Measurements complete! Take photos or scan your drawings and send them to the designer. Include photos of the room as well. Make sure the photos capture the areas you measured, as well as the colors and textures of the furniture, walls, wallpaper, flooring, and window and door fixtures.
You might also want to take a photo of the floor near the windows (showing how the baseboard meets—or could meet—the window frame) and photos of any tricky corners or nooks.
After analyzing your drawings and photos, the designer may ask for additional measurements of specific elements.
If you run into any issues, contact the designer!
We dimension angled walls (excluding roof slopes) primarily on the floor plan—unless the wall features the aforementioned elements (recesses, electrical outlets, built-in units); in such cases, we draw it as a separate wall (treating the room as having five walls rather than four plus one angled section).
If the room is located in an attic, measure its lowest point (from the floor to the angled wall—i.e., the height of the knee wall, if present) and its highest point. Also, measure the distance from these height points, or the length of the ceiling and floor sections leading to the slopes. If there is a roof window in the wall, measure its distance from the lowest point of the angled wall, as well as its width and height.
If there are wall recesses, they should be dimensioned just like any other wall element—indicating the distance from other walls and features, the height from the floor, the height of the element itself, and the depth (this can be noted alongside or shown in a small perspective sketch).
Elements such as radiators and gas or heating pipes should also be marked on the drawings, noting their distance from the wall—specifically, how far they protrude. Radiators should be measured for height, width, and depth, as well as their installation height above the floor. In the case of a trench heater, its length and distance from the wall or window should be recorded.
We measure windows for width and height, as well as their height from the floor and distance from walls and/or other elements. If a window has a sill, we also measure its width, depth, and thickness. Doors are measured in the same way as windows; additionally, we measure the width of the door frame and, at times, the thickness of the wall in which the door is installed.
Next, we move on to wall elevations: each wall must be analyzed in turn, and the elements located on it (as listed above) must be marked. Elements such as built-in wall units or furniture should be measured like any three-dimensional object—recording their height, width, and depth. For baseboards, the primary measurements are length (or a note indicating they run along the room's perimeter) and height, while the width should be noted on the sheet next to the drawing. Electrical outlets, plumbing connections, and similar fixtures should be dimensioned based on their height from the floor. Distances between them (or distances from at least one wall and the floor) must also be measured. If there are wall-mounted cabinets above a countertop, the distance between the cabinets and the countertop, as well as the cabinets' width and height, must be specified.
The next step is to mark elements on the ceiling plan—such as columns or light fixtures—that do not adjoin the walls. You should measure at least two distances from the element to the nearest wall along the length and width of the room; these measurements help locate the element on the plan, acting like coordinates. If the element is large (e.g., a column), its dimensions (width, depth, and height) should also be recorded.
Next, measure all walls and any built-in furniture along the perimeter, and mark the dimensions on the drawing.
In the drawings: x represents horizontal dimensions, y represents vertical dimensions, z represents diagonal dimensions, and h represents heights.
Record all dimensions with their units—either meters or centimeters, though the latter is preferred. Provide measurements to at least two decimal places. If you are using a tape measure and it is not long enough to measure the entire length of the room, ask someone for help. Measure as far as the tape allows, have the other person mark the stopping point with their finger, and then measure the remaining distance from that point. Add the two measurements together and record the total on the drawing.
Start by measuring the three most important dimensions: the room's width (w), its length (l), and its height (H). You can mark these dimensions outside the main drawing area so they do not clutter the interior. On the floor plan, you can simply note the room height as H=h cm (where h is the actual height of your room).
Measurement
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Start by sketching two floor plans of the room and views of the individual walls on a sheet of paper (they do not need to be to scale or perfectly proportioned). Using graph paper makes this easier. Remember to include features such as columns or alcoves in your plan. Mark the locations of windows and doors as well. One drawing should show the floor layout, and the other the ceiling view (including any cables, light fixtures, ceiling-mounted curtain rails, or other elements like decorative molding or dropped ceiling sections). Make the drawing large enough so that all measurements fit clearly. Remember to include all fixed and structural elements of the space in your drawings:
- columns,
- alcoves,
- built-in furniture (that cannot or will not be removed),
- electrical points (lights, sockets, switches, cables protruding from the wall),
- plumbing and sewage connections,
- ventilation points,
- electrical and plumbing/heating utility cabinets,
- radiators,
- windows and doors,
- baseboards and/or crown molding (if they are to remain in the design),
- curtain rails/valances (if they are to remain in the design),
- utility pipes (radiator pipes, gas lines, etc.),
- in-floor heating systems,
- other spatial elements that must remain in the design.
Once you have sketched the floor plans and wall views, they should look something like this:
Of course, the drawing doesn't have to be that neat, but the more precise it is, the better! Each drawing should be on a separate sheet of paper.
To measure the space, you will need:
- a retractable metal tape measure,
- optionally: a distance meter (laser measure),
- a sheet of paper,
- a pen or pencil.
What tools do you need, and how do you get started?
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How to correctly measure a space for an interior design project
MEASUREMENT INSTRUCTIONS