67+ Best Interior (and Exterior) Design Tools
Are you thinking about your next renovation project or creating something new? New builds and renovation projects can be costly if not done the first time. Having been in the engineering and design industry for over 7 years, these are the best interior and exterior design tools I would consider in my personal and professional life. Use these tools for design and inspiration on your next project and crush your project before it even starts!
What Are The Best Interior Design Tools?
1. 3D Modeling Software
3D modeling software is essential in the technology-focused world of today. Computer-aided Design (CAD) is what everyone is using to bring their ideas to life. CAD is a precise, efficient, and easy tool to use as you develop design drawings. There is a reason this is at the top of the list for best interior design tools.
2. 3D PDF Software
Using 3D pdf is an effective way to share information. When a design project gets complicated or might be hard to understand from 2D plans and sections, a 3D pdf allows you or the client to manipulate and grasp a holistic picture of the design intent.
3. 3D Scanning
If you are renovating an existing space or adding on to an existing building, 3D scanning is a great way to get precise existing conditions for your project. Visualize where the existing structure is, and how to incorporate your new design into it. Figure out where clashes may occur, and better prepare for construction coordination before they become issues in the field.
4. Photogrammetric Software
Like 3D scanning, creating reliable digital content with photographs allows you to create and verify existing conditions. Strides are being made to use photographs for existing modeling.
5. Virtual Reality (VR) Software
Being able to walk through your project at scale before it is built can be a powerful tool. See how the space lays out, and how you will interface with things in a virtual environment allows you to make changes on the fly and potentially avoid costly changes during construction.
6. Visualization Software
As technology grows, the ability to create higher-quality images and renderings is easier than ever. Use this technology early on in design as you start to conceptualize your finished product. Oftentimes you can adjust the sun location, time of day, and backgrounds to help you get closer to the actual look.
7. 3D Design Apps
Performing design tasks from your phone or tablet have never been easier. There are more apps than ever that allow you to create realistic and accurate models from your phone. Share them easily between devices making design apps one of the best interior design tools out there.
8. Small Element Design Software
Designing something is often more than a room or a building. We add furniture and other equipment to our spaces. Some software is better suited for this work than others. Having supporting design software that easily communicates with your primary software is another important set for the best interior design tools.
9. Furniture Design Apps
Much like the floor plan and building design apps, smaller furniture and element design apps are available on your phone or tablet. Use these while you are out and about reviewing that perfect piece of furniture or a specific piece of equipment.
10. Panoramic Images
Panoramic Images or 3D images allow you to look around a room from one specific point. They can be useful as you look to grasp the whole space and not just from a single point of view.
11. 3D Renderings
Building a 3D rendering is helpful to visualize the entire project. Renderings can be cropped sections allowing you to see into space. 3D renderings are powerful tools for visualization.
12 Build A Mock Up
If you like to go a little old-fashioned, you can build a physical mock-up of your project. Use easy-to-manipulate materials and focus on the correct scale and go as big or as small as you like.
13. Tape It Out
Trying to feel how big a space will be? Find an open area and tape it out. Establish your boundaries and don’t forget to add your furniture and other items to the space. Sometimes one of the best interior design tools is the simplest one.
14. Use Legos
Legos are a great design tool. They can be scaled accurately, are easy to use, and are pretty enjoyable to work with. Legos come in a variety of shapes and sizes allowing you to reach a desired level of detail.
15. Use A Videogame
Sandbox video games are fun ways to help you conceptualize design early on. Games like No Mans’s Sky and Minecraft provide you with plenty of ways to build and model design ideas.
16. Use Pencil And Paper Sketches
Paper and pencil are the pillars of all other design tools. Everything starts as a sketch or a rough idea that can then be put into programs or built into a visualized element.
17. Use Google Trends
Utilizing search tools like Google Trends allows you to look for trending design topics. If you are looking for inspiration on a new project, consider looking through google trends for up-and-coming design trends.
18. Find Inspiration On Youtube
Youtube is packed full of videos full of house tours, design inspiration, DIY projects, and new and upcoming product reviews. Utilize Youtube to see if you spot a new idea or find a new source of inspiration.
19. Check Out A House Plan Website
There are numerous websites out there that are selling house plans. You will find plans with numerous different sizes and styles to find inspiration. If you find a plan you like, see if they have any images that you can click through for any interior and exterior design features.
20. Check Out Pinterest
Pinterest is full of any and every type of design and inspirational content. This makes Pinterest an effective design tool whether you have a design in mind or not.
21. Look Through Instagram
Instagram can also be a convenient place to find inspiration. Whether you are looking through reels or following popular design companies, you can often find various content showing off design ideas and DIY content.
22. Join A Facebook Community
Various facebook communities can also be good interior design tools. Facebook communities that are centered around certain themes can help you find exactly what you are looking for.
