5 Space Planning Mistakes You DON’T Want to Make During Your Reno

Because life is too short and your HDB is too small for regrets.

Let’s face it: homes in Singapore tend to be on the smaller side, which makes space quite a luxury for most of us.

That’s why space planning for your home is so important: beyond just figuring out storage and the ideal layouts, good space planning accounts for maximising the flow and comfort as you move from one space to another.

Here are a few small but critical space planning details to keep in mind and discuss with your designer/contractor. Trust us – it’ll make a big difference!

1. Not ensuring main walking paths are at least 90cm wide

If you’ve ever had to squeeze out of a space, you’ll understand why it’s important to ensure wide enough walking paths all around your home.

As the homeowner of this walk-up apartment in Farrer Park shared, there was so little space between the carpentry and the foot of the bed prior to the renovation that she had to “crab walk to get to the toilet”.

Ideally, walkways should be at least 90cm wide for you to move freely.

But of course, you’ll need to rank your priorities against the space you have available, like if you’re set on a walk-in wardrobe without hacking in your fairly small room and don’t mind squeezing a little.

2. Not having at least 25 cm of space on both sides of your cooking hob

Picture adjusting a pan while you’re in the midst of cooking up a feast – only to realise that its handle is striking the nearby wall or carpentry due to the limited space.

That’s why it’s best to leave at least 25 cm of space on both sides of your cooking hob: this lets you manoeuvre larger cookware comfortably, such as woks or frying pans with handles that stick out.

This way, you can ensure your pans/woks are at the centre of the flame on a gas hob (or a heated induction hob), for even heating.

3. Not ensuring sufficient clearance for ceiling fans

If you plan to install a ceiling fan, make sure to leave enough clearance space around it for proper air circulation. This is something you might overlook while you’re caught up on the fan’s size or design.

For optimal airflow, a good rule of thumb is to install your fan such that the blades are at a distance of at least 40-60 cm from the nearest wall or cabinetry.

Discuss what is suitable with your ID, as these recommendations depend on your room size and the fan size you choose.

4. Not making enough room around your toilet bowl

Even if the bathroom is one of the smallest spaces in your home, it’s also bound to be one of the most used. While you won’t need ‘wriggle room’ while you’re answering the call of nature, we imagine that you wouldn’t want to feel boxed in either.

Since it can feel claustrophobic when the space is too tight, your toilet bowl should have enough space around it.

A safe estimate is about 75-76 cm, meaning about 38 cm on each side with the toilet bowl centred. To get a better idea, speak to your ID.

5. Not leaving at least 60 cm of leg room between the sofa and coffee table

When you’re thinking about how to space plan for the living room, one detail that ends up overlooked during the initial discussions with IDs is the clearance between your sofa and the coffee table. That’s understandable, since most of us would only purchase loose furnishings towards the later stages.

For comfortably moving around your living area, you should aim to leave at least 60 cm of space between the two.

If you already have an idea of which pieces you want – especially large sofas and deep-seated ones that take up more of the living room width – it’s a good idea to inform your ID early so they can factor these details into the space planning.

If not, account for built-ins and keep in mind the available empty floor area while you’re furniture shopping, so that you don’t end up with oversized pieces that crowd your living room.

Leave no room for regrets

Overlooked space planning details usually end up becoming a regret or a lesson learned in hindsight. That’s why it’s important to add these to your considerations while you’re thinking about your home layout.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for your unique lifestyle requirements, so it’s best to discuss these with an interior designer who has the necessary expertise on how to do space planning.

Not sure where to start looking for one? Get in touch with us and we can help you shortlist suitable interior firms within one working day for free when you tell us your renovation needs below.

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