How to Design an Interactive Room

Designing your empty room is easy if you use interactive design tools.

Whether you are moving into a new home or redesigning the one you have, choosing the correct furniture, flooring or wall color can be tricky. A small swatch of fabric or paint chip is often inadequate when visualizing your finished room. Furniture showrooms don't have to contend with doorways or windows when setting up displays, and furniture looks smaller in the store than it does inside the confines of your home. To minimize the chance of a costly mistake, it is wise to plan your room using one of the interactive room design tools that are available online.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Room dimensions
• Location and measurement of doorways and windows
• Measurements of furniture
• Color and fabric swatches
• Computer
• Online interactive design software

Instructions

1. 

   It's important to know the room dimensions and measurements of furniture before making purchases.

   Measure each room's length and width, and indicate placement of windows and doorways. Obtain or measure the length, width and depth of each piece of furniture intended for each room. (Most furniture manufacturers provide measurements on their websites and in showrooms.) Write down all measurements for easy reference.

2. 

   There are interative design programs for furniture placement and color, tile and carpet choices.

   Locate a website that provides an interactive design program by entering "designing a room" in your search engine's search box. You may need to use one program for furniture placement and another to visualize colors or flooring. Register on the sites that provide the programs you need, and bookmark each site on your computer for easy retrieval.

3. 

   Name your rooms and furnishings for easy reference.

   Choose or name the room you are designing and enter its dimensions and layout. If the program provides for placement of doors and windows, add them into the room's structure.

4. 

   By using an interactive design tool, you can easily determine if furnishings fit the scale of your room.

   Add each piece of furniture by naming it (sofa, recliner) and adding its measurements. If you have not located the exact piece of furniture, determine the right dimensions for your room, and experiment with different pieces. Place furniture in the room, using the rotate feature or the "handle" on the furniture to turn it in the correct direction. The furniture can be moved around the room, swiveled or deleted once added.

5. 

   By saving your room design you can return to it to edit, add or print.

   Save each room after you have completed its design online to avoid having to enter dimensions and layout a second time. Saved rooms can be revisited and revised as needed and printed for your next shopping trip.

6. 

   Some websites allow you to upload a picture of your room and refloor it.

   Complete the vision for your room by visiting the websites that offers interactive room design tools for flooring, kitchen cabinets and wall colors. Seeing that burgundy paint color or bamboo floor covering in a room setting can make all the difference in your final decisions!

Tips & Warnings

• Create a design portfolio for your project that includes color chips, fabric swatches, tile or carpet samples, room dimensions and design layout. Carry this portfolio with you when you shop, and make as many shopping trips as necessary before making your final design purchases.

References

• Better Homes and Gardens
• National Wood Flooring Association

Resources

• Better Homes and Gardens "Arrange-a-Room"
• Design-a-Room
• Design Tools From Armstrong
• Sherwin Williams Paint Visualizer