Most people love to pick out colors, fabrics and finishes when remodeling, but I love the first step: space planning. When done right, it can produce a finished room that feels larger and performs more efficiently.

–Natalie Myers, interior designer

Writing for Houzz.com, Myers walks us through the key steps to make sure you’re using your home’s space effectively — no matter the amount or arrangement. Her process will help you find the best arrangement for your lifestyle (after all, that’s what matters), and though she uses wide-open floor plans to illustrate her points, she says “these tips will work for any space-planning challenge, big or small.”

Here are Myer’s steps, quickly. Be sure to read her full piece for the details.

What are your space needs? How much space do you have, and what do you need the space to do? When creating a dining space within a kitchen, for example, make sure to leave room for diners to sit and pull out chairs.

What are your space relationships? Once you’ve figured out what you need from your space, you can start to arrange those spaces in relation to each other. Comfortable seating nearby a children’s play space, for example.

What are the existing conditions? Take into account things you can’t change easily or that affect which spaces go where: locations of doors, electrical outlets, architectural columns, and so on.

Don’t let paths of travel be an afterthought. We’re guessing she’s pointing this out because she often sees this rule violated.

That’s just a sampling of the advice Myers shares in her article for Houzz.com. Any other tips or tricks you’ve learned about effectively using space?

[photo by Richard Shugar AIA, LEED AP, via Houzz.com]

Related reading:

• Upstairs, downstairs: Staircases as architectural attractions
• Giving some attention to ceilings
• Hooked on hands (and feet)
• How would you change your house?
• Unusual seating: Giant Birdsnest by O*GE

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Hey Kirchner et. al.,

Is that a fishhouse? It does look bigger than it might be. I had a small house in Warroad that easily hosted 30 people at just under 1000 sq ft. In Bville, the house is nearly 3000 sq ft but gets crowded with 10 people. Time to remodel again. Sigh.

Yours truly,
a fellow fisherman using what i have effectively

Not a fish house — but could you just imagine having one that nice?!