How to Design a House Online

Small Blue Printer allows you to design your dream house online. This free site gives you all the tools to design a viable home blueprint and manipulate placement of all the elements--walls, windows and doors--until you have them right where you want them. Once your online home design is complete, Small Blue Printer converts your design into a 3D walkthrough so you can experience the design from inside its walls.

Instructions

1. Log on to Small Blue Printer (see Resources below).

2. Click the "Start Using Small Blue Printer" link in the top portion of the screen.

3. Select "Blank Plan" to start with a blank grid and design your house's blueprint from scratch.

4. Select "Sample Plan" to start with a basic layout that you then customize.

5. Browse through the four sample plans provided by Small Blue Printer to determine which, if any, are close to your dream design.

6. Choose the sample plan that requires the least amount of customization to produce your dream design. If none of the sample plans is right for you, start over and select a blank plan.

7. Manipulate the wall, window and door placement within the blueprint design until you have each where you want them.

8. Change the display scale, the color of the walls and the color of the sky in the panel to the right of the screen labeled "3D View Properties."

9. Click the "Isometric View" tab at the top of the Small Blue Printer screen to switch views.

10. Select the "3D Walkthrough" tab at the top of the Small Blue Printer screen to switch to a 3-D walkthrough of your design.

11. Press the "Print" tab at the top of the Small Blue Printer screen to print your blueprint design once it is completed. In the "Print" screen, click the "Print" button in the bottom of the "3D View Properties" box.

Tips & Warnings

• One grid square in Small Blue Printer equals two feet.

Resources

• Use a free online home blueprint designer.