A preliminary design scheme that is the vehicle and the best base for initial ideas – from which to assess whether ideas will work in reality, to explore the possibilities and then, once the various ideas have been brought together, to find out if they are acceptable to all concerned.
A professional will present a sketch scheme for discussion that is hand drawn and to scale bar a measured survey. Following this, ideas are firmed up or dropped and the path is cleared for the initial sourcing and budgeting.
Drawing up a sketch scheme for yourself allows you to visualise how your ideas might work: it is quite easy to test them on a simple scaled plan, and even easier to draw your ideas onto photographs, and then once these look good to you, to create a plan.
In furnishing, and particularly for window treatments, walling, or screens the sketch scheme becomes the template from which to make the toile that becomes the pattern. The toile is pinned to the window or wherever, until further pinning, taping, or cutting produces the perfectly proportioned template.
To understand how your ideas work with the landscape beyond, pin, prop or tape the furnishing materials, pictures, wood, etc., close to the windows for a while so that the combined colours and shapes of inside and outside catch your eye every time you pass, at all times of day and evening.