How to Design Rooms With Software

Use a graphically generated floor plan to design your room to skip the model-building process.

To begin designing a room using software, choose two free software applications available over the Internet: Better Homes and Garden's Arrange A Room, and Plan Your Room's Room Planner. These software solutions have easy-to-use features that guide you through the process of making a room. Room Planner in particular has special options that let you decorate the room with floor designs, paint and furniture.

Instructions

Instructions--Better Homes and Gardens Software

1. Go to the Better Homes and Garden's Arrange A Room website (arrangearoom.bhg.com/arrangearoom).

2. Allow the software to load. Register if prompted. Registration is free.

3. Choose from one of four basic floor plan layouts.

4. Change the dimensions and shape of the layout by clicking on a wall and dragging it to a larger or shorter size. Double-click on the wall to add a new corner. Click on an existing corner and then click on the "X" button that appears to delete that corner.

5. Add furniture to the room using the "Furniture" tab in the left side panel. Drag the furniture icon from the list on the left side panel into your room. Change the dimensions of the furniture by typing in new numbers.

6. Change the color of the room by clicking the "Color" tab in the left side panel and scrolling through the spectrum of colors.

7. Save your new room design by clicking the "Save" button at the top.

Instructions--Plan Your Room

1. Load the Plan Your Room's Room Planner software by visiting the website (planyourroom.com).

2. Type in the dimensions of the room you wish to start with. Take the time to explore the sample and example rooms if you want inspiration for your room.

3. Change the dimensions of the walls by clicking on them and dragging them. Double-click a wall to create a new corner, then drag it to change the angles of walls to each other. To delete a corner, click on it and then on the "X" button that appears.

4. Choose different furniture, floor coverings, and doors and windows for your room by scrolling through the tabs of the same name in the left side panel. Simply click on icons of furniture, floor coverings and paint colors, and doors and windows, and drag them into the room.

5. Save your room by clicking on the "Save" button in the top series of buttons and choosing a name for your room.

References

• Better Homes and Gardens: Arrange A Room
• Plan Your Room: Room Planner