In SketchUp from idea to 3D

When you are an interior designer or interior builder trying to convince your client, you need more than just a simple sketch. Anouk Everink, founder of Anouk Creative Studio, knows this better than anyone. With more than 40 regular clients and a team of five specialized freelance designers, she delivers an average of four projects per week – ranging from a simple attic room to complete real estate projects with multiple layouts.

Anouk has been working with SketchUp since completing her interior design training in 2016. “SketchUp in combination with LayOut is indispensable for us.“, says Anouk. “You can build the entire design in 3D in SketchUp and then quickly generate 2D drawings with LayOut. The great thing is that every change you make in SketchUp is immediately reflected in LayOut, accurate to the millimetre. This is ideal for interior builders who need technical working drawings for their workshop. The only thing that remains manual is curves. In SketchUp, and therefore LayOut, these are often a bit angular, because everything is built from straight lines and curves are not fully supported. Interior designers often know how to solve this perfectly themselves with their CNC machine and associated software.“

Anouk and her team also use LayOut for 2D lighting plans. Using smart symbols, she draws exactly where the connection points should be. All this gives interior builders and interior designers a “talking picture” that they can show their customers immediately.

A complete talking point for the customer

Anouk not only works for interior designers and builders, but also for garden designers, property developers and even yacht interior builders. The goal is always the same: a visualization that convinces customers.

“An interior designer wants to show their client a clear picture, a kind of talking picture, so to speak. That’s why we not only create a 3D visualisation, but also the technical drawings that they can use directly in the workshop. Interior designers are often good with their hands and have an idea in their head based on previous projects. We then help to convert this idea into a convincing 3D visualisation, so that the end customer immediately gets a good picture of the new situation.”

To make the image realistic, Anouk Creative Studio uses the Chaos Enscape rendering plugin. “Enscape is simple, fast and offers fantastic value for money, which means our hours remain profitable. Other rendering tools often take more time or do not meet our quality standards. Fortunately, Enscape quickly produces realistic images that almost always convince the customer immediately.“, she explains.

Fast delivery thanks to a flexible team

Thanks to a team of five experienced draughtsmen, Anouk usually delivers an assignment within a week. Acquisition mainly takes place via Instagram, where new followers gain inspiration and often book a free 15-minute consultation. “During such a consultation, we often determine whether the customer wants to learn how to do it themselves or have it done for them. We also regularly provide training to customers who want to do it themselves. If they don’t have the time and/or the necessary knowledge, we take care of everything and provide the 3D drawings. What’s more, I can show what we have to offer right at the front door via Instagram. This gives the customer an immediate idea of what we can offer.“

After the initial design phase, Anouk always checks the artwork to be delivered first. If it is satisfactory, it is sent to the customer. The accepted assignment always includes one round of revisions, so that the customer is completely satisfied. “Quality is our top priority. It has to be good and accurate, otherwise I won’t let it leave the office.“, she explains.

Anouk’s tips for optimal use of SketchUp

Considering that Anouk has been working with SketchUp since 2016, she has developed several useful techniques for working with SketchUp. Some of her favourite tips are:

• Use keyboard shortcuts: Create your own shortcuts, such as “Delete Guides” to delete all guides at once, or “Hide Rest of Model” to work in the group or component without the rest of the model being visible.
• Change shadow settings: According to Anouk, these are set too dark by default. She often sets them to light 0, dark 80 and then enables “Use sun for shading”.
• Play with styles: For clean floor plans, she uses thin lines and Ambient Occlusion for extra depth.
• Use the right hardware: “A simple mouse with three buttons and a scroll wheel, for example, is worth its weight in gold. The third button means I don’t have to press the scroll wheel hard. Orbiting with the middle button is so much smoother. As a result, I now only use the scroll wheel for zooming in and out.”
• Additional plugins: She also has some tips regarding extensions. With ProfileBuilder, she creates skirting boards and decorative strips, with StairUp she designs staircases, and with FaceCreator she makes closed CAD surfaces usable in no time.

“These are actually my favourites. I’m sure I have more. That’s why I regularly share new tips on Instagram via Reels. People who want to know more should definitely follow us.”, she concludes. If you want to know more about Anouk Creative Studio, you can follow Anouk Creative Studio on Instagram or take a look at the official website.