Creating a floorplan

Creating a Floorplan

Essentials Interior Drawings Equipment

• Tracing paper roll
• Architect scale ruler
• Architect technical drawing pens
• Masking tape

The first thing you need to do is measure your room with your tape measure. There is normally a length and a width. For every metre of your room use a centimetre to draw 10 cm.

If you have a door, window and fireplace it is helpful to draw them all in. Measure them, multiplying them by 10 and drawing them in.

Getting Started

Mark the corner of a room so when you take the tracing paper off you are still in the right place. The larger your piece of paper the better it is. The bigger the paper the easier it will be.

As I don't know the different sizes my furniture will be I have made cutouts in a variety of sizes. I've done the cutouts in three different sizes so that I can try out the best size.

For sofas, choose anything between 180cm and 80 cm by 90cm deep. The next size up is 2 metres by a metre deep. Have two or three cutouts so you can determine what works best.

When you have a fireplace against a wall it is nice to have the sofa opposite the fireplace. Place one of the sofas against the bigger walls and see what it looks like.

Balance

I like balance in my rooms. A room that doesn't function can never be timeless. You need to consider the traffic into the room. You need to have your tables somewhere where they can be brought in.

Plug and Lighting

I prefer lights above the fireplace on either side. I am not the biggest fan of downlighters - try and minimise them. When using downlighters it is best to put them in each corner. If you are using chandeliers, it is best to place them on a dimmer. The lamps should look like they are doing all the talking.

The Rug

My top tip is to get as large a rug as possible. A large rug makes a small room larger. A rug should be 50-60cm off the edge of the room. For a smaller rug, it much fits the central section of the room. An interesting room is great with a few antique pieces.

Starting from Scratch

Really think about the traffic. How does it work in the room? Look at every scenario of the room. You need a 60cm narrow walking space. Knowing where the sofa and allows you to know the lighting and sockets. Getting the furniture layout correct is essential.

The exact location of wall lights will be determined by your furniture layout. You should hang wall lights 160-180cm above the ground. Scale is important to me.

You can balance a room by choosing a tall cabinet or screen. Tapestry and large paintings are great and act as a focal point. Visit stately homes and observe how they are decorated. Comfort comes first for me, no matter how big the room is.

Key areas to consider when doing a furniture layout are

• Furniture
• Electrical
• Rug
• Traffic