Smart Layout Decisions: What to Consider in Your Home Renovation (Copy)
When it comes to renovating your home, layout is everything.
It’s the foundation that every design decision is built on — from where you place your sofa to how the natural light flows throughout the day. But beyond the aesthetic, there’s the practical side of layout planning that often gets overlooked.
Making smart decisions early in the process can save you time, stress, and costly changes further down the line. Whether you’re reworking a single room, or overhauling your entire home, here are our interior designer’s top tips to nail your layout - sooner rather than later!
1. Start with the Function, Not the Furniture
Before you start to think about paint colours or kitchen islands, take a step back and ask: How will this space be used?
Think about how you live day to day. Do you entertain often? Need quiet nooks for working from home? Want open-plan spaces for family life?
Define the function of each area first—then build your layout around those needs. This ensures your final design supports your lifestyle, not just your Pinterest board!
2. Know What You Can (and Can’t) Move
When planning your renovation, it’s important to understand the structural and technical limits of your space. Moving walls might be doable, but relocating plumbing or rewiring the entire home comes with serious cost implications.
Plumbing: Kitchens and bathrooms are the most layout-sensitive areas due to plumbing. Moving a sink across the room? Possible—but it’ll require relocating water and waste pipes. When budgets are tight, try to keep key elements (like sinks, toilets, and showers) close to existing pipework to keep costs down.
Electrics: Rethinking lighting or socket placement? Map out exactly where you’ll need access to power based on your layout: task lighting in kitchens, bedside switches & sockets in bedrooms, and charging points in workspaces. If you’re opening up rooms, consider if the existing wiring will still support your new layout.
3. Plan for Lighting Early
Lighting should never be an afterthought - it’s what makes your layout come to life! Think in layers:
Ambient lighting: Your main source of light - this is any overheads or ceiling fixtures.
Task lighting: Focused light where you need it — under-cabinet lights in kitchens or reading lamps in living areas.
Accent lighting: Used for mood or to highlight architectural features - wall sconces, uplighters, or dimmable LEDs.
Deciding on lighting layout early means your electrician can wire everything efficiently, and you won’t be stuck retrofitting lights after the plastering’s done. (More costly and messy!)
4. Circulation Space
Good layout planning isn’t just about where things go—it’s also about how you move through the space. Allow enough clearance between furniture, along walkways, and around doorways so your rooms feel open and comfortable.
Top tip: Use painter’s tape to mark out proposed furniture and fixtures on the floor. It’s a simple but super effective way to visualise scale and flow before committing to any fitted furniture or layout decisions.
5. Work With the Experts Early On
Bring in your designer, builder, and any trades (like electricians and plumbers) as early as possible.
They’ll help you identify potential issues and advise on layout decisions before things get costly. A well-coordinated team can flag when something that looks good on paper might not work in reality, or vice versa, and help you find smart workarounds.
Need help planning your renovation layout? Our team specialises in creating functional, future-proof spaces with design at the core.
Let’s get started…