Interior Space Planning
Space planning puts activities, furniture, storage and movement on a measured plan. Test those relationships before committing to fixed joinery or buying pieces that may restrict the room’s everyday use.
Build the plan from activities
- 01
Map use
List what happens in each room, who participates and what equipment or stored items the activity needs. Identify tasks that occur together and those that can share a space at different times.
- 02
Place fixed elements
Show verified walls, openings, windows and relevant services. Mark unverified dimensions clearly so furniture ordering does not silently rely on them.
- 03
Place real furniture
Use actual sizes for retained or proposed pieces. Include chairs pulled out, doors open and drawers extended; footprints alone do not show working space.
- 04
Trace movement
Follow arrival, cooking, washing, working and cleaning routes. Check the busiest connections and any route that passes through another activity.
Plan storage from its contents
Check access from the normal standing or seated position and consider the users’ reach needs.
Confirm shelf depths, openings and the space needed to remove an item.
Check scale, lighting, cleaning and stability before arranging open shelves.
Avoid enclosing a device without checking its installation instructions.
Test the plan beyond one room
Review adjoining doors and routes together. A cabinet that works in a bedroom can narrow the approach from the corridor; a dining table can obstruct an open kitchen’s working aisle. Check these relationships with the actual furniture dimensions and door swings drawn on the same plan.
Try the preferred arrangement at full scale where practical. Mark furniture edges with tape, set chairs in the proposed positions and walk the route while someone uses the activity zone. This can reveal a conflict that a small drawing hides. Keep the test tied to the brief: storage access, privacy, cleaning and movement are more useful criteria than whether the room looks empty.
Once the layout works, coordinate lighting, AC access, floor transitions and fixed joinery. Record remaining technical questions before detailed drawings or procurement. The approved plan should state which elements are confirmed and which depend on further measurements or specialist input.