How-to
How-to guides
Most of your own design can be done without picking up a drill or a shovel. A measured plan, a mood board and markings on the ground are calm preparatory work that later saves effort and spares you unnecessary redos. Below are a few of these tasks, broken down into steps.
A good measured plan looks boring, but it is exactly what lets tradespeople understand you right away.
How this section works: we describe the order of preparatory work in general terms. Earthworks, construction and electrical work are not covered here and require separate preparation and professionals.
How to draw a measured floor plan of a room
Sketch the outline by hand
Walk around the room and draw its shape on scrap paper without worrying about accuracy. You will write all your measurements on this sketch.
Measure the walls at floor level
Measure each wall along the floor, moving clockwise. Measure alcoves, projections and boxed-in pipes separately and label them on the sketch right away.
Check the diagonals
Rooms are rarely perfectly rectangular. Measuring both diagonals shows how far out of square the room is, which matters for built-in furniture and flooring.
Add openings and utility points
Mark windows with the sill height, doors with the side they open to, radiators, outlets, switches and water connections. If something is hidden, note where it probably runs.
Redraw the plan to scale
Draw a clean plan on graph paper or in a floor-planning program. Using the same scale for every sheet lets you compare options later.
How to put together a mood board
Collect everything you like
Save photos of interiors, scraps of fabric, leaves, pebbles, postcards. Do not filter at this stage; just collect.
Find what they share
Lay out what you have gathered and see what repeats: pale wood, muted green, coarse linen. Those repeats are your taste.
Remove what does not fit
Set aside the pictures you like that do not suit your home and the way you live. A mood board is not a dream album but a working tool.
Add real samples
Place paint swatches, finish samples and fabrics next to it. Check the board in daylight and evening light in the room it was made for.
How to lay out a garden path
See where people actually walk
Worn-in tracks show which route is convenient. A path that fights the usual route will stay empty.
Find out where utilities run
Before any digging, find out where cables, pipes and drainage run underground. If there is no plan of them, ask a specialist instead of digging blind.
Draw the route on the plan
Draw the path on your plot plan and check how it connects the entrance, the deck, the utility area and the relaxation area.
Mark it out with stakes and string
Transfer the route to the ground, stretch the string and use a flexible garden hose for the curves. Walk along the markings several times on different days.
Check the slope and drainage
After rain, look at where water stands. A path should not turn into a stream or channel water toward the house.
Read next
- Tools
What helps when designing a home and garden: tape measure, laser distance meter, level, graph paper, samples, stakes and string.
- Planning
Stages from idea to works: the plan, a rough budget, the order of works and agreements with a contractor.
- Plot planning
Archived address: how to plan your own plot, with zones, paths, flower beds, a rock garden and a pond.
What we rely on
- Manufacturers' instructions for materials and equipment
- Building management rules and local remodeling regulations
- Mydiz editorial materials
The advice in this reference is general and based on material manufacturers' instructions and widely accepted safety rules for the home and garden. Check paint composition, installation methods and work requirements in the instructions for the specific material and with your building management, and leave electrical work, remodeling and complex installation to professionals.