If you’re thinking of planning, designing or decorating a space, it’s always a good idea to take time to map out the room before you start. Not only will drawing a floor plan make life easier and save time and money (and possibly heartache), it gives you the chance to work out where you’re going to place your furniture and how your new room is going to look, all before you start.
Make the most of your space
Previously we discussed on how to save space on small bathrooms. Graph paper, with its ready-to-use grid system, is the best thing for the job and helps you make a scale model of the space. By using the room’s measurements and the graph paper grid, you can make a model of the room. But where to start if you’ve never done it before? … Get yourself a pencil, scissors, graph paper and a measuring tape.
- Measure the length and width of the room.
- Draw the room on the graph paper. Work out the scale you’re going to use. For example, you might use two squares of the graph paper for one foot of space.
- Measure and take into account permanent fixtures in the room such as doors, windows, fireplaces, electric points, fitted shelves etc., and plot these onto the graph paper. This will impact where you can put your furniture.
- Get a separate sheet of graph paper and draw the furniture you want to place in the room. Make sure that you use the same scale you used for the room. Then cut out the ‘miniature’ furniture shapes and place them onto the drawing you have made of the room. You can then move the furniture around on the paper to see where it fits best.
Flooring changes everything
There’s still a long way to go until the space is an expression of you and your lifestyle. But now is a good time to think about flooring if you’re going for a completely new look.
Whatever flooring you choose – be it timber or carpet – it’s important to get it right, as flooring is a fairly long term investment. Timber is long-lasting and more appealing with age, while carpet is great for bringing texture and colour to a space. Whether you choose wool, synthetic, or a blend of both, nothing beats the feeling of soft, warm carpet underfoot.
But before you hit the shops, you need to work out what you want from your flooring. Ask yourself how the room is used and who uses it; is it adults, children, pets or the whole family? Is it used for relaxing, cooking or entertaining? Is comfort or easy maintenance more important? Is soundproofing important?
Making it easy
Once you have an idea, visit our showroom and speak to one of our sales specialists. They can help you find the flooring you’re looking for. If you shop at Fowles, you can expect to pay 25% to 40% less than at other carpet retailers, and you’ll have your new carpet fitted in seven to 10 working days. If timber is your choice, you could have your new floor within the week and installed within a day. For even greater savings, try our Carpet Auction or our Timber and Building Materials Auction. Whatever you have in mind, you can get a great deal at Fowles.
