Thanks that really did help .
Probably going to get more complicated here but.. part of the design as you see is a stair case, how would i make the sides of the staircase also raise \ like that is you get me whilst curving. (starting to hate curves now.. i can do it for standard straight ones)

Hey. Im new, so sorry if im in the wrong place but im desperate for help.
Im a novice on cad, and sketch up and im an interior design student.

Basically, im struggling with extruding, i know how to make boxes extrude, but not curves. Ive created sort of like a bent rectangle in auto cad the image url is below to help you imagine:
http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2222zb9.jpg
But i dont know how to how to extrude this, like with a box i trace over the lines and then it fills it so i can extrude. but with my curves to able to trace iv become stuck.

Any help appreciated as im a novice so willing to learn and try anything.