooring: carpet, hardwood (maybe ecologically friendly bamboo), tile, cork and even leather.
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Present your plans to your builder, who will calculate the costs for your design. You will need to go through items that will have be cut in order to fit the budget, whether it be square footage, the skylight or the glass tile backsplash.
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Tips & Warnings
When planning colors for your home, create a seamless segue from room to room. Choose a color palette of three coordinating colors that are carried throughout the home to avoid a choppy effect.
Do a lot of footwork beforehand to get an idea of how much extra it costs to add pocket doors and bookcases with window seats, so that you will not create a home that would cost so much that it would be impossible to build it within your price constraints.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit House interior design image by Aleksandar Radovanovic from Fotolia.com