23. Find Designer Websites
You can also look through popular designers’ websites for their past projects as sources of inspiration. If you like their work so much, consider reaching out for their consulting help.
24. Check Out Design Magazines
While magazines maybe not be as popular as they once were, they can still be sources of inspiration and a good interior design tool. Magazine companies are usually up on the most current and up in-coming trends as well as new products.
25. Attend A Trade Show
Visiting trade shows is another opportunity to immerse yourself in the design world. See what products, styles, and technology are up and coming. You might even pick up some free samples to help you visualize.
26. Go To Collaboration Event
Collaboration events are another opportunity to talk with a lot of designers and collaborate on various design ideas. Use this as a way to learn new design techniques and meet like-minded people that you can talk with to help you in future design pursuits.
27. Contact Consulting Services
If a design project is just too much for you or you are worried the time constraint is too much, reach out to a professional design consulting service. They can make your life a lot easier and will have all of the tools and knowledge to get your project off the ground.
28. Visit A Department Store
Department stores might have displays or collections of products that you can design around. Not only can you see items in the store for inspiration, but you might also be able to get a sense of the size and quality of particular products you are interested in.
29. Visit A Design Studio
Design studios like a kitchen or a bathroom design studio will also be able to assist you to bring your ideas to life. Design studios will have past projects that they can show you as you look to start your schematic design.
30. Build A Shade Card
Building your own shade card lets you capture the overall color scheme of your space. Keep this card handy while you look for new products and features to incorporate into your design.
31. Invest In Fabric Swatches
To build off color swatches, assembling some fabric sachets will also help you build a holistic concept of your space. Use color and fabric swatches in addition to floor samples to build the concept of your design.
32. Invest In Floor Samples
Floor samples are important things to review. Flooring is an expensive addition to any project. Use floor samples to feel how a particular flooring will work with your space. Test out its durability, water resistance, and feel.
33. Attend Open Houses
Open houses are good ways to walk through homes that may have similar design tastes as your own. Walking through an open house allows you to view the scale and function of particular design features you are interested in.
34. Attend The Parade Of Homes
Builders are looking to put their best showpieces into the parade of homes. Touring the parade of homes allows you to see the most current design trends and see high-quality materials and construction in use.
35. Visit Real Estate Websites
Online real estate websites like Zillow are great ways to view lots of houses in a short piece of time. Utilize the new and sold categories to check out popular design trends in your own area.
36. Create An Inspiration Board
Print off various design pictures and design content to create your own design inspiration board. Add post-it notes or other small notes to help keep track of different thoughts as you progress through the design phase. Even consider using a smart whiteboard to collaborate with your team easier than ever before.
37. Hold A Design Party
If you are struggling to find the perfect design, consider having a party with your friends and family. Get the creative juices flowing and talk about what people would think would be great realistic features to have out of this project.
38. Take Notes On Your Day
A simple interior design tool you can use is to take notes of your day-to-day. Look for hidden ideas or trends that you do every day and ways you can take advantage or change them.
39. Watch Designer TV Shows
Why not relax while you are designing right? Consider popular designer TV shows as a design tool. Many shows provide a breadth of knowledge to projects that can be helpful to you from early design all the way through construction.
40. Look Into Books
You can also look at books for design aids. Textbooks and technically loaded books can be good design tools to prove a concept or learn about a new idea or design aspect you may not have heard of before.
41. Visit Home Builder Websites
Look up builders in your area and check out their websites. Home builders will have past projects that you can look for inspiration for and also get an idea of what people are building in your area. This can also be an opportunity to get an estimate of costs.
42. Take A Trip
It’s easy to get into a rut and be stuck in design ideas and trends. Take a trip and see a new area of the world. See if there are any design ideas that might be worth bringing back home with you. Travel, who would have thought it could be a design tool?
43. Check Out Local Businesses
Stick close to home and support local businesses. See what businesses are doing and what they like to style. The perk to this is that in a given area there are plenty of different themes and styles that you might be able to check out.
44. Watch Some Movies
Whether it’s an evil lair or the hero’s luxury mansion, movies have a way of finding some awesome places to use for their sets. Next time you watch a movie, pay attention to the background and spaces they are in
45. Use Drone Photography
Drone photography is becoming less cost-prohibitive and the quality of photos is improving. Using drone technology to help see how the project will interact with the surrounding space is a strong design tool.
46. Use Drone 3D Scanning
Go one step further and utilize drone 3D scanning and mapping technology. Create 3D models of large spaces and help with site layout and building orientation.
47. Look For Government Credits
Even though you might be focused on one particular area of design, consider looking into Government tax credits. Shifting to energy-saving products or technology could be done with little additional cost to you and there may be some perks come tax season.
48. Check Out Product Reviews
Looking up product reviews is also a unique design tool. Even though something looks perfect it may be a lemon of a product and could end up being more of a hassle than it’s worth. Reading product reviews will help you get a sense of the quality of a product.
