1. Determine function. Think carefully about what you want your new room to do and who will be using it. Ask yourself what will be required of the space. Will you be hosting events there? How many people should it hold? What are you and your family's limitations due to height, age and physical ability? Consider the ages of those in your household — how durable and accessible does everything need to be?
Think about all the activities you'll be doing in the room — from paying bills to having family talks. "The more questions you ask and honestly answer will help you to ensure the space is planned properly and will function, as well as be aesthetically pleasing," says designer Marie Hebson. "Each individual prioritizes things differently. Be honest with yourself. Be flexible if you need to, so that your room can grow with your family."
by blackLAB architects inc. Think about all the activities you'll be doing in the room — from paying bills to having family talks. "The more questions you ask and honestly answer will help you to ensure the space is planned properly and will function, as well as be aesthetically pleasing," says designer Marie Hebson. "Each individual prioritizes things differently. Be honest with yourself. Be flexible if you need to, so that your room can grow with your family."
2. Get precise measurements. While some may yawn over a designer's range of measurements, they're critical. Accuracy is vital when planning a space, particularly when you're drawing up an initial plan, so get your measurements right. Draw a floor plan of your existing space, carefully measuring each detail. According to Hebson, designers often work within a defined range of measurements for furniture and fixtures, because those can help prevent potential problems that come with searching for the ideal product. "By having a parameter, you can widen your search to find the perfect fit both proportionately and aesthetically," Hebson says.
"Measurements are extremely important to ensure a space is functional and efficient," says designer Susan Lund. "They need to be especially precise when planning kitchens, bathrooms and dining rooms, where you need to have adequate clearance between furniture, cabinetry, appliances and plumbing fixtures."
"If you don't allocate the right amount for walking, working or storage, you're left with a beautiful space that functions horribly," says designer Robin Rigby Fisher. Pay attention to the minimums and maximums that your space provides, and how they will enable the room's assigned functions.
by Schrader & Companies "Measurements are extremely important to ensure a space is functional and efficient," says designer Susan Lund. "They need to be especially precise when planning kitchens, bathrooms and dining rooms, where you need to have adequate clearance between furniture, cabinetry, appliances and plumbing fixtures."
"If you don't allocate the right amount for walking, working or storage, you're left with a beautiful space that functions horribly," says designer Robin Rigby Fisher. Pay attention to the minimums and maximums that your space provides, and how they will enable the room's assigned functions.
3. Consider ergonomics. "The furniture style follows the function," says Rigby. Once you've determined your room's function and the amount of space available, you can start figuring out what furniture will work best. While function and space are important, you don't want to forget about comfort either. Ask the same questions about your existing or future furniture that you're asking about the space itself. What can you do to improve your furniture's support or comfort level?
"When you talk about ergonomics, just think about what actions you are going to do in your room or home," advises Hebson. "Try making those movements and observe what keeps you from being comfortable. One by one, eliminate all the disturbing factors that cause the inconvenience."
This is particularly important in multipurpose and high-function spaces, such as offices and kitchens, where repetitive-motion injuries, strain and stress can happen easily. "Ergonomics in today's society is so critical, because it reflects a lifestyle that many people are trying to attain," says designer David Arduini of 3sixty Space Planning Design.
by Meredith Heron "When you talk about ergonomics, just think about what actions you are going to do in your room or home," advises Hebson. "Try making those movements and observe what keeps you from being comfortable. One by one, eliminate all the disturbing factors that cause the inconvenience."
This is particularly important in multipurpose and high-function spaces, such as offices and kitchens, where repetitive-motion injuries, strain and stress can happen easily. "Ergonomics in today's society is so critical, because it reflects a lifestyle that many people are trying to attain," says designer David Arduini of 3sixty Space Planning Design.
4. Make your home flow. Your new room needs to have a space plan that flows not only within itself, but also with the other rooms in your house. "Organizational flow helps you find the way in your house," says Hebson.
Flow from one space to another takes function into account (for instance, keeping your kitchen close to the dining room), but also considers materials and color. A continuity of materials and color from room to room — furniture, flooring, millwork, baseboards and interior doors — will allow your home to flow visually, too.
More:
Mastering the Open Floor Plan
How to Read a Floor Plan
by Robbins Architecture
Flow from one space to another takes function into account (for instance, keeping your kitchen close to the dining room), but also considers materials and color. A continuity of materials and color from room to room — furniture, flooring, millwork, baseboards and interior doors — will allow your home to flow visually, too.
More:
Mastering the Open Floor Plan
How to Read a Floor Plan
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Whatever works for you, but when you do a zillion of them a year..... you like templates you can trace right through. I'd rather erase than cut : ) and I have tried and abandoned a bunch of methods including magnetic. Fastest and cheapest ?.... hard sharp pencil, template lol.
What is complicated is returning a piece of furniture that doesn't fit. If you lugged it home from the store, you have to lug it back. If you ordered it, it may not be returnable, or there could be a re-stock fee. So get a nice heavy 25 foot tape measure, some quarter inch graph paper and a pencil. First, take a plain old piece of paper, and make a quick sketch of the room. Include where the doors, and windows and openings are. Now, take that ugly sketch and begin at your door, go in one direction around the room,and put the actual dimensions of walls, doors, how much wall to the left/right of doors, openings, windows etc included on the ugly sketch. Then sit down, pour a cup of brew and put that same information neatly TO SCALE ( 1/4 inch = 1 actual foot) on the graph paper. Measure the furniture you plan to keep. "Place" that on the graph paper in same i/4 inch equals one foot scale. You can cut templates of your furniture in that same 1/4 inch scale making it easy to "push around" on paper, or you can buy templates at an office supply. If you don't like erasing, scan yourself a neat copy and print blanks, and you'll have a few for the options you conjure up in arrangements! In fact, you can print a 1/4 graphed paper right on this link
http://doit101.com/Home%20Improvement/files/graphpaper.pdf
And here is a link to scaled "furniture" also to print:
http://printables.yourway.net/room-planner/dining-living-room-furniture/
I tested the graph paper, not the printable furniture : )