How to Read a Furniture Floor Plan

Scale and dimensions

Check whether the plan is drawn to scale (for example 1:50) and whether key dimensions are written on it. Written dimensions are more reliable than measurements taken from a printed drawing, which may have been resized.

Walls, windows and doors

Thick lines are walls. Windows are usually shown as thin parallel lines within the wall; doors as a line with an arc showing the swing. Door swings matter: furniture cannot sit inside them.

Clearances

Furniture needs space around it: to walk behind dining chairs, to open wardrobe doors and drawers, to get in and out of bed. A plan that looks spacious can feel tight once clearances are drawn.

Ceiling heights and elevations

Plans show width and depth; elevations show height. For full-height cabinetry, window seats or panelling, ceiling heights and window sill heights are essential.

Services

Power sockets, lighting points, radiators, vents and plumbing affect where furniture can go. If they are not on the plan, photographs help.

What to share with us

• The floor plan (PDF or image), ideally with dimensions.
• Photographs of each room, taken from the corners.
• Ceiling heights and any known constraints.
• Inspiration images — including what you do not like.

Common symbols

• Thin double lines within a wall: a window.
• A straight line with a quarter-circle arc: a hinged door and its swing.
• Parallel lines with small arrows: sliding doors or pocket doors.
• Dashed lines: elements above eye level, such as bulkheads, beams or wall cabinets.
• Small circles or symbols on walls: sockets, switches and lighting points (on electrical plans).

Measuring a room yourself

If you do not have a plan, a careful sketch with measurements is a good start. Measure each wall at waist height, note where windows and doors begin and end, and record ceiling heights and window sill heights. Photograph each wall straight on and each corner from across the room.

• Measure in one unit throughout — centimetres or inches — and note which.
• Measure the room twice; small discrepancies often reveal walls that are not square.
• Note radiators, vents, beams and anything fixed that furniture must avoid.

Before any built-in cabinetry is produced, dimensions are always verified with accurate measurements, so an early sketch is only a starting point.

From plan to furniture layout

Once the plan is accurate, furniture is drawn onto it at real size. This is when questions become visible: whether the sofa blocks a door swing, whether the dining table leaves enough room behind the chairs, whether the bed can sit centred on a wall. Resolving these on paper is faster and far cheaper than resolving them after delivery.

You can upload all of these when you start a project. They are the foundation of custom cabinetry and every whole-home furnishing plan.