How to Create a Custom Floor Plan

The Web has made it practical for those with no design expereince to create a custom floorplan.

Prior to the advent of the Internet, creating a custom floor plan presented a difficult project for those with no background in design or architecture. But the information, software, and other resources the Web brought have made it possible for such folks to tackle this type of project. Beside having access to online Web applets for creating a floor plan, amateur designers can read design articles by, and communicate, with those having professional interior design experience.

Things You'll Need

• Paper and pencil
• Web-enabled computer (optional)

Instructions

Draw a Custom Floor Plan

1. Make a list of what you want in the space you’re creating a plan for. Include the fixtures needed by the space. For example, if you’re designing a plan for a kitchen, list the stove, refrigerator, and sink. Also, include in the list common items like interior walls, doors, and windows.

2. Draw, on a page of plain paper, a connected chain of vertical and horizontal line segments, starting each new segment from the endpoint of the previous segment. Ensure the final segment connects with the first, and that the chain weaves close to the paper’s edges, leaving ample space inside the chain. This chain represents the top view of your space’s exterior walls.

3. Collect or create graphics, in a common digital format like JPEG, BMP, PNG, for the top view of each of the items you listed in Step 1.

   You can create these graphics yourself as follows: Take a digital photo from directly above the actual item (e.g. sink, bathtub, sofa). Alternatively, cut out, re-draw, or trace the graphics from design magazines, then scan or take digital photos of the cutouts or drawings.

   Or, download the graphics using the Resource link that reads “Sample Floor Plan.”

4. Using an image-processing program, resize each of the digitized graphics from Step 3. Make each graphic’s longest size measure between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch of the longest segment of the outline (i.e. chain of segments) that you drew in Step 2.

5. Print and cut out several copies of each graphic. Arrange the graphics within your room’s outline, experimenting with different layouts. For example, place sinks, tubs, stoves and other fixtures against different walls. Slide furniture graphics (e.g. sofas, tables) to different places within the outline’s interior.

6. Tape or glue the graphics onto the page once you have a plan you’re satisfied with. Scan or photograph the plan so it’s in the form of a single sheet rather than separate bits of paper.

Create a Custom Floor Plan with a Web Applet

1. Complete Step 1 of the previous section, to make a list of the items you want in the space you’re planning.

2. Open one of the floor planning applets listed in Resources.

3. Create the exterior walls for the space you’re planning by dragging an icon representing a room outline onto the applet’s main design area from the applet’s toolbox. The toolbox is usually located to the right of the main design area.

4. Click the toolbox’s categorized links relevant to each item on your Step 1 list. For example, if the item is “sink,” click the “bathroom,” then “bathroom fixtures” links.

   The result of your navigation through these links will be a gallery of draggable icons depicting your item (e.g. sink). Drag one of the icons from this gallery onto the main design area.

5. Click and drag the Step 4 icons to experiment with various layouts.

6. Save or print the layout once you’ve made one that suits your needs. The save and print icons are located in the applet’s toolbox or above the design area.

References

• "Interior Design Course: Principles, Practices, and Techniques for the Aspiring Designer"; Tomris Tangaz; 2006

Resources

• North Dakota State University: Sample floor plans
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock: Sample floor plan
• Floor Planner
• Homestyler
• MyDeco