You think you need a space planner?
If you have ever looked at your room and tried and tried to make endless permutations in your head over how your furniture should be arranged, but never seemed to settle on one, then you most probably need someone else to plan your space for you.
What does a space planner really do?
A space planner is any design professional (like an interior designer, architect, or decorator) who can properly figure out the best way to arrange furniture pieces and other design and decorative elements in a room.
Guided by industry standards and design knowledge, space planners do the difficult task of measuring, sketching, and considering the many possibilities your room can be laid out, until they come to a plan that addresses all your requirements and preferences.
Space planning is also an eDesign service we offer at Gal at Home Studio. Check out the details here.
Who needs space planners?
Here’s my lazy take on it: Anyone who basically wants someone else to plan their space for them needs a space planner (no duh).
Kidding aside, here are some specific scenarios where one might need a space planner:
- You are moving into a new house or condo unit, but aren’t sure how you are going to fit all your existing furniture pieces
- Or, perhaps you are moving and want to purchase all new furniture pieces and decor. But you’re afraid to buy anything because you might end up with the wrong size couch, table, or chair
- You live in a room that is so tiny, you have no idea how you are going to fit aaaalll your stuff (much less have an area for every function or task you need to do in it)
- Or maybe, your space is so HUGE that you have no idea how to make it look and feel less cavernous
- You live in a condo or townhouse with lots of weird corners, angles, and nooks. Or maybe a curved wall here and an hexagonal room there
- You just recently bought a house or condo that you eventually want to rent out as an AirBnb home, but you have no idea what furniture pieces to buy and where
- You just welcomed another child (or children) to the fam and need to carve out a space for them in your already filled-to-the-brim home
These are all actual scenarios that our clients have found themselves in, and that we helped them with.
Here’s an example of one of our space-planning projects
We recently had a client—a lovely young couple—who was moving into a completely empty two-bedroom condo unit. They wanted to purchase all new furniture pieces, and already had a preferred furniture brand (it was Muji, btw). But they didn’t think it was wise to just buy everything from one place (good move, IMO, or else, their condo would have ended up looking like a showroom).
They had very specific preferences: They want things to look Japanese-minimalist. They have an aversion to dust, and basically any dust-attracting thing or element. They have particular hobbies they needed to create space for—toy-collecting for him, and illustrating and painting for her.
Their biggest problem? Their condo unit has curved walls and a lot of strange corners and nooks. They couldn’t agree on the best way to lay out the space, so they resorted to Google and found Gal at Home (naks!).
Here are the next steps we took to help our clients as their designated space planners.
Gather information
We provided them with a Room Measuring Guide, a Photo-Taking Guide, and their password to our online client portal where they could upload all the information and files we needed before we started planning their space. These guides give them a step-by-step look at how they can measure their oddly shaped rooms, take proper photos, and help them navigate the online client portal.
We also spent an hour in Zoom to discuss all their needs, wants, and concerns about their space (we do this also in our Online Design Consult, if you’re looking for a more budget alternative!). We asked them to answer a full client questionnaire, which would help us define more clearly the design styles they would like to live in.
They then uploaded the following photos in our client portal (we use Mydoma Studio):
Set the design direction
After we’d checked all the files and information they provided us, we then sat down as a team and went through design pegs we could use as inspiration for their home’s style.
We gather from the usual interior design sources, like Pinterest, Houzz, even good ol’ Google Images. We also look through our design books, our favorite design websites that we think reflect the style that would work perfectly for them and their lifestyle.
Plan the furniture layout
We then take all their room measurements and sketch it out in the computer. This will help us create furniture layouts to scale. This means that we can input measurements of specific furniture pieces, and immediately see if these fit into their space.
It’s a great and convenient way of testing which items should go where, without having to buy anything.
We also consider standard measurements required in walk spaces, like hallways, or between furniture pieces and walls.
Furniture plans
Light plans of ceiling fixtures and lamps
Visualize your rooms
Once we’ve locked down on what we think is the best furniture layout for their rooms, we proceed with creating a 3D perspective drawing of the room.
This will enable our clients to actually visualize what their home would look like. We try as much as we can to use actual furniture and decor that they can buy on their own from local retailers and furniture suppliers.
Check out some of our perspective drawings for this particular client.
Do you think a space planner can help you?
If what we described above is exactly what you need for your space, check out all the details about our Space-Planning eDesign service here.
But just in case you feel like you need to discuss your planned project first, click the button below to book me for a 1-hour online design consult. I’ve also helped people with their burning design questions and space-planning needs this way.
Either way, we’d love to take the work out of your hands and help you create a home you love and enjoy living in!