Tips for Drawing Up Home Floor Plans

A home is the result of the homeowner’s strenuous efforts in finding the right balance between costs, designs and spaces. Designing a home that is customized to suit a family’s needs calls for a lot of careful forethought to include all the elements that are required without tilting the balance too much.

One of the most significant choices to make regarding designing a home is the layout or the floor plan. Regardless of whether it is a mid-sized apartment, a penthouse or an independent home, the layout or the floor plans depend a great deal on the lifestyle of the people who will live in it. The choice of building type i.e. single storey or multiple storeys and floor plans to match the layout of the house positioning each area can be highly demanding and stressful because the rooms have to go with the flow of the house; one area or space cannot be placed or positioned wrongly as it can greatly affect accessibility as well as other factors like lighting, ventilation etc.

If the floor plans are being made by a specialist such as an architect or engineer, the homeowner has the advantage of experience and expertise on his side. However, no one knows the needs of a home better than the homeowner and a customized design can be put together by the individual concerned.

There are plenty of tips and suggestions to prepare customized floor plans. But some of the very basic and essential ones should include -

• Choosing a floor plan that reflects the lifestyle of the occupants – family size and age of the occupants is an important factor. Families with young children will prefer to have the living spaces grouped together in one area to have greater privacy and security; on the other hand, teenagers are won’t to need separate bedrooms to have their own privacy. Any home floor plan should start with these basics.

• Formal or informal spaces – if the homeowner is the kind of person who has to entertain constantly, formal spaces become a necessity. A spacious foyer with direct access to the formal living and dining areas and the outdoor areas beyond is a nice design. If there is sufficient space, formal and informal areas can be designed and separated so that one does not intrude into the other, this way a family with younger children can entertain guests as well as retain their privacy.

• Single storey or multiple floors – some people like to have a luxurious spread out home on one level while some may like to keep bedrooms on a different level altogether. Besides, a double storey home offers more views of the outside at different angles better than a single storey home.

• Functionality of space – if there is an elderly person or invalid at home with requirement for extra space or young children who need more space around the house, these requirements should be factored in. Making provision for family changes while drawing up floor plans is advantageous even if the requirement is not immediate as future alterations and additions may not be possible always.

• How much outdoor is good – every home floor plan will include an outdoor area, perhaps an open porch, a swimming pool, a garden umbrella with seating etc. Making an assessment of how much time will be spent in these areas should be considered before making the plans. Imagine a swimming pool that is never used and looks unkempt and unclean! Outd

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What Not to Forget When Choosing Home Flooring

For those in the market for premium home flooring that is good value and has durability and versatility, Amtico Floor Tiles are just what you need. The Amtico brand is designed to replicate the appeal of natural material floors, with better results and superior performance. A huge draw to the Amtico tile is the ability for the consumer to achieve the exact look, feel and specification they want. There’s no limit to the flexibility of design, and quality is not compromised. Amtico stands behind it’s flooring products with an impressive guarantee. The brand has been in business over 40 years and continues to innovate and improve their products while working to achieve a more sustainable environment.

A Daunting Task When Selecting Floor Tiles

With so many choices available to the average consumer, choosing home flooring can be a daunting job. A lot depends on the type of materials and products that will work best in your home. Interior design experts tend to recommend it is most important to take a thoughtful approach, considering as much as possible before coming to a decision. Whether you are redecorating or starting from scratch with a new construction project, here are a few things to consider when choosing home flooring.

A Floor’s Visual Appeal

Usually the most important part of choosing flooring for your home is the aesthetics, the second may be the budget. Your choice in flooring will have a huge impact on how your home looks, working alongside with the layout and design to end up with the desired style. Make consideration for not just what you like about a particular material, shade or finish, but also how your flooring will interact with the home design. Once you have decided what you want, allow the budget to guide you in terms of getting the best product that most closely achieves the desired effect.

Choose a Durable Floor

Besides the visual appeal and budget for your home floor, there are a few other variables to consider. Two of the most important things to think about are function and durability. For all areas that you intend to lay new flooring, be it an entrance area or an entire home, think about how how much traffic will be on the floor and what function the room serves. For example, a formal dining room may not require the strength and durability as the flooring of a busy kitchen or busy family room. Also, an active family perhaps with pets will have more impact on a home’s floor than a single occupant or perhaps a family that is out most of the day. After function and durability, the thought process naturally leads to maintaining the floor. Different materials and varieties of flooring require different levels of care and maintenance. Think about how often you have to clean and care for your floors. Also think about the cost of maintenance because a simple linoleum floor might just require a regular mopping but a quality tile could require a specific cleaning process and a certain type of cleaning product. Be honest with yourself in assessing how important it is to have a floor that’s easy and cheap to maintain, as opposed to the alternative.

Comfort Under Your Feet

Finally, whilst it can get lost in the dilemma between worrying about the look of the floor, the price and maintenance, is comfort. Depending on how you use the rooms in your home you want a floor that feels as good as it functions. Be careful not to put too hard a floor in a room where you may typically interact with the floors surface by sitting or playing. Other things to review are the temperature where you live and how the cold, warmth, dryness or humidity might impact the floor.

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