When you're working with your interior designer or architect, you will undoubtedly reach a point where you will be provided with two-dimensional drawings and asked to make decisions from what you see. This leaves most responding with 'uh....' But it's easier than it seems. Whether you are remodeling or building your house anew, if you're struggling to imagine a space, we recommend the highly technical approach of blue painter's tape.

If you're trying to imagine a space, simply measure out the length and width of your future walls in your existing house, and mark them with your bright blue tape. If it helps, you can also use the tape to lay out your furniture. This isn't a perfect solution, but it will go a long way to help you decide if your future room is the right size and proportion for you.

This also works with interior architectural elements. If you need to picture window or door sizes, or the heights of benches, counters or sills, simply outline them with tape on your walls. When analyzing your blue tape masterpiece, compare it to what you already have in your house to make sure it's right for you. Compare benches to chairs, counters to counters, and sills to the windows you have already.

And if all else fails, don't hesitate to reach out to your architect or designer for help. They should be able to supply you with an interior elevation or a quick three-dimensional sketch or photos of comparable spaces to help you better understand the space they have designed. (Please keep in mind that if you need drawings that are outside your professional's original scope of services, they may require an additional fee.)