7 Tips to Help You Design the Perfect Floor Plan

7 Tips to Help You Design the Perfect Floor Plan

December 8, 2016/in ArticlesHome Design /

The perfect floor plan is not an easy task to accomplish – families are dynamics, and how we interact with our space changes a little year by year. Though the dimensions of a floor plan may be set in stone, how we play within this outline is variable. Read more for tips on how to optimize and design a floor plan that fits your needs!

1. Highlight Your Assets

A floor plan should highlight all assets that come with the land on which your home sits. Whether you have a great view at the front or back, or the perfect amount of sun – your floorplan should accentuate it. If your home is custom, it is likely built on the East-West Axis and it is important to note that most of your sun will be coming in from the South. Plan your living spaces accordingly and make sure to give those room that require the most amount of light the attention they deserve.

2. Practicality

Though the innovative design style of modern homes is admirable, it is worth noting that a simple and traditional floor plan may be just what’s right for you. Not everyone wants an extremely open house, and would prefer to separate how people socialize to maintain a sense of order in the home. Details such as having a mud room or closet near the front entrance for convenience may seem conventional – but when guests come into your home with somewhere easy to put their shoes, you’ll be glad it wasn’t something you missed.

3. Stay on Budget

A common misconception people have is that they need to renovate everything as quickly as possible to prevent a future construction-induced headache. However, there is no need to give up on that family vacation just to receive instant satisfaction on the space you live in. Renovating your home little by little will create small changes that will build with your home. Prioritizing your needs can also be helpful for planning and prioritizing what you value the most as a family.

4. Renovating? Open it Up.

Old homes are notorious for segregating rooms based on their intended purpose. Modern homes aim to have an open concept that shy away from the historic notion of formal dining and lean towards owning a functional space that accommodates all the busy lives involved in a family. By knocking down walls that are creating barriers in the home, you will not only allow more light to infiltrate places that used to be corners, but will also build a space perfect for socializing and entertaining.

5. Safety

With smaller members of the family come larger risks of injury. When designing a floorplan, and choosing its features, keep in mind how someone younger may interact with the space. Setting up an area that will allow adults to keep an eye on them may be valuable, as well as omitting balconies inside or outside of the home.

6. Connecting Spaces

If you’re not fully sold on the idea of an open floor plan, have no fear, there is another option! Creating a visual connectedness between various rooms meant for socializing will still give it that uniform feel. By painting walls similar colours and playing within a defined colour theme, your home is sure to have a cohesive feel without being overly open.

7. Bringing the Outdoors Indoors

If possible, one should try to complement what surrounds their home and bring it inside. This creates a seamless transition for home owners from their exterior environment to their personal space. Using similar colours and materials on the outside and inside of your home will allow home owners and visitors to appreciate the elevated sense of connection that a home can provide. Remember to add accents that prevent it from being too dull a space.


Making a floor plan involves a lot of decision making, and it all begins with prioritizing what your needs are as an individual and as a family. Are you an entertainer expecting frequent large groups or is your immediate family more than numerous enough to fill all the space you have? Keeping your floor plan on budget, functional and attractive should be the order in which you consider what is right for your home. Don’t be afraid to reach out to an expert for an advice and to seek a floor plan that you can tweak to make your own. Many generic floor plans are meant to inspire  you to eventually visualize the one you see as your own. Good luck!

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