All about interior design space planning

• Analyse your space
• Set things around the focal point
• Lighting resources
• Create circulation
• Divide your space
• Don’t clutter the space
• Maintain a balance
• Make your space look bigger

While we may often be tempted to go with the flow when it comes to our home decor, putting some time aside for space planning in interior designing can add to the aesthetics of your home or office. Layouts with thoughtful space management tend to look better and feel more welcoming. There are various factors that one needs to to make the most optimum use of a space.

Here are some of the basic components of interior design planning for living spaces. Anyone can implement these tips to revamp an existing space or for decorating a new home.

Analyse your space

The first step is to determine how functional your chosen space is.

What will you be using it for? Can you use this space for multiple purposes? If yes, then what can help you utilise your chosen space in the best way possible?

Asking questions like these will help you map out your options better.

Set things around a focal point

It is often recommended to plan your space around a focal point. This focal point, quite naturally, is what first draws the eyes of the person when they enter the room. It can be a wall, windows or even a built-in cupboard. Having this central point can help you weave the rest of your design around it, to bring out the best features of the space.

You can also create your own focus point if the space doesn’t have one naturally. To do this, you can easily add some striking artwork, statement furniture or anything that will grab the attention of people immediately.

It’s also better to limit the focal point so as to not create too many distractions.

Lighting resources

The next thing that you need to do is to decide on the lighting of the area. There are several lightening techniques that you can use to maximise the appeal of your home and office space.

One of the golden rules of interior designing is to use natural light to your advantage. If that’s not a possibility, evaluate how many light fixtures you will need to brighten the space. Additionally, make sure that you add lights in areas which need to be well-lit.

The lighting of space should also complement the shape of the room. For example, if you add lights vertically, the room can appear longer. So choose the lighting style that is most appropriate for your space.

Work on creating easy to navigate spaces

While designing your space, you need to figure out the pathways in which people will be moving to access the different things incorporated in the room. In other words, make the space easier to navigate by putting some thought into outlining the entrance and exit areas.

Divide your space

If you are using your space for different purposes, you will need to divide and define them to separate, smaller segments to delineate the space.

This is especially important for coworking spaces as it ensures that everyone has a private nook where they can work with a dedicated focus. You can use furniture, accessories or any other elements to create different, defining patterns in the room.

Another creative way to divide the space is to play with colour palettes and use different hues to separate the focus areas within a room.

Don’t clutter the space

One of the worst mistakes you can make while designing a place is adding too many elements to the area.

This can make your space look cluttered and smaller. The trick is to stay minimalistic and try to identify props that combine aesthetics and functionality.

For instance, consider adding a stylish lamp or candle stand, contrasting rugs or vertical storage compartments. With this tip, you can make your space look luxurious while on a budget.

Maintain a balance

A good way to maintain balance is to ensure that the space is airy and also looks and feels cosy. Y

ou can achieve this with broad windows, glass walls and other ideas that will make the area welcoming, well-ventilated and aesthetically pleasing.

You can use one of the popular interior design space planning software available to visualise the layout and design the space. This way, you can have a bird’s eye view of what your space will look like in the future before you start working on it.

Use techniques to broaden the space available

There are various well-known techniques to make your space look bigger. For instance, you can use similar colours for the floors and the walls to create the illusion of a bigger space. Similarly, you can place mirrors strategically to create reflections that can lengthen the space. Make sure you plan the layout in such a way that you maximise the use of the space.

If you do not want to compromise on floor space with a lot of accessories, these simple wall decoration ideas can also have a big impact on the look of your living spaces.

For those of you who are starting out, it might be a good idea to read up on some of the basic elements of interior designing to make the most of your DIY projects. If you would rather leave it to the professionals, there are some top interior design companies in Dubai that you can also consult with!

Have any other interior design space planning tips? Let us know in the comments section!