Room Planning: How to Brief Your Architect Room by Room
Don't let those brilliant ideas fade away. Before you meet with your architect, you should have a clear, organised vision for every room in your home — not just the room name, but its purpose, feeling and design details.
Start With Your Final Room List
Before diving into individual room details, create a complete list of every room and space your home needs. Here's an example:
- Entry with airlock, coat and shoe storage
- Bedroom one with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe
- Bedroom two with built-in wardrobes
- Bedroom three with built-in wardrobes
- Main bathroom
- Separate powder room/toilet
- Open-plan kitchen, living and dining area
- Laundry
- Two-car enclosed garage
- Deck
The Four-Part Room Brief
For each room, capture four key dimensions:
1. Room Feeling & Mood
What emotion should this room create? Calm? Energising? Intimate? Social? Use the emotion-provoking exercise to find your words.
2. Design Details
Materials, colours, fixtures, finishes. What does the floor look like? The walls? The lighting? Be as specific as possible.
3. Selections & Decisions
Track specific products, brands or design choices you've made — tapware, tiles, appliances, hardware.
4. Needed By
When does each decision need to be finalised? Your builder will thank you for knowing this upfront.
Why This Level of Detail Matters
Most homeowners hand their architect a rough wish list and hope for the best. But the clients who get the best results — on time and on budget — are the ones who've done this work upfront. When your designer knows that your kitchen needs to feel "warm and social" with "spotted gum floors and brass tapware, decided by March," they can design with precision instead of guesswork.
About the Author
Luke Davies
Luke is the founder of Davies Design & Construction and author of Dream Home. He writes about home design philosophy, lean construction, and building businesses that put people first.
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