Floor Plan Design Basics

Your Current Home: Whether you have lived in your home for 5-years or even 20, you unwittingly have decided all of the aspects of the home that don’t work for you anymore – which is why you’ve decided to build new. As you design your new home, think of all the things that did work in your old home. Was there a specialized hobby room that you want to transfer to the new house? Did you have an in-house wet bar that you used weekly? Did you have ample storage? These are things that could be impactful to the design of your new home. By knowing clearly what you like and dislike about your current home, you will be able to translate that to your designer with ease.

Your Lifestyle: After years have passed in your current home, there’s a chance that your lifestyle has changed. Maybe it was a ‘starter home’ and you’re ready to add extra space for a growing family. Maybe your children have left to start their own lives and you were left with too much space. Maybe you’ve picked up a new hobby that requires a lot of extra storage. Whatever the case may be, your lifestyle will heavily influence the way your home is designed. If you live a more active lifestyle, you may need extra garage space for bikes or workout equipment. 

Non-negotiable Items: While it may be necessary at some points of the design process to be flexible due to budget, it’s equally important to have that list of items that you must have. The location of the master bedroom (up, down or on the main level), number of cars to determine garage size and even the consideration of natural day light are just a few examples. If you work from home in the mornings, it may be worth considering what the natural light would look like in your home office.

Flow: Easily one of the most important features of your home should be the flow. Flow is the layout of rooms but also how those rooms act together in a cohesive unit. As open-concept floor plans are gaining in momentum, it’s easy to see how flow can be achieved. By eliminating a wall between the kitchen and dining room, entertaining is easier when the holidays arrive. Another popular change in floor plans in recent years is having the laundry room directly connected to the master closet. This creates an ease of flow and helps eliminate timely trips across the house with arms full of laundry.