A room plan begins with what needs to happen there. Record the constraints first, then compare layout and colour ideas against the same brief. You can do the first pass with a tape measure, paper and the furniture you already own.
Name the activities the room must support: eating, working, reading or storing everyday things. Pick the two that matter most. Note what currently gets in the way, such as a desk blocking a cupboard or nowhere to put shoes.
02
Record the fixed points
Draw the room outline and record wall lengths, ceiling height, doors, windows and existing fixtures. Include door swings and the positions of sockets and radiators. Keep all measurements in one unit and distinguish measured dimensions from estimates.
03
Compare two layouts
Measure furniture footprints, including the space needed to open drawers and use chairs. Sketch two arrangements with the same scale. Trace the routes you use through the room and check them in the actual space before ordering furniture.
04
Separate colour from quantity
Compare colour samples in the room at different times, using the product's sampling instructions. For paint quantity, record wall area, the specified coverage and planned coats separately. The calculator estimates quantity; surface preparation and product instructions still determine the work.
Make it yours
Your room brief, on one page
Copy these prompts into your own notes, or use them on paper.
Your room brief, on one page
Record
Include
Everyday use
Two priority activities · what needs to become easier
Two sketches at the same scale · movement routes · cupboard and drawer access
Colour and paint
Sample observations · area · product coverage · number of coats
Keep an ‘unmeasured’ list rather than filling gaps with guesses. Recheck dimensions before purchases. This worksheet does not assess structural, electrical or building work.
