We’ve finally found a convenient way to share how the layout of our home is changing without asking everyone to stop by in person. While we’re always happy to host tours for friends and family, creating clear floor plans makes it easier for people to visualize the renovation at a glance. Recently I discovered an easy-to-use online tool for drawing 2D floor plans and used it to map both our original layout and our nearly finished redesign.
To create these illustrations I used a free, browser-based floor plan tool that is built for homeowners and DIY renovators. It lets you draw rooms to scale, place doors and windows, and lay out furniture and fixtures so you can see how spaces will flow once changes are made. I’m focusing on simple, practical 2D plans for now, which are ideal for planning circulation, appliance placement, and general room relationships without getting bogged down in complex 3D modeling.
Below are the two floor plans I drew: one representing our original layout and the other showing the planned configuration. I didn’t measure every wall down to the inch, so ignore precise square footage and technical dimensions. My goal was to keep proportions realistic and to clearly communicate which spaces are being altered and why.
Here’s our old floor plan:
And here’s the new floor plan we’re working toward:
Key changes highlighted in the new plan include:
- Wider doorways between the kitchen and the adjacent den, improving traffic flow and sight lines for a more open, connected feel.
- New continuous wood flooring that unifies the kitchen, den and the combined laundry/bathroom area, creating a cohesive visual plane across these high-use spaces.
- An open laundry nook that replaces the old bi-fold door enclosure, making the laundry area more accessible and less visually intrusive.
- The living room has been reimagined as a combined living and dining area, which maximizes usable space and supports a more flexible furniture arrangement.
- The former dining room has been converted into a third bedroom, adding flexibility and increased livability for guests or a home office setup.
- And a substantially reconfigured kitchen that increases counter space by roughly half, improving prep areas and workstation efficiency.
These updates reflect a shift toward a more open and functional floor plan. The wider openings and unified flooring reduce the visual and physical barriers between rooms, while the interior reassignments—living/dining consolidation and conversion of the dining room into a bedroom—adjust the house layout to better match how we live now. The larger, more efficient kitchen is a practical upgrade that will make meal prep and daily routines easier.
Creating these floor plans was a helpful exercise in planning our renovation. Even at a preliminary, non-engineered level, visualizing room relationships and flow helped us identify potential issues and refine decisions before contractors arrive. If you’re planning your own remodel, drawing simple 2D plans can save time and prevent costly changes later.
If you want to try making similar drawings, look for straightforward floor plan software aimed at homeowners. Many of these tools offer free versions that let you experiment with layouts and materials without a steep learning curve. They’re perfect for planning kitchen layouts, repositioning walls, or testing how an open-plan concept will change the feel of your home. We found the process useful and enjoyable, and we hope our plans help others picture the transformation taking place here.