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Handy Online Floor Plan Design and Decorating Tools

Floo Plan Design ToolsIf you’re considering adding a room, finishing the basement, renovating the kitchen or some other home improvement project, wouldn’t it be nice to actually see what the finished product will look like before you tear down a wall or pull up a carpet?  And if you like the idea, just ask the architect or contractor you plan to use how great they think a detailed 3D plan might be.

Being able to present a contractor with a high quality image of what you have in mind makes his or her job that much easier. It also allows for more exact pricing and minimizes the number of “change orders” that are likely to pop up.

Our staff at TrustedPros has found a number of free internet tools that will not only allow you to design floor plans but finish off your project down to the color of your walls and the placement of your furniture.


MyDeco - The easiest single room planner

MyDecoIf you think about it, interior decorators know just about as much about using space as architects do. MyDeco.com is a stylish European interior design site that sells high end furniture and accessories. It also is the home of a highly intuitive room design tool that has amazing capabilities.

You can design a room from scratch, upload an existing plan or use one of the dozens of room templates provided. Not surprisingly, this interior décor site allows you to drag and drop furniture into your plan, select wall and floor covering colors and then…render the entire room in 3D.

If the muse strikes you and you’re really excited about your design, you can enter it in a design contest run by MyDecor. Or alternatively, you can start by browsing the gallery of entries to get ideas for your own room.

Any way you cut it, you will wind up with a 3D image of your completed project which will make explaining what you want far easier when talking to contractors.


FloorPlanner - For aspiring architects

FloorplannerFor those of you who have larger ideas than just a room, like multiple rooms, or even multiple levels, then you should try FloorPlanner.com. Your first stop in this browser based tool should be the tutorial located just to the right of your “plan.” Once you understand the functionality of the icons then you can design a mansion if you like.

Floor planner allows you to split walls, insert a wide variety of windows and doors, drop in furniture and even layout a landscaping plan. While you’re building your project you’ll see the results in 2D. Once you’re satisfied with your design you can save it as a 3D image or a PDF. FloorPlanner also is available as an application for iOS so you can stand in the middle of your room with your tablet and compare existing conditions to proposed.


HomeStyler - For those with an unlimited decorating budget or those who want to pretend they have an unlimited decorating budget.

HomeStylerAutodesk’s HomeStyler.com does essentially everything that the others do when it comes to room design but then it takes a right turn into the world of furnishings and fixtures and offers a huge international collection that you can drag and drop. If you want to know what your living room would appear decorated like those that you see in the high end catalogs that mysteriously appear in your mail, then this is the site for you.

Even better, HomeStyler allows you to create a 3600 panoramic view of your creation. And of course you can save the finished product in either 2D or 3D.


SketchUp - Don’t forget Google

SketchUpIs there anything that Google doesn’t do? Google has a free software download compatible with Windows and OS X called SketchUp that is an easy to use design tool. Actually SketchUp is now part of the Trimble group but it is still often referred to as a Google product. It wasn’t designed specifically for home improvement projects but it certainly can be used for that purpose. The major advantage of this tool is the intuitive and familiar toolbar and Google’s help section and tutorials.

A beginner can create a floor plan with ease and someone with a little experience can lay out a mega mall. There are plenty of templates to choose from and customizing to your dimensions is a snap.  CNET gives the program four and a half stars and recommends it for anyone who wants to do 3D design.


Home Décor - If you’re just painting a room

Home DécorHow many times have you gone to the paint store, taken home the little sample chips, held them against the wall and said “Hmm.”  Does it really go with the couch? Will it be too dark? Is it dark enough?

Home Décor is a free app that you can download to your smart phone that will take all your doubts away about wall color. Basically you take a picture of your room through the app, choose from a huge pallet of colors, tap the wall and presto the wall is painted in the color of your choice. If you needed to actually see that lime green wasn’t a good idea this is the app for you.

Seriously, this is a great way to try out a color before you buy a gallon of paint.


We’ve come a long way from the days of graph paper and pencils when it comes to planning projects. We hope you’ll find these selections helpful…and even fun.

But at the end of the day it’s about coming up with exactly what you want so you can convey that to the people you hire to create it. Taking the time to do preplanning will result in a much more satisfactory home improvement experience.

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