Floor plans are drawings made by people who read drawings for a living. A few conventions unlock most of what you need.
The Basics
- Thick lines are walls; a gap with an arc is a swinging door and the arc shows which way it swings.
- A break in a wall with thin parallel lines is a window.
- Dimensions run to the framing, so finished room sizes are slightly smaller than shown.
- Dashed lines overhead mean something above — a soffit, an upper cabinet, or a beam.
The Four Things That Actually Predict Comfort
Beyond square footage, these four tell you how the house will feel:
- Sight lines from the front door. What do you see first, and do you want guests to see it?
- The drop zone. Where do keys, bags, and shoes land between the garage and the kitchen? If the plan doesn't have an answer, your counter becomes the answer.
- Wall space in the main rooms. Count the uninterrupted runs long enough for a sofa or a bed. Open plans with many openings can be surprisingly hard to furnish.
- Bedroom adjacency to shared walls. Which bedroom shares a wall with the laundry, the garage, or the living room television?
