HG Openhouse Blog

Susan hit on some great ideas in a previous post about making over your rooms. One of them was to rearrange furniture for a fresh new perspective and updated look in the New Year. I thought I’d elaborate and discuss space planning.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Before you lift a finger or throw your back out, design your room on graph paper first.  Draw your room in scale with the actual size of your room and furnishings. This will save you a lot of time, energy and frustration (and maybe a Dr. visit).  Also, you can try many different layouts just by moving pieces around on paper to find the best look and function for the room. Have fun with this. Arrange furniture in ways you might not have thought of…on the diagonal, floating in the room, in smaller groupings etc. This is called space planning. Designers always work from space plans when designing rooms for clients. It’s easy to do and anyone can space plan.

Here’s how you start…

Use some regular (11″ x 8 1/2″) graph paper. Use the “4 squares-to the-inch size”, or 1″ equals 2′ size, they are the same. Measure your room with a tape measure. Write down these measurements (length and width of the room) and transfer these sizes to the graph paper with a ruler. Remember 1 inch on the ruler is equal to 2 feet in actual size, and  1/2 inch is equal to 1 foot of actual size etc.

Example:

In the picture to the right. I measured this room at 13′ x 14′ (approx.). I then drew it on the graph paper in smaller size but in proportional scale to the actual room. The graphed measurements were 6 1/2″ x 7″.  Use a ruler to draw. Then go back and measure any architectural elements that interrupt the wall area…doors, closets, windows, fireplace etc. Mark where they go, in scale on the design plan. This way when you arrange your paper furniture, you know exactly where to place things and not block openings and features.

Next, measure all your furniture and list them. Just length and width. On a new sheet of graph paper, draw these pieces to scale on the paper. They just have to be box shapes, nothing fancy.

Example:

This sofa, pictured, measured 77″ x 33″ (approx. 6′x 3′). On the graph paper, it graphed at 3″ x 1 1/2″. One more. A chair measured 32″ x 32″ ( just under 3′ square). It graphed at 1 3/8″ square on paper. When you measure yours, try to be as close as you can, but it doesn’t have to be exact. Draw all of these furniture boxes on the paper, label them with name and measurements. Cut them out. Or, if you don’t want to cut out all the furniture, you can buy room and furniture layout kits. Larger bookstores have them for about $5.00 and up. Or, go online to space planning sites like Icovia.

Next, arrange the paper furniture, on the room outline graph you drew. Place the larger pieces of furniture first (like sofas, chairs, rugs) then fill in with smaller pieces ( like accent tables, lamps, plants, bigger accessories).  Try 2 or 3 different designs to see what you like and looks the best. When you decide on one, tape the pieces down or draw around them and then go arrange the room like the plan (wasn’t that a lot easier than pushing all that furniture around…especially pieces like pianos or large buffets).

 In this finished room, designed from the space plan, the furniture was placed for conversation, balance, view, and with the piano as the focal point in the room. Space planning allows you to see the “big picture” in small scale, and to address important elements of design when planning your room.

Have any of you planned your rooms this way? Did you find this easier than the, lift-and-try-over-and-over-again, method? What do you think? Do you think you might try this?

Rearranging furniture makes all your old things feel fresh and new again. What better time than the New Year to try a new design. You’ll love your new look.  Have fun!