Learn to Design Small House Floor Plans with an Online Planner

Floor plans designed for a small house
  • Create your perfect home designs in 3D

  • Try it in your virtual home

  • Be sure your furniture is perfect before getting things real

Designing a small house is no easy feat. There are many factors that you’ll need to consider before you begin. Learn how online planners can help you sail through this process by crystallising your ideas and vision in 3D.

Purchasing a property is typically the largest investment a person will make in their lifetime. And in today’s hot market, even a small house will come at a substantial price. All the more reason to make sure it’s done right and designed to meet your needs and standards. Thankfully, you can expedite your projects and design small house floor plans with ease using an online planner. These innovative tools enable you to discover what you desire for your dream home by creating it, piece by piece with realistic, 3D illustrations. Once you’ve designed your home as you wish, you can use your digital mockup as your blueprint. Find out how you can get started with an online planner to construct your home, as well as helpful tips to keep in mind for maximizing your space.

How to Design Floor Plans for Small Houses with an Online Planner

Designing floor plans for small houses demands a greater amount of consideration because of the limited space. Here’s how you can get started right away crafting a layout that works for your square footage.

Small living room designed with HomeByMe

Design your own small house floor plans

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1 Draw a 2D Frame of Your Small House

Use your online planner to draw a 2D, top-down frame or outline of your small house. But before you begin this step, take measurements of your property. You will need these to maintain an accurate mockup as you assemble the outline.

Once you’ve taken measurements and doubled check them, use the tools in the planner to erect walls and attach them to form your structure. Mark each doorway, window, and additional architectural features as well, setting the correct dimensions as you go.

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2 Convert Your Outline to 3D and Create Your Design

Online planners can convert your 2D drawing into a 3D rendering. This is where you can build your floor plans and add various features to design your home.

Use the catalog in the planner to find and insert the type of materials, flooring, paint, furniture, and decor that you want to incorporate into your home. To add or move items around, just click and drag.

Being able to draft your ideas using a digital version of your home means you can try out new features to discover the exact composition that will be practical and appropriate for your lifestyle.

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3 Take a 4K Tour of Your Home Before Finalizing It

Being able to see your ideas come to life is one thing, but with online planners, you can go a step further and take a 4K tour inside of your digital home.

Analyze the spacing of your furniture and the flow of your layout as if you are there. If you love what you see, you have the option to print and save high-res images from every viewpoint, so you’ll know exactly how to implement the design in your home.

This makes the process incredibly smooth and efficient since you can relay your exact needs to contractors in an accurate, visual format.

Bathroom designed with online planner

Small House Layouts to Consider

From 1-story bungalows to full 2-story houses, there are lots of designs that can work for a small house layout. Keep in mind that the best one should prioritize the features that matter most you. Here are some of the most popular to consider:

1-Story 1-Bedroom with Narrow Bathroom

For smaller houses, using space wisely is key, which is why it makes sense to shave off space from areas that don’t need the extra room, like the bathroom. By focusing on a narrow bathroom design, it can free up more square footage for the dining and living room. The front entrance can lead almost directly into an open, rectangular layout with an L-shaped kitchen, extending into the living room on the left, with a small dining table to serve as a partitioning piece between. Place the bedroom and bathroom behind the kitchen and living room areas.

1-Story 2-Bedroom with Kids

When you have kids, you need the space to be efficient and functional, which is possible, even for a 1-story. Consider an efficient design that places the bathroom directly off to the right of the entranceway and the master bedroom to the left of the entranceway. As you walk down the hallway, it leads into a galley-style or L-shaped kitchen on the right, adjacent to the other side of the bathroom wall. The kitchen, dining, and living room areas can be kept open and spacious with a partitioning wall that places the kid’s bedroom on the left side adjacent to the master suite and living room.

2-Story 1-Bedroom

With a 2-story, you have more space to dedicate to your living and kitchen areas since the bedroom can be tucked upstairs. For a charming layout, consider placing the stairs directly to the right of the entrance, bathroom on the right side. Walking forward, it leads into the main open concept floor plan with the dining area to the right, sofa and entertainment area to the left, using a sectional sofa as a partitioning piece to add some separation between the two. Using a smaller L-kitchen design, it can be placed adjacent to the entertainment area and on the opposite side of the foyer and bathroom wall.

Example of a small living room designed with HomeByMe

Tips for Choosing Furniture for a Small Home Plan

Getting your furniture scale right is crucial for a small interior. Instead of big, bulky items, look for alternatives like a small round dining table, a love seat, or side chairs perched up on legs. For the coffee table, consider two small round tables clustered together rather than a larger rectangular design. Simple tweaks like these will make a noticeable difference in elevating your home to feel comfortable and spacious.

Example of small house floor plans

3 Rules to Maximize Small Home Floor Plans

To maximize your small home floor plans, follow these 3 key rules that will help you get the most out of your small space.

Make it Multifunctional

We’re often told the more you have, the happier you’ll be. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when living in a smaller dwelling. Small homes can become overcrowded easily. This is often due to needing multiple pieces of furniture for various tasks, which quickly consumes space. The best way to avoid this is to ensure the furniture you add serves at least two purposes. Choose items that will double up as storage and seating, or tables that can extend when hosting dinner parties.

Use a Monochromatic Color Scheme

Using a monochromatic color scheme creates a flush looking interior without creating strong visual lines that break up the space. This is why it’s so applicable and favored for smaller homes. White is the most common choice for this. But whatever color you choose, apply it to the floors, walls, and ceiling. Alternatively, you can exclude the flooring and focus on the walls, trim, and ceiling to make your home look bigger.

Use Dividers for Open Concept

Glass grids or pierced, hanging grids are ideal in small house plans with an open floor concept. They can offer balance by creating a moderate partition and a sense of privacy between different spaces without restricting light or making an area appear boxed in. These are frequently used to divide the sleeping area from the living room area. Bookshelf dividers are also a great option if you need extra storage.

Online planners like HomeByMe are the best way to learn how to design your small house floor plans on your own. This innovative planner gives you all the digital tools needed to piece together a detailed layout with confidence. Try it today and start designing your dream home!

Design the Best House Floor Plans!

Create your house plans and home designs easily with HomeByMe.

  • Create your perfect home designs in 3D

  • Try it in your virtual home

  • Be sure your furniture is perfect before getting things real

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