Tools to help you plan your home renovation and create a home you love

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Hi I'm Alexandra from The Space Planner

Starting a new design project can feel overwhelming, you have all of these ideas in your head but just don’t know where to start to achieve your vision of the perfect home.

I help people like you plan and design their home renovation projects just like an interior designer with how to videos on my you tube channel and helpful planning tools you can download for free!

Design is about creating spaces to make memories.

What memories do you want to make here? Once you’ve decided that ask yourself “what backdrop do I need to create them?”

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The Space Planner Channel

My Lastest Videos

Planning your lighting before your electrician starts first fix can save you from expensive mistakes later. In this video, I’ll show you how to plan your home lighting like an interior designer, from understanding how light behaves to creating a practical lighting plan your electrician can actually work from. We’ll cover: • Ambient, task, accent and feature lighting • How reflected light changes a room • Planning lighting around your furniture layout • Positioning downlights, pendants and task lighting • Planning switches and lighting locations • Dimmers and two-way switching • Drawing a lighting plan before first fix TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why you need a lighting plan before first fix 01:24 How light actually behaves in a room 03:51 The four layers of good lighting 03:25 Planning lighting for different moods 06:22 How to create a lighting plan for your electrician 06:46 Step 1: Start with your floor plan 08:02 Step 2: Ask the right questions about each room 09:10 Step 3: Mark your lights, sockets and switches 10:02 Step 4: Plan your lighting switches and circuits 10:58 Bringing your lighting plan together FREE ROOM PLANNING STARTER KIT Plan your furniture layout before you start making decisions about lighting: https://thespaceplanner.studio/layout/ RELATED VIDEOS How to Draw a Scaled Floor Plan https://youtu.be/ObD63S1dUSI How to Create a Digital Floor Plan https://youtu.be/Q4x6a8CvMCY How to Plan a Furniture Layout That Actually Works https://youtu.be/jKFu9TY5H3c ABOUT THE SPACE PLANNER I’m Alexandra. I’ve designed and project managed my own self-build, I help people with layouts at The Space Planner, and I work as a designer for a London interiors company. I help homeowners plan their renovation like an interior designer, so you know what needs to be decided, when it needs to be decided and how to communicate those decisions clearly to your trades. Free planning resources https://thespaceplanner.studio/ Subscribe for practical videos on space planning, room layouts, kitchens, lighting and renovation planning. #LightingDesign #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign #LightingPlan #RenovationPlanning
Don’t Let Your Electrician Decide Where Your Lights Go
FREE RENOVATION PLANNING TOOLS Download my free Project Brief: https://thespaceplanner.studio/brief Download my free Room Layout Planning Kit: https://thespaceplanner.studio/layout Planning a home renovation and worried that your furniture layout will not work once everything is finished? In this video, I take you through the step-by-step process interior designers use to plan a furniture layout before their clients buy furniture. You will learn how to create a simple design brief, assess the room, identify circulation routes, zone your space and test different furniture arrangements on a scaled floor plan. I also explain the interior design principles of scale, proportion and balance, including how to: • Choose furniture that suits the size of your room • Leave enough negative space around furniture • Create symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial balance • Balance low furniture with taller elements • Plan clear and comfortable routes through the room • Test furniture sizes before spending money Whether you are planning a living room, bedroom, dining room, extension or open-plan renovation, this process will help you create a room layout that looks balanced, feels comfortable and works for the way you live. These are the same practical space-planning steps interior designers use to avoid expensive furniture mistakes and create layouts that work in real life. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why guessing your furniture layout is risky 00:35 Create your room design brief 02:40 Assess the room and its circulation 05:02 Scale, proportion and negative space 07:06 How to create balance in a room 07:33 Symmetrical balance 08:47 Asymmetrical balance 09:38 Radial balance 10:32 Do not forget vertical balance 11:37 Create a scaled floor plan 12:21 Zone the different areas of your room 12:51 Test your furniture layout 13:02 Final room layout checklist VIDEOS MENTIONED How to measure and draw a scaled floor plan: https://youtu.be/ObD63S1dUSI How to create a digital floor plan: https://youtu.be/Q4x6a8CvMCY I’m Alexandra from The Space Planner. I help homeowners plan and design their renovation projects like an interior designer, so they can avoid costly mistakes and make confident decisions before spending money. Subscribe for practical videos about room planning, furniture layouts, kitchen planning and home renovation design. #HomeRenovation #FurnitureLayout #RoomPlanning #InteriorDesign #SpacePlanning
How Interior Designers Plan Furniture Layouts in 6 Steps
