How to Design a Layout for Free
When you are designing, or redesigning, a room, creating a visual aid can make it easier for you to plan. Rather than moving each piece of furniture physically, creating a layout allows you to see how it would look, determine good traffic flow, combine pieces and see what is missing before you start the back-breaking work. You can also use a layout design for an office setting, an unfurnished home or to landscape a garden.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Pencil with eraser
- Notepad
- Graph paper
- Ruler
- Photocopier
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Reusable putty adhesive
Instructions
-
Getting Started
-
1
Measure the space. Write down each measurement. Include doors, windows, fireplaces, skylights, trim, baseboards, light switches and electrical outlets.
-
2
List all of the furniture that is going to stay in the room. Note the size. Carefully measure any unusually shaped or sized pieces.
-
-
3
Note which features must stay in their exact place, including fireplaces or appliances that require plumbing or a special electrical outlet.
-
4
Review home and garden magazines to get ideas and inspiration.
-
5
Visit furniture and renovation store showrooms to see pieces of furniture in mock room layouts. This is particularly helpful for kitchens, new homes or when you plan to buy all new furniture for the room.
Paper Method
-
6
Use graph paper to easily create a floor plan for your layout. Draw lines on the graph paper, using your ruler, to represent the outer walls. Depending on the size of the room, use one square on the paper to represent 1 foot in the room. A 10-foot wall would use 10 squares of graph paper.
-
7
Indicate door openings (and direction), windows, baseboards, trim, electrical outlets, phone jacks, cable boxes, air vents or heaters and any items that must stay in their place.
-
8
Make copies of your room to allow for multiple variations.
-
9
Print off and cut out furniture samples to save time. Or draw your own furniture replicas in the approximate shapes and sizes on cardboard. Cut them out. Keep them in scale with your graph paper. On 1/4-inch graph paper, one inch -- four squares -- equals four feet.
-
10
Place the furniture on the graph paper; rearrange until you are satisfied. Use reusable putty adhesive to attach the furniture so you can move it around without tearing the paper.
Computer Layouts
-
11
Download a computer layout program. Many offer a short trial period for free before you have to purchase the program. Have all your measurements completed before you start to take advantage of the free trial. Or use a layout program directly online without downloading.
-
12
Select the type of room or input your measurements directly. Indicate windows, doors and fixtures.
-
13
Cut and paste -- or drop and drag -- the appropriate furniture. Arrange until you are satisfied.
-
14
Print a copy or save the file for reference.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit room image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com plan of a flat image by forca from Fotolia.com
