Reading House Plans

[LlamaMama]

Many people suggest getting inspiration from house plan websites, but I have had trouble finding out what some of the common symbols represent. I've circled a few that I don't understand on the following sample I found online.



The bottom two and the top one look like they must be closets, but I can't figure out the similar parallel lines in the very small area circled below the top right closet.

Additionally, I'm wondering about the "X" on the right and the green stars (lights?).

Thanks in advance.

Edit: attribution of design to this website.

[danefaith]

The rooms with parellel lines are closet space.  Imagine the parellel lines themselves as the rack and each specific line as a shirt on a hanger to get a full view of how spacious the closet is.  The very top is a walk-in, all the others with little V's beside them are just pull opens.

Assuming none of the baths are combination showers, the X at the right is probably a shower unit.

And I have no idea what the green sea urchins are.  

But I hope those little tidbits helped.  Granted, not much closet usage in the Sims.   Although the walk in closet is probably large enough to make and stick a wardrobe in.

[samoht04]

And I have no idea what the green sea urchins are. 

Plants? 

Everything else I agree about. 

[LlamaMama]

I still don't know what the smallest circled area is, just below the walk-in closet. There's another one on the other side. Closets too?

The "X" might be laundry, since there's a door separating it from the bathroom? Edit: nah, they're privacy freaks with a door to the toilet and another door to the shower.

What do you think?

[Archer0]

http://www.the-house-plans-guide.com/images/blueprint-symbols.gif

[LlamaMama]

Thanks, that answers the shower question. But as you can see, when I searched for symbol keys I got things like that one which show some of the common symbols and not others, or else have electrical wiring symbols and such, that are not useful to me.

Unless someone knows differently, I guess the ones I'm still wondering about must be linen closets in the bathrooms.

[AriaGirl77]

I used to be a real estate agent and me and my husband designed and built our house, so I'm very familiar with house plans.

The green stars are plants, and the smaller boxes with lines are closets.  Usually those smaller closets are for linens or pantry space.

The big X is most certainly a shower.

Hope that helps!

[samoht04]

Could also be Wardrobes.  There's some in Bedrooms.

[Pam]

Could also be Wardrobes.  There's some in Bedrooms.

In the U.S., they are definitely closets in a new house. 

@LlamaMama:  I wouldn't mind seeing the lower level of that floorplan. 

[LlamaMama]

I added a link in the OP.

[AriaGirl77]

I wish we could make curved stairways in game like the house in your floorplan, they're so pretty!

[Joria]

I don't think the green "sea urchins" are plants.  That symbol is usually used for trees or shrubs outdoors but it would be unnecessary to have it in floor plans of a house interior since the only "decorative" items usually shown is a layout of necessary furnishings as in beds, dressers, etc.  I think, since it is a new house, it is either a ventilation system or better yet, a built in vacuum system.  Many new houses have this feature now and since there is one in every main room that makes sense to me.  Sometimes you'll also see a symbol that indicates a laundry shoot but that would usually appear in a hall not in a room.

[LlamaMama]

I've headed back to looking at floor plans again, and I'm wondering what the rule-of-thumb is for estimating the size of a Sims build square. Is it 2 feet across? 3?

[Telsey]

I have no idea where I read this but was told somewhere that 1 Sims square is equal to 2.33 feet and that is roughly what I use.

[TollingBells]

I'd say each small square is a foot squared, and each of the big squares are 2x2, so four square feet all togethor. I think the small ones are square feet because a sim can stand with both feet in one, which is about what a person can do, correct?