Before you buy furniture, choose finishes, or make any big design decisions, you need to know if your ideas will actually work in your space! In this video, I’m showing you how to turn your handwritten room measurements into an accurate digital floor plan using Floorplanner a fantastic, free online tool. Stop guessing and start testing your layouts before you spend a single penny! FREE RESOURCE Get your Free Room Planning Starter Kit: https://thespaceplanner.studio/layout (Includes typical furniture sizes and spacing guidelines to help you work out what fits where!) TOOLS & LINKS MENTIONED Try Floorplanner (Free): https://www.floorplanner.com (Not sponsored or affiliated, just a tool I genuinely love and use!) WATCH NEXT / RELATED VIDEOS Missed Video 1? How to Measure Your Room & Draw on Grid Paper: https://youtu.be/ObD63S1dUSI?si=bgqWx635PV-RIZDy Up Next: How to Design a Balanced, Real-Life Furniture Layout: Stop Guessing! Use This Free Tool to Test Your Layout First TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why you need a digital floor plan 01:05 Setting up your Floorplanner project 01:20 Drawing the room shape 01:33 Entering accurate wall measurements 02:14 Adding doors, windows and structural features 03:00 Checking your dimensions 03:11 Adding furniture and testing layouts 03:38 How I used 3D planning for my self-build 04:07 Why planning early saves money 04:44 Free Room Planning Starter Kit 05:12 What’s coming next ABOUT ME I’m Alexandra from The Space Planner. I help homeowners plan their designs just like an interior designer, so you can create a home that doesn’t just look beautiful on Pinterest, but actually works in real life. If you found this video helpful, please give it a Like and Subscribe for more practical interior design tips! Website: https://thespaceplanner.studio
How to Test Your Room Layout with a Digital Floor Plan For Free (Step by Step)
Plan your storage before you contact a kitchen designer! Watch the full video on my channel: "Don't Start Your Kitchen Renovation Until You've Done These 5 Things" https://youtu.be/9GPkCt9X6ww?si=TtaxagYd2KIlVdsc #kitchenrenovation #KitchenDesign #KitchenPlanning #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign
Kitchen Storage
Learning how to draw a floor plan is the most important first step for any home renovation or interior design project. In this video, I show you how to measure a room and create a scaled floor plan using simple grid paper, so you can skip the expensive mistakes and create a home that actually works for the way you live. By creating a scale drawing before you move a single piece of furniture, you can test multiple room layouts, check if your sofa will actually fit, and gain the confidence to plan your space like a professional. Download my free room planning starter kit including furniture sizes and spacing guidelines: https://thespaceplanner.studio/ Equipment you need: 1. Grid paper 2. Tracing paper 3. Pencil and eraser 4. Calculator 5. Tape measure 6. Laser measure (optional but helpful for long walls) Paper sizes and scales: UK: Use A4 5mm graph paper. Work at a scale of 1 square to 20cm US: Use letter size 5x5 graph paper (5 squares per inch). Work at a scale of 1 square to 6 inches. Chapters: 0:00 How to design your home like a professional 1:55 What you need to get started 2:05 Step 1: Drawing a rough room sketch 2:33 Step 2: How to measure your room accurately 4:32 Step 3: Marking up your measurements 4:46 Step 4: Converting measurements to a scale drawing 6:33 Step 5: The tracing paper secret for testing layouts 8:33 Final thoughts and next steps #FloorPlan #InteriorDesign #HomeRenovation #RoomLayout #DIYDesign #spaceplanning #HowToDrawAFloorPlan#FurnitureLayout#RoomPlanning
How to Draw a Scaled Floor Plan (Step-by-Step for Beginners)
Most people skip the planning stage before a kitchen renovation. Before you speak to a kitchen designer, there are 5 important things you need to define first. Getting these foundations right can help you avoid costly mistakes, design fatigue and layout changes later in the project. Watch the full video on my channel: "Don't Start Your Kitchen Renovation Until You've Done These 5 Things" https://youtu.be/9GPkCt9X6ww?si=TtaxagYd2KIlVdsc #kitchenrenovation #KitchenDesign #KitchenPlanning #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign
What is the first step in remodeling a kitchen? #homerenovation #interiordesign #kitchendesign
Planning a kitchen renovation? Before you visit a kitchen showroom or contact a kitchen designer, there are 5 important things I recommend you define first. In this video, I share the same kitchen planning process I use with my interior design clients to create a clear design brief before any kitchen design work begins. I'll show you how to identify your priorities, plan your kitchen layout, assess your storage requirements, define your design style, and establish a realistic renovation budget and timeline. Over the years, I've worked with many homeowners who have visited multiple kitchen companies, received numerous kitchen designs, and still felt that something wasn't quite right. More often than not, the problem wasn't the design itself it was a lack of planning at the beginning of the project. Whether you're renovating a family kitchen, planning an extension, creating an open-plan living space, or designing your dream kitchen from scratch, this video will help you avoid common kitchen renovation mistakes and make better design decisions from day one. Download my FREE Kitchen Design Planning Brief Template https://thespaceplanner.studio/brief I'm Alexandra from The Space Planner, a trained interior designer with over 20 years of experience helping homeowners plan their renovations with confidence. Subscribe for practical advice on kitchen design, interior design, home renovation, room layouts, space planning, lighting design, and creating a home that works beautifully for the way you live. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Kitchen Renovation Mistakes 00:41 Why Most Kitchen Designs Fail 01:34 Step 1: Define How You'll Use Your Kitchen 02:55 Step 2: Plan Your Storage Needs 04:19 Step 3: Understand Kitchen Layouts 05:14 Step 4: Define Your Design Style 06:42 Step 5: Budget & Renovation Timelines 08:56 Download My Free Kitchen Brief Template #kitchenrenovation #kitchendesign #homerenovation #interiordesign #kitchenplanning
Don't Start Your Kitchen Renovation Until You've Done These 5 Things
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