One of the best skills a professional designer can have is the ability to see in our minds how something will look in a space – from empty room to completed project. The second best skill is the ability to communicate this vision to our clients – verbally as well as using visualizer tools such as sketching, renderings and computer aided 3D images. Obviously not everyone who is decorating their home is going to be hiring a designer to help them “see” how it will all look. Luckily today, technology has come so far that many websites and brands offer visualizer tools that will help you place their products right into YOUR EXISTING SPACE!
Here are some examples. (Please note this post includes affiliate links. A small commission is paid on sales generated from these links, at no additional cost to you. This goes to help support this blog. Thank you!)
So, say you’ve decorated your living room, but you can’t decide on a rug:
This website visually places a selected rug right into a photo of your room! You find a rug you like, and click on the “See this rug in your room” link:
You will be guided to take a photo, or upload an existing photo, of your room. You can use your phone or desk top computer.
You can rotate the rug and change the size based on the available sizes. Here are more examples showing different rugs – click on any image to bring you to that rug listing!
This is a fun and helpful visualizer tool, isn’t it?
Ikea has a really nifty visualizer tool for creating kitchens and closet plans – it’s pretty easy to use with floor plan, 3D, line drawings and shopping list. I created this plan very quickly. I’ve not used Ikea for kitchen or closet designs myself, but I know others who have and have been fairly happy with them. As with all Ikea – there is a lot of assembling involved, so find someone with experience and patience! Pro Tip – Semi-Handmade does cabinet fronts and parts specifically to fit on Ikea boxes for a more custom-look. The Ikea planner is not suitable for mobile uses.
Speaking of kitchens:
Wilsonart has a super easy visualizer tool to see how different materials and colors will work together. There are different kitchen and bath set ups to choose from and then it’s a simple click to change the wall colors, cabinet materials and floor and counter surfaces. They also have office, hospitality and other spaces to choose from.
Coming up I will have more tools to help you visualize your space! Let me know in the comments if there are any specific things you would find helpful!
You may also enjoy:
Interior Design & Architectural Resources
Wilsonart at the Kitchen & Bath Show