Planning a loft conversion? Creating a brand new basement? Renovating your kitchen or bathroom? If you’re after a little help and a dollop of inspiration, we’ve got the best five online tools to help you get your project off the ground.
IKEA
Be your own interior designer with IKEA’s online Planner Tools. Create your dream room simply by dragging and dropping your catalogue choice and rearrange everything to fit till you’re satisfied it’s perfect. Whether you’re designing a kitchen from scratch, a 3D Pax Wardrobe system, BESTA storage for all your living room essentials, or using the Children’s planner for playrooms with pizazz, you can view your creations in 3D and print with all the measurements attached, just like an architect. You’ll be able to see exactly how much everything costs at a glance, and you can save, print and email the list so it’s ready to take to your nearest store.
CLIPIX
Clipix is a brilliant way to create an online visual shopping list of everything you need and want to buy for your project. You simply ‘clip’ products from any site you like and add them to a gallery so you can see how they might work together. It’s like creating a mood board that the whole family can share, you can access it from your smartphone or tablet, and it’s completely free. You can even add documents and emails, so you, your architect and your interior designer are all on the same online page!
ONE RECEIPT
If you’re planning a refurb then you’re going to need to keep track of your expenses. A brilliant way to do this is with One Receipt. It’s simple, it’s organized, it’s secure and it helps you to save cash. Simply upload your receipts via your iPhone camera and the clever programme extracts all the information, keeping you an up-to-date record and running total. Never lose a receipt again and never be afraid of missing a chance to return it – this app will even send you an alert if the return date for a particular purchase is coming up!
COLOURJIVE
A new coat of paint is an easy way to update a room. This website takes only a few minutes to show you how different your room would look with a splash of colour. You simply upload a picture of your room then use the web app to change the wall paint colour. Swap around until you’re happy then print and order. You can try one image for free, or sign up to try as many as you like. It’s a great way to visualise how your new space could look.
HOMESTYLER
This is a fantastic interior design app that lets you take a picture of the room you want to refurbish then add all the fixtures and fittings. It’s a great decorating tool to help you visualise how new furniture and décor will look before you buy. Scroll through endless design ideas or try out your favourite paint shades, all from the comfort of your phone.
OpenPlanned in