How to: Explore possibilities and limitations of your space

After you've put down the layout of your rooms, now's the time to explore the potential of the space and recognize its possibilities and limitations.

• Think about the qualities of the rooms and how it feels to be in them.
• Take advantage of any existing features that are attractive, that will enhance the new design plan and you want to keep it.
• List any features that you think it will take from the aesthetics of the finished design that you want to remove.
• What do you want to highlight? What do you want to enhance?

Get these critical decisions just before making plans based on this foundation. Once you have done this process several times, you will be much faster and better at realizing what works and what doesn't.

Next, you should think about any structural changes that may be necessary. There are many reasons why the structure must be adapted to suit the current needs of the household, for example:

• The number of people in the household may have changed or will change shortly.
• A room is being transformed into a dressing room.
• A living room and study are being merged to make a large living room or dining room.
• A wall is being hit to create a larger kitchen.
• A window is being expanded to provide additional light.
• A door is being re-hung on the opposite axis to improve circulation flow.
• A window could be too close to the corner of a room.
• There may not be enough space in a room for the activities planned there.

Compose a new floor plan showing the proposed new structural design incorporating all the changes you have in mind. Draw from where all services will be accessed. Draw an arrow to indicate the north direction. Spend enough time to make sure you have each room, hallway, and space in the correct position and with the correct dimensions!