by Raven Lebeau

Created on: July 28, 2008

The first step in designing your new room is assessing the use of the room. Who will be using the room? Adults? Kids? The whole family? How many people will be in the room at a time? What will they be doing?

For example, if you are designing a family room centered around a television, you will want to make sure that there is ample seating, and that all your family members will be able to have a good view of the TV while comfortably seated. In this same example, different family members may use the room in different ways. Perhaps you like to knit or sew while you watch TV. If this is the case, it is essential to have at least one seat with good lighting, preferably a lamp that you could turn on without disturbing other family members or creating a glare on the TV.

Maybe you have some gamers in your family. They will need to sit close to the television, and will not want to crane their necks excessively to play. The TV will need to be placed relatively close to ground level, and you will probably want to have some movable chairs that can be brought close to the TV for gaming.

If you have rambunctious children, or if someone does aerobics or yoga in front of the TV, you'll want some space to move around without having to worry about knocking things over. The Nintendo Wii game system has many active games that involve the whole body, and if you have that game system, then be sure that there is plenty of room.

For a bedroom, consider the relationship of the bed with respect to the window. If an early morning or late-evening glare might keep the occupant awake, be sure to have thick blinds or curtains. Also, make sure there is a night stand for things like reading glasses, books, medications, and other things that may be handy to have near the bed. Be honest with yourself about what the room is used for! If you use your bed as an office, go ahead and put a desk in the bedroom so you can keep your papers handy. This will be more practical than designing a professional looking office that you love to show off, but never use, since you do your paperwork in bed.

Once you have made a mental assessment of how and by whom the room will be used, you can select your major furnishings. Keep both function and appearance in mind. If the furniture is not practical, the room will not be enjoyable to use, but if it is not pleasing, you will find yourself either avoiding the room or spending additional money to spruce it up. Try to think of creative ways you can stick to your budget. Buying used pieces, fixing up existing furniture, and shopping sales are all good ways to get what you want for less.

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