Most of us need some help when we embark on a new design project, and technology is here to make life just a little bit easier. These 7 apps will help you with everything from room measurements to color matching and even finding that perfect vintage item to tie your room together. These apps are intuitive and helpful for even the most experienced DIYer. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, take out your phone and get to work.
Measuring is perhaps the most frustrating part of DIY design and renovation. It’s tedious to do and easy to mess up. RoomScan (especially RoomScan Pro) takes all the guesswork out of creating and measuring floorplans in any room of the house—or the entire house if you’re feeling ambitious. The app uses GPS and gyroscope technology to outline your room or home. The benefits of paying to upgrade to Pro? You can include doors, windows and even large furniture in the app’s measurements. DIY measuring has never been easier or more convenient.
App Demo: iOS only. Free. Pro version, $4.99. Image Source: iTunes App Store
Summer is about spending time outdoors and flexing your green thumb after the (surprisingly) long winter and spring. However, landscaping can be a much more daunting task than interior design—after all, you can’t kill a sofa by not watering it enough. iScape allows you to play with different landscaping ideas from new grass to gravel, flower beds to mature trees and even water features. There is a free version of the app, but, if you’re serious about transforming your yard this summer, you’ll want to upgrade. That way, you can not only use the design features, but you can also email the finished images to yourself, complete with a shopping list, to bring that image to life.
App Demo: iOS only. Free. Upgraded version, $9.99. Image Source: iTunes App Store
Some of you out there may be color experts. But if you’re like me, you’ll need some help finding the perfect hues to compliment your new design or choosing pillows for that perfect chaise. Color 911 or Color Capture can be the expert in your pocket for choosing complementary color matches. Color 911 comes preloaded with 3600 colors in a variety of pre-selected pallets. While Color 911 is an excellent color matching app, it only works on iOS platforms. For the Android user, I’d recommend Color Capture by Benjamin Moore. Take photos anywhere, at home or on the go, and find a variety of color matches from Benjamin Moore’s 3500 premium paint colors.
App: Color 911 iOS only. $3.99. Color Capture iOS or Android. Free. Image Source: iTunes App Store
Trying to choose paint colors at the store can be frustrating. You could take as many photos of your room as you want, but trying to hold the swatch to the phone screen under fluorescent lights won’t quite do it. TapPainter helps you visualize paint color in your space without leaving the house. Just take a picture of the wall(s) you want to paint, choose a color from the app’s thousand of colors from hundreds of brand names and apply the color to your wall with the touch of a finger. Before you run out and buy gallons of your new paint, I would recommend choosing a few colors you really love, buying samples and trying them on your wall. Colors can vary based on the texture of your walls as well as the natural and artificial light in your room.
App: iOS only. $2.99. Image Source: iTunes App Store
There are few rushes as enjoyable as finding that perfect vintage piece for your design. With Chairish, you can buy and sell quality, “pre-loved” pieces—it’s like eBay for your inner DIYer. But don’t simply hope that this new item meshes with your home’s aesthetic. Take photos of your room and actually see that cobalt loveseat in your living room before you buy it. Love it? Go ahead and purchase the item within the app. Doesn’t work in the image like you thought it would? Keep looking, hundreds of new items are added daily.
App: iOS only. Free. Image Source: iTunes App Store
Art can be a tricky design element. You want to make sure you display the art just right to add a touch of drama to your home. Curate makes choosing and placing art easier by letting you try out wall art before you buy, or simply before you hang it. You can take a picture of your wall and choose a piece from a variety of galleries to display, making sure it looks as good as you hope. Alternatively, you can take a picture of an art piece while you’re out and about, and use the app to try it on multiple walls before you buy. Moving art around our house can be costly, so use Curate to help inform your decision before you commit.
App: iOS or Android. Free. Image Source: iTunes App Store
Are you looking to completely redesign a space in your home? Do you have no idea how to get that mid-century modern look? Hutch is a great tool. Hutch allows you to upload photos of rooms in your house, remove the existing furniture and try out new, fully furnished designs. Once you find a design that works for your taste, edit specifics to your personal style. Love the seating but hate the coffee table? Change it! Then, you can purchase the exact items within the app and have them shipped right to your door.
App: iOS or Android. Free. Image Source: Google Play Store
