A design process and structure are necessary for interior designers to create the most beautiful spaces and places. It’s more than pretty mood boards and picking out colour palettes; your clients need to be able to visualise a space before the work begins.
This is where digital software tools come into play to help interior designers bring concepts to life because sometimes a sketch isn’t enough. Software tools for interior design allow you to fill spaces from corner to corner with furniture, accessories, wall art prints and anything you would typically use in a home. It’s a great way to create a 3D plan that displays measurements, floor space, paint colours, furniture, and more.
This blog will discuss 5 of the best software tools for interior design and why you should be using them.
1. Sketchup
Sketchup is a well-renowned 3D design modelling software that interior designers popularly use and recommend. Its easy-to-learn features allow beginners to have a good experience using it and create accurate models for client projects that can become immersive enough to give the feeling that you are moving through your future home.
Sketchup is also an excellent platform for hobbyists to use as well as professionals in the design industry. We recommend those taking up this hobby use the free version, which works especially for those starting up and for professionals in architecture, engineering or commercial interior design to use the pro version.
2. Floorplanner
Floorplanner works to help you design and decorate 2D and 3D designs of your space. This software allows you to do this online without downloading the tool directly onto your computer unless you want to. Floorplanner has many great features, but its main strength lies in creating floorplans. However, once completed, you can switch the view into 3D mode and decorate the space. Create and re-use templates and own room styles with just a few clicks to save you time that could be spent working on new designs.
Its practical use is easy to understand, so if you’re looking for something that doesn’t require a significant amount of learning, consider floorplanner for your next project.
3. Home By Me
Home By Me is a handy tool that can be used through a browser and mobile browsers, so whilst you’re on the go, you can work on your design ideas. It has various features that make sense to interior designers sketching future homes for clients. This software allows you to switch easily between 2D to 3D views once you’ve finished creating the floor plan and designing the look of each room. Another great perk of this software is that your clients can add their products to its catalogue, meaning you will be able to furnish your designs with their actual products. What better way to envision a future scenario than with the exact furnishings and home accessories you will use to imagine your future home?
Home By Me offers three packages; free, one-time purchase and monthly subscription.
4. Planner 5D
Like most of the interior design software tools recommended, Planner 5D is made to be a valuable asset to all your design projects. This is also an immersive tool, meaning you can virtually move around the floor plan of your designs. Planner 5D works to help you, and by doing that, they feature templates that you can use to throw together quick floorplans or choose to build these designs from scratch.
This software can be used on the go as it works with IOS, so during those commutes, you can instantly get designing when you get a brainwave of ideas or run into some inspiration.
Although you can use the free version of this software when it comes to designing and decorating the space, unless it is the most basic of in-app furniture, it has the chance to become quite pricey.
<h2> 5. Smartdraw </h2>
Finally, Smartdraw. An innovative designing tool that is recognised in the world of floor planning. Use an endless selection of furniture, building materials and cars to complete the whole design of your home. They even have thousands of templates and floor plan examples to make your design process as seamless as possible.
Smartdraw is also easy enough to learn, and although it is great for beginners, it is also advanced enough to facilitate complex designs for more advanced designers.
<h2> To Conclude </h2>
If you are deciding what tool you should use for your projects or perhaps want to give a new platform a try, we advise you to provide multiple a go. As some might work better for you and others may not, it couldn’t harm to try before you buy! Explore the software tools we have provided and discover what’s best suited for the interior designer in you.
