One of the toughest aspects of many remodeling projects is imagining the results. Although some people can examine a space and easily envision what it will look like after it has been remodeled, others struggle to see the possibilities. As luck would have it, those two types of people often end up marrying each other and working together on remodeling projects — a stressful scenario for both parties.

I happen to be in such a relationship. I am pretty good at imagining how a space can be changed or how an object will look or fit into a space — maybe because of my experience working on countless remodeling projects or because I spent my childhood building small cities out of Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys and Legos. My wife, on the other hand, needs more than my verbal description of how a space or an object will look before she is willing to sign off on any project. She needs to see it to believe it.

As a result, I have learned to use several design and planning tools and techniques to help present my ideas in a way that makes sense to everyone. Here are my three favorites:

1. Drawings. This might sound like an obvious solution, but I’m not talking about napkin sketches. I mean scale drawings of the project or space. If all you need to know is what you can fit in a space and how it should be arranged, a top-view floor plan works well. Using a computer and drawing software will give you the most flexibility to easily make changes, but you can also use a piece of graph paper and pencil. The most important thing is to determine the scale of the drawing (such as one square equals 1 sq. ft.) and stick to it.
A better aid for imagining how a room will feel is an eye-level perspective drawing. For this, I recommend using computer-rendering software. Several remodeling software packages are available; choose one that is compatible with your computer and the type of drawing you want to create. My favorite is Google SketchUp because I can draw just about anything with it and the basic version that I use is free. The best way for me to learn how to use any software is to just start playing with it, but you can also find lots of free tutorials online that show how to use SketchUp.

An eye-level perspective drawing gives the best sense of how a space will feel. I made this drawing using SketchUp. I could add more realistic textures to the surfaces, but I typically choose not to because I’m most interested in the spatial relationships.

2. Templates. A template is simply a two-dimensional pattern. I often make templates to represent the footprint of an object. A paper template is easy to move around in the room to determine how much space an object will occupy — much easier than pushing around actual pieces of furniture.

I used newspaper to make a template of a chair that we were considering purchasing. We liked the chair in the showroom, but once I put the template in our living room we realized that it would be way too large.

3. Models, mock-ups and prototypes. If you’re not sure how an object (whether larger or small) will look in your house, you can make a full-size model out of paper, cardboard or scrap wood. For example, the lead photo for this blog features a cardboard mock-up of a built-in corner cabinet. On a smaller scale, I recently made a paper model of a light fixture from Rejuvination because I had only seen it online and we weren’t sure whether it was the right size. Hanging the model answered three questions: how the fixture would look in the space, what length of hanging cable we needed to order and where we needed to install the electrical box in the ceiling.

To make this light-fixture model, I first printed a drawing of the fixture that I found online and then used a copy machine to enlarge it to full size. Next, I stapled several pieces of paper together and cut out the fixture’s outline (inset photo). Finally, I fanned out the cutout like a paper lantern and hung it from a piece of string that I taped to the ceiling.

You can even make a mock-up of a structural element. This photo shows a mock-up created to help a homeowner envision a partition for defining an entry area. The cardboard mock-up helped the homeowner to determine how large the actual wall should be.

Though I can’t promise that these techniques will make all of your shared remodeling decisions unanimous, I can say from experience that using one or a combination of these tools has not only reduced stress but also resulted in better finished projects at our house.

Share what remodeling planning techniques work well for you. Post your ideas in the comments area below.