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Case Study: Interior Space Planning for New Build Home

Writer's picture: AgiAgi

Updated: Jan 24

Interior space planning? Whatever is that? You will figure out by the end of this post, but I also wrote a separate article about it, so you can jump over here and quickly read it, if you want.

Now, today, I wanted to have a closer look at the importance of interior space planning presented in a case study. The case will be one of my recent space planning projects in Oxfordshire.


About the project:


  • two storey, 4 bedroom detached family home

  • under construction by an independent developer building only 7 homes around the neighbourhood

  • planning permission submitted, so location and size of external windows and door are set

  • home owners have had input about the internal layout


Home owners contacted me well in time, before construction started, as wanted to make sure that the current floor plan will be perfect for their lifestyle.



architect's floorplan of a two storey family home
Architect's floorplan submitted for planning permission

The first step


They sent me the the drawings produced by the architect (above), and we scheduled a session where we dug deep into how they live, how they use their home, how they entertain, what their plans for future, what they liked and disliked in their current home.


You see, without knowing how you want to live in your home it is practically impossible to create a layout that will work for you.


The biggest mistake when planning your home (new build or extension) is to get something built and then figure out how to furnish and use the space.

No. You need to think about it completely the other way around. You need to know what you want (and need!) when everything is complete, not just the walls, but once you moved in! Lighting, furniture, décor, EVERYTHING!


I know, I know... sounds a bit crazy... This is not how you see people build a house.

Well... most of the time not. Unfortunately. People rely on their builder's and other people's previous decisions too much. But they don't have to live in your home! You do!


Anyways, so the problem with this first step is that the average architect does not ask all the questions that needs to be asked. Unfortunately.


Review of the currently designed layout

Now, on review of the floorplan and with the extended knowledge of how this family would like to live in their home, I identified a few problematic areas.

To be perfectly honest, most of these problematic areas were not specific to this home but rather problems that we see often. Especially in new builds.


I highlighted these in the below extract of the floorplan.

problematic areas highlighted on an architect's floorplan
Changes proposed to the ground floor

So, first of all, the storage area in the hallway.


Now, at least, there is some.

But! How are you going to use this small, narrow place all walled up and behind a door??? You can't.

What you need here instead is a fitted, customized unit that will hold all your shoes, coats, bags, hats, umbrellas, and bits and bobs you need when getting ready in the morning or getting home in the evening.

Potentially with even some sitting area.


So my proposal was to leave only a small stud wall and remove the walls. Carpenters will do the rest as part of interior design.

proposed changes shown in 3D after interior space planning

The storage area under stair will also be left open for now. First of all, this family needs space to store a baby pram on a daily basis in the next few years.

After that they will get a custom storage fitted that is, again, easily and fully accessible - not through a miniature door.

And then finally, as minor as this may sound first, the direction of the gym and patio door openings were just less than ideal and a potential source of accidents.


You can't have a door opening into you hallway! You will never know who you will hit with the door coming out of a room!


The patio door should also open inside, so you can leave it open, right alongside the wall, leaving you clear path going in and out as you wish and it isn't in your way while on the patio.


These sort of things do not make sense to me. Why would anyone put them on a drawing like that?


Problem areas on the first floor
Problem areas on the first floor

Now, on the first floor, we met with the same issues and a few more.


Bed 04 door - direction of opening is not ideal, you need to always go around the door.


Storage spaces walled up and put door on them. Now these ones would be more accessible than the ones on the ground floor but you still couldn't use them to their full potential like this. As proposed for the hallway storage, similarly these should be bespoke fitted wardrobes here.


Now, the biggest change that was proposed is to the master bedroom (bed 01) dressing area. The architect separated a dressing area off the bedroom, by creating an awkward shape that cannot be utilised really well, and it also creates a very restricted entrance to the otherwise fantastic bedroom that has a massive ceiling height with vaulted ceiling.


When you entered the bedroom, you would face a wall. This may have been very difficult for the client to visualise just from the floorplan, so this is where 3D space planning can eliminate costly mistakes and regrets.


Instead, this is what I proposed:


Open up the space and the view
Open up the space and the view

No awkward walls needed, maximise storage space, add a dressing table
No awkward walls needed, maximise storage space, add a dressing table

Creating technical drawings for builders

After all proposed changes were presented and accepted by the client, I produced technical drawings for the architect / builders, so that they can implement the changes accurately.


In interior design every inch can make a big impact, especially when space is not in abundance. So to reinforce that these changes aren't just a nice to have, but rather essential changes for the homeowners to have the space they desire, it needed to be clearly communicated with the construction team.


The furniture plan

Interior space planning goes beyond proposing changes to the floor plan. Interior space planning is the basis of the final furniture layout and then eventually the lighting and switching plan.


This is why I often emphasize that you need to get your home designed all the way to the end result and only then you can peel back to the the steps that most of the time happen in reverse.


What do I mean? You need to decide on the things that come last well before the things that come first.


We needed to create a furniture plan first to be able to tell the builder where to put the walls.

We needed to create the furniture plan first to be able to create a lighting and switching plan.


Lighting should not be accidental


Ideally, lighting and switching plan is created at the stage of interior space planning just because they are so closely connected.

In simple words, you need to know where you will sit so that you can plug in your stuff.

Where your dining table will be so that you can have a nice pendant above it.


There was a lighting plan by the developer, alright. It showed a million LED downlights everywhere and no switches or sockets at all.


Instead, we created a lighting and switching plan that allows a lot of flexibility about what is switched and what not, where you switch it from, we introduced many alternate switches so you don't need to return to light switches and then make your way in the dark wherever you go.


It will probably best I create an other article about lighting and switching plan, but for now, this is how it looks for this particular home:


Lighting and switching plan designed for a new build family home - ground floor

Lighting and switching plan designed for a new build family home - first floor

Final Thoughts


This article is getting a bit longer than I would normally prefer, but as you can see, there is a lot of thoughts that goes into interior space planning and there is so many other things connected to it, it is quite important that you get it right!


If you realised you also need help with this, book a call and let's chat about it!


Until later, x Agi


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Jen G
1月24日
5つ星のうち5と評価されています。

What a fabulously useful service, how lucky are your clients to move into a perfect home!!!

We moved into a home that a previous family obviously lived in very differently to how we do so had to re-hang doors, move switches and add useable storage to it.

いいね!
AA
1月24日
返信先

Thank you for taking the time to comment!

And well done for taking actions and make the changes that needed, so many people live in homes with lots of compromise and daily frustration.

いいね!

If you need help creating quite luxury in your home, why don't you book a call and find out how I can help you!

Fancy giving it a try by yourself but need some help and guidance? My online course is what you need!

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