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Black-and-White Floor Plans: Simple but Effective!

From architects and real estate agents to kitchen designers and event organizers, the humble black-and-white floor plan is used in many different professions—not to mention DIY projects and home renovations.

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Black and white 2d floor plans
Sam Applegate

Despite its simplicity, a black-and-white floor plan is highly effective at conveying detailed information about the structure and layout of a room. In fact, its simple approach is one of the reasons it’s so widely used.

What Is a Black-and-White Floor Plan?

A black-and-white floor plan is a 2D diagram, viewed from above, of a property, building, office, or individual room. It shows structural components like walls, doors, and windows, usually together with dimensions. Dimensions give you an idea of the length and size of the individual walls and rooms.

2d floor plan with dimensions black and white

Other features found on a floor plan include fixtures and fittings like large appliances, sinks, toilets, water heaters, shelving, and closets. Furniture can also be included, along with room labels and area calculations.

Why Use Black-and-White Floor Plans?

There are several reasons why black-and-white floor plans are the go-to design document for property-based professions:

Floor Plans and Property Marketing – A Perfect Match

2013 report by a leading UK property website suggests that adding a simple 2D floor plan to a property listing can dramatically increase clicks and boost interest.

Zillow property marketing

In fact, over 30% of buyers said that they were less likely to inquire about a property without a floor plan. And some respondents went as far as saying the floor plan was even more important than the main photo.

It’s clear buyers are interested in seeing how rooms fit together in relation to each other. And a 2D floor plan is the best way to deliver this information quickly and easily.

One buyer said, “pictures can be deceptive, a floor plan is more definitive,” and another said, “I don’t want to waste unnecessary time being misled by good photos.”

Recent events have further increased the appeal of online floor plans. Homebuyers and renters feel safer with virtual property tours and now only resort to in-person visits when making their final selection.

Trends are changing, and 2D floor plans are becoming more important than ever in the world of property marketing.

The Importance of Floor Plans for Home Design

Simple black-and-white floor plans are not only used for marketing. They’re also a staple ingredient of the home design process. They can transform a basic sketch or idea into an actual design that includes specifications, dimensions, and precision—taking you one step closer to realizing your dream.

Floor plans in 2D help you determine the size of your project if your ideas will work, and how much they’ll cost. Because the plans are easy to update, you can quickly tweak and change your design as you go.

Customize Your 2D Floor Plans With RoomSketcher

Once you have your template in place, you can create different furniture layouts and alternative designs. Perhaps add a low-cost option or a layout that gives you more space. This makes it easy to consider the various options and decide on a final solution.

How to Draw a Black-and-White Floor Plan

You can either draw the floor plan yourself or order floor plans to meet your specifications. In either case, you’ll need to keep these steps in mind:

1. Whether you’re a real estate professional, designer, or homeowner, you’ll want to start by listing all the rooms and the features you’ll need to include in your plan.

2. Next, carefully measure your space. You can use a standard tape measure, or for more precision, a laser measure. Write down the measurements of each wall and the size of large appliances.

Blueprint and 2d floor plan

3. Draw in the walls on your plan. You should decide on a scale to use, for example, 3 inches to a foot.

4. Add components. Start with windows, closets, and doors (including the door swing). Next, add fixed features like columns, fireplaces, sinks, toilets, showers, bathtubs, large appliances (stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, dryers), water heaters, built-in shelving, kitchen islands, cabinets, counters, and lighting. These are the components buyers and renters want to see. They’re also the components that provide functionality and style to a design project.

5. Last, add furniture. Real estate professionals may want to skip this step. But some buyers and renters like to see potential furniture layouts. In one survey, almost half of renters asked for a tool that would allow them to add or remove furniture on a black-and-white floor plan.

Youtube thumbnail of a computer in the RoomSketcher app drawing floor plans

Get Started

All of the floor plans in this article were created in the RoomSketcher App. With RoomSketcher, it’s easy to create professional black-and-white floor plans.

Either draw floor plans yourself using the RoomSketcher App or order floor plans from us and let us draw the floor plans for you. Get started today!


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