Finalizing a floorplan takes a bit longer than you would expect. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and become familiar with at least one of the various home software tools. We found LiveHome3D to be a great tool for quick iteration, but eventually you will have to bite the bullet and learn Sketchup or a similar pro tool. Once you’re iterating, you’ll be amazed at how many ways you can place walls and furniture in a square area. It’s almost addictive to find a way to fit something (i.e.: a TV, and then strive for the next goal of fitting something else (i.e.: a bathroom closet).

As we approached our master bedroom, we made a list of goals that we did not want to compromise on:

• TV directly in front of bed, and not at an angle.
• Wheelchair ready widths in both bathrooms.
• Fit guest bathroom within the space.
• Min 9ft for vanity.
• Large closet with his and hers side.
• Min 6 ft in length for master shower.
• Keep wing of house at 16ft.

Have a look at our first and most current iterations.

As you can see, the first design had lots of problems. Among them: a giant space empty space between the shower and vanity; dead space in front of bed; no storage in bathrooms; took space away from kitchen; a cramped walk area in front of bed. There are plenty of other critiques to be made about the layout. The main point to take home is that it is worth it to iterate on your floor plan even if you think you love it. Looking back, the first floor plans looks awful. But, there was a time where we thought it was close. Scary thought.

To drive the point home, have a look at how many different ways we tried to lay out the space: