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That first step


We just started a new job in Connecticut and my team and I went to measure the space on Friday. While we were measuring, I was struck with the idea that what to me is one of the first procedures in the job would not necessarily be every one else’s idea as a first step. I always have to start by measuring the space. I measure the walls, the elevations of windows, light switches…and to me it is creating the footprint of the space which you can then use to go from to arrange the furniture. (Here’s a good tip. Always measure the overall width and length of the space as you can then check your individual measurements against that full one.) I also photograph the room, so that I can look back and see details. The importance of having the measurements of a space like this is that your workmen can use the details from which to get accurate quotes for wall-to-wall carpeting, cupboards, etc. It’s great to visualize the whole space finished, but a floorplan is – for me at least – the most accurate way of planning a space. How do you all start a job?

This entry was posted on July 20, 2010, 12:55 pm and is filed under Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  1. #1 by Natasha on July 20, 2010 - 1:03 pm

    Measurements are KEY!!..and photographs are just as vital. I really don’t see any other way, because you will end up with furniture that is out of scale with the place, and for me scale is difficult, but when you have the proper dimensions, you are far better off! Further more; working in CAD and other programs, you can build a 3D to show to your clients, great visual help as many clients do not really get the 2D thing…

    Northern Light

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  2. #2 by Acanthus & Acorn on July 20, 2010 - 2:48 pm

    It’s so great to hear you say this. Especially about photographing the space. Sometimes just looking through the lense is enough to make an imprint in my mind. But, the actual image is a vital reference for many of the details.

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  3. #3 by EM on July 20, 2010 - 5:22 pm

    How do you designers discern the placement of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems behind the walls?

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  4. #4 by Vanessa on July 20, 2010 - 6:10 pm

    Yes, I definitely start with floor plans and photographs, unless I’m just going in to do a consultation and give ideas using what they have or on art, accessories, fabric, etc.

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  5. #5 by Gary Nelling on July 20, 2010 - 6:52 pm

    Vicente – That’s exactly what I do. You need dimensioned as-built floor plans to design spatial alterations if any and make sure that furniture fits in good proportion to the space. This August will be the first where my daughter resides in an apartment in the Village instead of a dorm. So I had her roommate, now in NYC, measure and draw the floor plan including doors, windows and radiators, photograph the space and e-mail it to me so I could plan the furniture. In a tiny student apartment, there’s no room for error! As per the old folk song, I wouldn’t want either to “sleep in the kitchen with their feet in the hall”! LOL! – Gary

    EM – Existing HVAC ducts typically run horizontally in basements and vertically in between wall studs to wall-mounted diffusers, or sometimes between floor joists, ceiling joists, or in soffits. By knowing entry and exit points, you can find the system between. Some homes or apartments have steam or hot water radiators, radiant heat or wall-mounted electrical fixtures. Plumbing pipes typically run horizontally in basements and vertically between studs to the fixtures above, with vertical soil stacks and vents near required fixtures. Your architect, designer and/or mechanical professional can trace existing systems down. And they can be relocated if you wish to alter your spaces.

    In new construction, mechanical and electrical systems are usually laid out by design-build subcontractors who provide drawings to the owner, contractor and building department. Your architect or designer should co-ordinate all engineering and design-build engineering. At least that how we do it here!

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  6. #6 by LuxuriousLife on July 20, 2010 - 7:58 pm

    My degrees and training are in architecture, so I always think about the scale and architecture of the room; therefore I start by measuring the space and any existing pieces they want to incorporate in. I think existing pictures are key too, it seems as I’m laying out floorplans, I am always looking back at them to check an existing detail. Since I do both architecture and interior design, when I am designing a new home or addition, I do a furniture layout on my floorplan. This not only helps the owner picture the scale, but assures that furniture lays out nicely in the space. How many times have you encountered an odd shaped room, or one with the openings in places that are hard to get a functional furniture layout?

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  7. #7 by Carleen on July 20, 2010 - 9:30 pm

    Absolutely – I start with a very accurate measure of the entire space including plan, elevations down to vent locatios. At the same time I photograph the existing. Existing photos are great for site information and as a record of how far we devopeled the space during the design process.

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  8. #8 by scone on July 20, 2010 - 11:41 pm

    How do you designers discern the placement of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems behind the walls?

    The code specifies what you can and can’t do, and the subs follow that, sort of. They are always strongly motivated to do the quickest, cheapest installation they can, unless specifically told otherwise. So if you have a pretty good idea of the code, and of the way subs think, you can visualize where everything probably is. Especially in a cheaper “production” building. But there are always surprises. You can never be sure what’s lurking inside a wall, so at least make sure water and power are off before demolition.

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  9. #9 by Cynthia on July 20, 2010 - 11:49 pm

    I always begin a project with measurements and photos. How can anyone work without a scale floor plan? It’s interesting that really anyone with basic math skills can do a scale floor plan, but I never hear of DIY folks who actually do one! No wonder so many people end up with out-of-scale furniture.

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  10. #10 by Carla Aston on July 22, 2010 - 4:49 am

    I measure and photograph every job right at the outset. That’s part of my programming phase. It is a good idea to get overall width and length dimensions though, I do that now after having several times when things just didn’t add up. Even when there is a set of drawings that the client has and will share with me, it doesn’t mean things were built the way they were drawn.

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  11. #11 by Christine Schwalm Design on July 26, 2010 - 9:48 pm

    Absolutely a good floor plan and photographs are critical! I can’t make intelligent decisions if I don’t have the right information. The sofa can black or tan, but if you can’t get it through the front door (or up the elevator) then who cares, right? Plus, for an analytical client, it helps to give them the exact numbers so they can feel more comfortable making decisions.

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