Whether it is a full-scale family home or a beach house, designing your dream house starts with a solid floor plan. Floor plans are scale drawings that depict the relationship between rooms and furniture. They allow you to envision how people will move through the space and plan the house interior more strategically.
With a solid floor plan, you will understand whether the home design is suitable for the intended purpose or whether it requires changes before moving forward to more detailed planning or building. Having a floor plan is an essential tool for everyone you hire, from architects, interior designers and builders to floor installation professionals. Here is what to keep in mind when building a house plan for your dream home.
Choose from Different Architectural Home Styles
That is one of the most creative aspects of building a house from scratch. Namely, there are dozens of architectural home styles you can choose from. Above all, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to apply. It depends on your lifestyle.
For example, if you like open floor plans that allow for greater personalization, then a ranch-style house may be the right solution for you. This design type is modeled after rural Western ranches and perfectly adapts to modern open floor plans. Ranch homes have single-floor or split-level floor plans and mainly focus on practicality.
If you are all about red tile roofs, plaster surfaces, and iconic arches, then the Mediterranean style is perfect for you. Balconies and ornamental details, such as multicolored tiles, will breathe in the spirit of the Mediterranean into your home and increase its authenticity.
Consider the Flow of Traffic
When building a house, you need to ask yourself how your family members and guests will move in and out of it. For example, can your kids easily move from their bedrooms to the bathroom? How easy is it for a first-time visitor to get from the living area to the kitchen?
No matter how large your house is, it will always look cramped when there are too many walls and hallways. Many homeowners choose the open-floor design for their homes to make them appear larger and easier to navigate through.
Focus on the practical side of home design, too. For example, to minimize noise while sleeping, place bedrooms away from the home’s communal areas. Consider the indoor-outdoor flow, too.
Keep in Mind your Lifestyle
When designing your dream home from the very beginning, you have a chance to pick design elements and personalize your space. That is why your floor plan needs to align with your lifestyle. For example, if you enjoy parties and often have lots of guests, consider designing a living room with an open floor plan. Or, if you have kids, you may want to place their rooms close together. Only by considering your family’s specific needs, desires, and lifestyle will you be able to make your new house truly your own.
Add a Lot of Light
In areas with little natural light during the winter months, people often suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It causes depression, daytime sleepiness, social withdrawal, lethargy, and weight gain.
That is a strong reason you need to add enough natural light to your home. For example, install larger windows and doors, replace the wall space with glass blocks, or add skylights.
Also, use electrical lights strategically. For example, bright task lighting is perfect for kitchens since it facilitates food preparation. On the other hand, dim light is the right solution for your bedroom because it creates a sense of intimacy and romance.
Always Think about the Future
When building a floor plan, ask yourself whether it is future-proof. For example, if you are considering having kids, can you allocate space for a nursery? Or, maybe you plan to shift from an office job to a home-based business. The goal is to design a scalable floor plan that makes it easy to accommodate the home design to your current needs.
Consider different scenarios you may face in the future, such as expanding family, returning college students, taking care of elderly parents, and so forth.
Over to You
Having a reliable floor plan for your dream house is half the job done. When creating it, consider your current lifestyle, as well as your future requirements. Keep it practical by planning the flow of traffic and choosing the architectural style that meets your needs.
Any thoughts on creating a floor plan for your desired home?
Eve Anderson is a marketing specialist turned blogger. Interested in sports and exciting travel destinations. Love to share content that can inform people.