Designing the ideal floor plan A to Z

How to maximise the use of your space with minimum costs? It is important to design your ideal floor plan for your home and still have money left!

The floor plan is the blueprint of your future dream home and will be one of the most important things to consider before you start building.

Do some research on modern house floor plans and custom home designs to help you out. Having a well-planned, space-efficient custom home design will ensure you have a highly functional home, that’s cost efficient to build. Knowing exactly what is going to go where and the space it will take to make it will make life more comfortable and enjoyable. With a highly organised design there’s no worrying about extra space and costings!

To help start the process of designing a floor plan that suits you and your family, decisions like whether or not your home will be a single or double storey home design and the minimum number of bedrooms you need will help the plan come together. To ensure your floor plan is perfect for you, take into consideration your lifestyle and where you would like to include entertaining areas, media rooms and a potential home office space. All of these spaces are important to consider during the design stage.

To create a seamless floor plan, your builder will be invaluable to you. Make sure you utilise their knowledge and experience so you can achieve a positive outcome.

Discuss the following ideas with your builder:

• Work out whether you need to add or remove rooms to suit the size of your family – maybe single rooms instead of the kids sharing one?
• Ensure the size of the outdoor living area is big enough for those afternoon barbecues – Enough room for a set of tables and chairs, a BBQ and room to host!
• Discuss storage options so your home doesn’t become cluttered with items that should be locked up – try beds with storage compartments, installing shelves and extra bathroom storage.

Picking the right hues can be a lot of fun! Make sure your paint colours work with curtains and other furnishings –  orange and red aren’t the best combination. Using neutral colours will help you mix and match to suit the room.

Building a new home also gives you an opportunity to save money on your utility bills. If you take into account sustainable design features, you will find there can be some great cost savings.

Size

When you’re starting to figure out how you want your home to look, keep in mind the bigger the house, the more expensive it will be. This means heating, cooling lights, cleaning and furnishing will all cost more. Don’t forget to think of ways to make the most of your outdoor space.

Zoning

Work out what the most efficient layout and floor plan will be for the home. Good zoning allows you to open and close parts of the home not in use. You might find fitting in extra doors in the design will help to give you this effect.

Liveability

Having a liveable housing design will ensure your home is safer and easier for everyone. This includes the elderly, families with young children and people with a disability. Features to include may be wider doors and corridors, step-free shower access and more.

Orientation

The position of your home will help you determine which rooms receive direct sunshine at different times of the day. Keep in mind that this will affect the temperature of each room, which will influence cooling and heating costs.

Design Trends

The best part about building a new home is being able to design it the way you want. Do your research on what’s trending and don’t be afraid to mix it up!

Consider statement lighting for a vintage feel, subway tiles for the kitchen or bathroom, patterned wallpaper to liven up a room and creating a vintage bathroom.

When it comes to styling, consider adding pastel with dark timber, embracing copper and gold tones, the simplicity of Scandinavian design or the luxe feel of marble accents. All of these styles can add personality and will look on-trend, impressing your guests!