49. Look At Products Online
Places like Amazon or Wayfair have large catalogs of products you can look through for design help. Their products are usually staged and might be another way to find particular design trends.
50. Consider Phasing Or Construction Sequences
Maybe your project is a five-year plan. It’s crucial to think about phasing and how you will get from your current state to the finished state especially if this is a house project. Figure out how the construction process will go before starting.
51. Make A Wish List
When starting any project, make a wish list of any and everything you may want in the project. Not everything might make the final list, but if you don’t add it to the list in the first place, you will never know if it can be added.
52. Make A Need List
Part of the programming phase of a project lay out everything you will need out of the project or space. The needs of your project will drive the most important design decisions.
53. Use Google Maps
Google maps can be a strong design tool for anyone looking at a new build, addition, or outdoor project. Understanding how a project will lay out on a site can affect design decisions. Consider polar orientation, sun movement, road access, utilities, and also desirable features like ponds, fields, or expansive views.
54. Use Building Integrated Modeling (BIM) For Clash Detection
BIM software is a powerful tool for large projects, especially when there are multiple disciplines are involved. Running clash detection before construction starts helps avoid costly changes during construction.
55. Ask Local Contractors
If you have any questions on construction concepts, reach out to local contractors. This is an opportunity to learn about how feasible construction might be and also a way to start gathering numbers for bids.
56. Use Your Existing Drawings
If you are working on an existing project, having a good set of existing drawings is a very important design tool. Whether it’s original house plans or larger building plans, existing drawings can save you a lot of time and money upfront.
57. Get Good Field Take Off
Having accurate field take-off information is as important as existing drawings. If you are working on a house project, make having accurate field take-off will help you with material estimating and limit confusion during construction.
58. Use PDF Markup Tools
Being able to convey information between you and your contractor or design team is important. Utilizing pdf markup software is a good design tool to have. You can convey information quickly and concisely. Pdf markup tools can also be used for light design work.
59. Consult Local Engineers And Architects
If you are undertaking a large project that involves any structural modifications, or large-scale renovations, you should consult a local engineering or architectural firm. Sometimes one of the the best interior (and exterior) design tools is knowing when to bring in help. They will have the knowledge and know-how to keep you out of trouble down the road. Your local governing agency may require a professional engineer or licensed architectural stamp for your type or project.
60. Ask Questions To Your Local Building Inspector
Nearly any project that you are going to take on will need to be reviewed by a building inspector. Reaching out to a building inspector before starting a project is a good way to understand what will be needed and what you can and can not do.
61. Verify City Ordinances And Codes
Much like reaching out to a building inspector, looking up building codes and ordinances is another way to know what is allowed, what you need to design to, and find any other requirements that you need to be aware of.
62. Do A Traffic Flow Study Of Your Project
If you are designing an interior design project, it’s important to understand how a room will function and how people (and pets) may move through the space. Understanding the traffic flow through the space should consider adjacent rooms and how everything interacts. This interior design tool should be used early on.
63. Run A Programming Exercise
Programming is an early phase similar to a traffic flow study, but an ever higher level look. If you are designing a new building or extensive addition, use a programming exercise to understand where you will place rooms. Ie Kitchen area, Bedroom area, living room area, etc.
64. Consider Future Conditions
Considering future conditions of the design can mean what will the future use of the space be? Will there be an addition added later? Considering these future conditions is one of the best interior design tools to think about.
65. Visit Furniture Stores
Furniture stores commonly have small setups to showcase their products. These small setups can provide you with a lot of design ideas. Large department stores will have multiple styles that you can look at while you are there making it an easy way to see plenty of different design options.
66. Invest In Color Swatches
Using color swatches gives you the ability to test out specific colors in your space without breaking out the paintbrush. See how the light changes the color in your space and if there are hidden hues or tones that come out that you weren’t expecting.
67. Consider Sustainable Design Options
Whether you are remodeling a house or a small business, sustainable design is becoming more and more integrated into our lives. Consider incorporating sustainable design aspects into your design. This can be eco friendly furniture, energy-efficient appliances, and highly insulated walls and window assemblies.
68. Bring In A Project Manager
If you are worried about balancing the many aspects of a design project, consider getting a project manager on board early. They can help you deal with multiple contractors, billing, and other high-level aspects while you focus on bringing your design to life.
More Tools Are Always Being Added. Be sure to check back for more!
The Wrap Up
There are a plethora of design tools that you can use on your next design project. Every project is unique and will require its own set of tools to complete. Incorporating these design tools early on will help kick off your project in the right direction. This list lays out the best interior (and exterior) design tools that I use everyday and will help you on your next project.
Starting a project right is crucial for the overall success of the project. A good beginning will save you a lot of time and headaches over the life of the project. It can even save you a considerable amount of money.
