Interior designers rarely stay in one place. They’re meeting with clients, attending conferences and browsing showrooms and home decor stores. With all this mobility, they need to be able to work on the go – and with these apps, it’s a lot easier.
Here are five free apps every interior designer needs.
Pinterest
Since its debut, Pinterest has been a helpful tool for interior designers and their clients. Easy to use and always changing, Pinterest allows both designers and clients to search for specific products and ideas from all corners of the Internet. Almost constantly updated, Pinterest makes it easy to cultivate an idea for a room design and collaborate with clients. Users can share boards and view each other’s pins in real time.
Pinterest is also one of the best places to find inspiration. With so many product photos and lifestyle shots, it’s easy to find cool ideas to impress and inspire your clients. Anne Rue of Anne Rue Interiors says Pinterest is the one app she can’t live without.
Houzz
With the Houzz app, your Houzz community goes with you wherever you go. The Houzz app helps users share ideas, find local professionals, shop for products and get advice from the Houzz community all in one app.
“It is so wonderful,” says Jem Funk, premier stylist at thelightingdiva.com. "You can find tradesmen/tradeswomen, local businesses and inspirations, and clients love to send you their ideas via Houzz.”
Color Capture
Have you ever had a client bring in a blanket or a shirt and say they want to paint the walls the exact color of the object? It’s hard to match colors this way, even when you’re standing in the paint isle of your local hardware store, but with the Color Capture app, you don’t have to take a guess on the color.
Simply take a photo of the object in question, and Color Capture will match you to the closest shade of Benjamin Moore paint available. You won’t have to play the color guessing game, and your client will be impressed with your color finesse.
Dropbox
For interior designers everywhere, Dropbox has become an essential app for any phone or tablet. Chad Gracie, interior designer and co-founder of Graci Interiors in New Orleans, says Dropbox is “invaluable to my practice.”
The Dropbox app allows you to take your design photos anywhere you go. With the app, you can preview, edit and share files easily. Whether you’re meeting a client on site or traveling to High Point Market, your work goes with you.
MagicPlan
Designing a room takes serious planning. One mistake in measurements can throw off the entire design of a home, so it’s vital that you get each measurement just right. Luckily, there’s MagicPlan, the simple app that lets you plan a room and keep track of measurements all with one app.
Using photos from your phone, MagicPlan will create a professional floor plan and provide work estimates. Users can add objects, annotations, photos and attributes to make the app’s report even more accurate.
Which interior design apps do you love? Share with us in the comments!
