When you are planning to redecorate or renovate your home, it can be hard to visualise the end result. There are loads of great tools that you can use that can help you to do just that. Before you go out and hire an interior designer, you can instead try out your own interior design ideas with these free tools. You can try out different finishes, colours combinations and rearrange the furniture. Here are some of the best options out there.
This Planner 5D allows you to work in either 2D or 3D. This means you can work with floor plans or with lifelike representations of the room.
This program is highly customisable. You can change everything, even architectural details from stairs to windows and even partitions. This means that you can see how your finished design will look in different lights, even with different types of curtains.
The program runs on multiple platforms. You can work on both your computer and your phone. Your changes will all be synchronised between all your devices.
It is aimed at non-professionals so is easy to use. You can even take snapshots inside the program to share with other people and get their opinions.
Autodesk Homestyler is another option that will give you the chance to work both in 2D and 3D. This offering comes with some excellent credentials. It is created by the same people that make AutoCAD, a renown professional design tool. This program, however, does not require any special training to use. It’s all very user-friendly and intuitive.
You have many choices when it comes to architectural features. You can choose the types of doors and windows you want; you can even choose to angle the walls.
Once you have the architecture sorted you can then decorate to your preferences. You can add pretty much any item of furniture even down to the rugs. When you’re all done you can view a panoramic version of your creation.
Sweet Home 3D is a tool which promises to help you design your home in three simple steps. You start by drawing the plan. You work on the 2D model and as you do a 3D model appears. You can put in doors and window easily.
The second step is to decorate. You can add both colour and texture effects on the walls and floors. You can include furniture which you can fully customise. For instance, you can add a table and then change it to be the exact same size as your own.
Once you have it looking how you want you can then take pictures of your creation. The camera allows you to view the rooms are any angle. You can even choose the time of day to see how the lighting in the room will change. If you want you can even create a video walkthrough of the space you’ve created.
This option runs online, or you can download a version onto your computer. If you do have multiple versions remember that this program doesn’t sync up, you can save and send files though.
This is a very in-depth tool and is a great option if you are looking to do a big project and might need to be doing some building work. With Home Renovator, you can plot out in great detail a whole building project. It will even let you price up the building costs. It will also give you a shopping list of the materials needed for your project. Finally, it gives you instructions on how and where to cut your materials so that you only buy as much as needed and no more.
This tool is very much focused on the construction side of things. It’s great for big projects and for creating detailed floor plans.
This tool is part of the Armstrong Floorings website. You can either play with a standard room, one of their templates or you can take a photograph of your room. Once you have this you can change the flooring, the paint and the cabinets in a room.
This is a useful tool when you are looking to redecorate. The tool is helpful in that it gives you information about the finishes you are looking at. It can give advice about where to put, or more importantly to not put different materials. This is the choice to go for if you want to get a quick feel for how things will look. It is a quick and easy way to get a look at how the finished product will look.