Kitchen Designer Programs
Once upon a time, getting a kitchen design off the ground involved professional architects, blueprints and interior design professionals. In today's computer age, the process more often gets started with one of the design programs available on the market. Many of these programs have the capability to lay out designs for entire homes, while others are geared specifically toward kitchen design.
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Google SketchUp
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Google SketchUp is an easy-to-use, free program that allows users to lay out designs. The software isn't geared toward the specifics of kitchen design, but the price is right for those who can't afford expensive design programs. (SketchUp itself has a $450+ "Pro" version, which can be difficult to learn from scratch.) Though this software is not tailored to kitchen design, you may be able to search the program's 3D Warehouse to find plans other users have created; you can then make changes to these templates on your own computer. The only support available for the program is peer support, but it is extensive and well-tended.
SmartDraw
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At $200 for one user, SmartDraw is a decent buy (compared to professional products which are designed for advanced users and may cost thousands of dollars) and is developing into the go-to program for everyday non-professional designers. SmartDraw may give you more than you bargained for in terms of tools you won't need for designing a kitchen. But it also offers templates, instead of expecting you to start from the ground up (or presuming you have a degree in drafting). The templates are manipulable enough to expand past recognition from the originals.
3D Home Architect Home & Landscape Design Suite 9
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Another general design program, this one is inexpensive (around $40 retail) and gets fairly high ratings for most of its features. Some users report trouble with the scaling features, while others note the execution of the program's functions is bare-bones. The program is not exclusive to kitchens, of course, but can be used to nail down the design of individual rooms as part of the whole-house design. Users report the help sections and support features are high-quality. For the price, you might give this program a try.
Professional Kitchen Design Programs
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A number of professional-grade programs are available, including KitchenDesignSoftware.Com and Pulsar USA. However, efficient use of these programs is best left to the professionals. Unless you have an advanced degree, it may be more time- and cost-effective to hire an architect or interior designer than to invest in purchasing your own copy of this software and taking the time to learn to use it.
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References
- Photo Credit blueprint image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
