Now that you’ve developed a design plan for your home, the next step is to focus on laying out the rooms in your home.
Every room has its nuances that need to be worked around. Map out on graph paper the layout of your room, or if you’re savvy enough and can use a layout app, then use that. Consider the big pieces, and arrange the furniture to fit your layout. If you’re buying new, you don’t want to buy something that is too big or too small for your space to make the room feel cramped or lacking proportion.
Lay out your rooms
A great way to get a visual is to either use an online app or think of it as an arts and crafts project and get out your graph paper, put a scale to it, lay out your room, then cut out pieces of paper that represent current pieces of furniture you are keeping and items you want to purchase. It’s about the bigger pieces, like a couch, occasional chairs, coffee table, area rugs etc., that you want to nail down so the room isn’t overwhelmed.
Go with the flow
Other aspects that are often overlooked when laying out a room is where all the electrical outlets are, positioning of furniture in relation to windows, doors or doorway openings and fireplaces. The key is that your layout needs to flow. How do you want to come into your room and get to where you want to go? You must organize before designing!
Think about proportions
Use furniture that is proportioned to your room. This is one of the biggest design flaws people make. While large, oversized furniture pieces are often cozy and luxurious, they can take over a room and become the sole focal point. However, a piece that is deemed out of scale can also make a real statement like a large painting or occasional chair. One thing is for sure; start with selecting and finding your anchor pieces. These are the biggest pieces that will be in the room whether it’s the bed for a bedroom, couch for a living room or dining table for the dining room. Think of it as the foundation that kicks off your building blocks!
Choose a colour palette
Choose the colour of the room! Going with a neutral wall colour will open up your room and allow you to decorate with colour in your furniture pieces, artwork, carpet and/or your flooring. Going with a strong or vibrant colour on all the walls or a feature wall also plays into your overall colour palette of the room and the furniture pieces and accent pieces your choose. You need to decide what “feel” you want when you walk into the room.