Remodeling Room Layout Programs

For Beginners

• Many programs, such as My Deco 3D Room Planner, are designed for the novice designer -- the person with little design experience who really wants a drag-and-drop program. The drag-and-drop programs allow you to pull preloaded elements, such as wall color, furniture, floor coverings and wall coverings, and drop them into a preloaded room. Simply add the dimensions of the space you're working with, then add the elements you have in mind. If it doesn't work, simply drag the element back out and choose a new one. For a complete remodeling project, you can even drop in walls, doors and windows.

Using Ikea Brands

• If you are planning a kitchen remodel with new cabinets, appliances and kitchen components, Ikea has developed a kitchen planning tool allowing you to design your kitchen using Ikea-brand products. You will need to add the dimensions of your kitchen and where doors and windows are located, and then you can begin planning your kitchen. This free program will itemize the cost of each element so that there are no surprises once you go to purchase the materials.

For Experienced Designers

• Some programs will require a degree of CAD (computer-assisted design) experience. CAD shows you how the plan will look in real life, with accurate measurements and details of each item. Design tools may include the ability to adjust thickness of walls, or framing out a wall including studs and joists, then adding wall coverings of your choice. You can also rotate furniture into place so you know exactly how everything will fit. These programs, such as Home Plan Pro, also provide both metric and U.S. measurements. Homestyler, another program that offers 3-D rendering, uses name-brands of items such as Sherwin Williams and Flor, which will make your shopping ultimately easier as it is all decided on-screen instead of spending extra time shopping in the store.

Project Organizers

• If you are planning on replacing drywall, consider a program that will give you the exact dimensions so you avoid buying too much or not enough. Home Renovator has a drywall estimator built into its software and will prompt you with questions and provide a view of how the drywall sheets should be laid out. Smartdraw adds in components such as timelines, project charts and flow charts, so that you can organize the complete project from start to finish. This program is designed for both residential and commercial spaces and has a free trial period.