I have had quite a few requests either in threads or via email lately asking how I do my layouts. While responding to these requests, I've come up with the "process" I use and thought I'd share it with everyone.

First off, I do not use any of the design software others have. Believe it or not, I use Microsoft PowerPoint to modify people's layouts. Here's what I do...

• Copy & paste a copy of the person's kitchen to be worked on into a new MS PowerPoint presentation and expand it to as big as it will fit on the slide.

  • In the GW thread, right click on the image

  • Select "Copy Image" (or similar, depends on your browser)

  • In the MS PowerPoint presentation, paste (Ctrl-V) the image on the page/slide (pages are called "slides" in PowerPoint) [Note: I sometimes crop off "extras" so I can make the image bigger.]

• Then, make a rectangle that's 2' x 2' based on the image (I create the rectangle & expand/reduce it until it's the size of a 2' counter in the drawing & then make the other direction match it in size)

Next, make rectangles of varying sizes based on the 2' x 2' rectangle . For example:

• 3/4 or 75% the width of the rectangle makes an 18" x 24" cabinet
• 62.5% makes a 15" x 24" cabinet (or 15" overhang)
• 50% makes a 12" x 24" cabinet
• 25% makes a 6" x 24" cabinet
• 12.5% makes a 3" x 24" cabinet/filler
• 125% makes a 30" x 24" cabinet
• 150% makes a 36" x 24" cabinet
• 175% makes a 42" x 24" cabinet
• 200% makes a 48" x 24" cabinet
• You can change the size by a %-age using the item's formatting (see note at the bottom of this post)

Then, make appliances with appropriately sized rectangles [BTW...ranges & cooktops are just rectangles w/circles on top of them. Sinks are just rectangles with rounded edges and a small circle on top for the drain (Draw --> Change Autoshape --> Basic Shapes and then select the rectangle w/rounded corners).]
Sometimes, you may wish to use a picture of the appliance a person already has on her/his layout. To do this:

• Duplicate the slide (Insert --> Duplicate Slide)

• Crop the duplicate so all you have is the item you want a picture of

• Simply copy & paste it onto the slide with the layout you're modifying.

• To crop (need "Picture" toolbar, see below),

  • Click on the image

  • Then, click on the crop button on the Picture Toolbar

  • Move the left/right/top/bottom margins as needed to crop out the parts of the image you don't want

Sometimes you need to "blank out" a portion of the existing layout. To do this:

• Create a rectangle

• Change the color to match the background

• Set the Line to either the same color as the background or to "No Line"

• Move it over the area you want to "blank out"

• Resize it to cover the area to be "blanked out"

To put things in a corner (like a cooktop or DOs), rotate the item in increments of 45 degrees until it's oriented properly (45o, 90o, 135o, 180o, 225o, 270o, 315o)
Where necessary/helpful, insert text boxes, use arrows, etc.
When done:

• Save it as a "jpg" file

• From menu bar: File --> Save...