FLOORING DESIGNS
Math can be helpful in so many endeavors, including home renovation projects. Take this simple floor design below, for example. While taking a break from applying grout, I snapped a quick photo with a point-and-shoot camera to capture an overview of the layout. Even with a design as basic as this, there was still a measure of pre-planning involved: finding the right size tiles to use in the inner & outer border, selecting the correct spacer width to ensure the entire design fit within the area, and deciding on the optimal number of squares for the central pattern. And yes, all of that did involve some basic calculations using addition & multiplication (Gasp!).
Personally, I find the quickest way to hash out a floor design is to simply sketch it out and add up all the relevant measurements across both the X and Y-axis. (Yet I'm sure there's also an app out there that can assist you with that!) But if you're not too confident in your drawing skills or if you prefer a more tactile approach to the design process, you can always cut up some graph paper and experiment with different layouts that way. Whatever medium you use to sketch or layout your ideas, just be sure to maintain the proper corresponding proportions in your miniature representations with respect to your actual floor & tile sizes. In other words, keep it to scale. In this example below, I had one graph paper unit represent my 2-inch square tile. The next larger size, which is double the width and height, represented the 4-inch square tile. (And I'll let you figure out the tile dimensions represented by my largest graph paper square in the photo below!…) Also, be sure to include the width of your grout lines between each tile somewhere in your final calculations. All things considered, I think you could do an even better & cleaner job of making graph paper cutouts than I did here! (One note: working larger is easier, lest you end up having to use the point of a retracted pen to move around your tiny mock-up cutouts like yours truly.)
I'm mostly retired from tile work now, since it does quite a number on your knees even with the proper padding. (…And you never know when the NBA draft might come calling.) But my point is, don't be afraid of math or employing it to improve & solidify your artwork. Whether you're laboring on a simple DIY project or designing something as majestic as the Parthenon, math can take your work to incredible new heights.