No-Brainer Design: 5 Really Helpful Apps to Make Decorating Easier

Written by

Arlyn Hernandez
Arlyn Hernandez
Arlyn is a rarified born-and-bred Florida girl who can never turn her back on a sad chair in need of rehab or a jewel-tone velvet sofa.
published Oct 26, 2016
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(Image credit: Homestyler)

Furniture is heavy, not to mention a big investment. Don’t you wish you could virtually move things around to see what a new arrangement would look like, or maybe even try something on before purchasing it and bringing it into your home? Save yourself the hassle and headaches of home decor that doesn’t work (after it’s too late), and try one of these five decorating apps to get it right the first time.

Above: With a respectable 4-star rating in both the Google Play and iTunes App stores, the Homestyler app has a ton of useful features, but my favorite part is being able to place 3D models of real furniture in your own room. Not sure what that brass pendant will look like over your island? You don’t have to guess anymore!

Cost: Free

Available Operating Systems: iOS, Android

(Image credit: Big Blue Pixel)

Ever been out shopping and you stumble across a table that makes your heart sing (and is in your budget!) but you’re not sure if it’ll fit? Sure, you can keep notes in your phone of every measurement of every room for uncertain moments like this, or you can tap into your tech to keep a visual guide of all your room dimensions, as well as any furniture pieces you want to save.

Cost: $6.99 on iOS, $4.99 on Android

Available Operating Systems: iOS, Android

(Image credit: Artfully Walls)

Hanging art (especially for a gallery wall) can call for a little experimentation. Sure, there’s the 57″ to center rule of thumb, but when you want to see how multiple art pieces work together without having to put holes in your wall, this app is worth a try.

Cost: Free

Available Operating Systems: iOS

(Image credit: iTunes)

Sometimes, you just wish you had a designer in your pocket (no? just me?). Created by interior designer Mark Lewison (who has an MS in Interior Design from UMass and currently teaches the subject at the Art Institute in California), you can plan out all your room arrangements and play furniture musical chairs without lifting a finger (well, you do have to lift a finger, but not a sofa.)

Cost: $2.99 for iPhone, $4.99 for iPad

Available Operating Systems: iOS

(Image credit: iTunes)

Want to know what that IKEA NOCKEBY sectional will look like in your family room? With SnapShop, you can pick the sofa from the app’s list of featured brands to pull the actual product into an image of your actual room. We wish there were more featured brands available, but if you can’t find the store you’re looking for, you can still play around with the catalog of pre-loaded furniture to help you get an idea of what something might look like.

Cost: Free

Available Operating Systems: iOS

Looking for a little help with your next paint job?