Online space and interior planners are highly valuable tools for planning the layout of residential and workspace environments. They allow you to test various furniture arrangements, visualize size proportions, and discover the optimal layout for the space. Real-time adjustments can be made, aiding in avoiding mistakes and fostering creative design ideas. Space planners contribute to making the furnishing process more efficient, creative, and less prone to errors by enabling precise planning and visualization.
What types of space planners are available?
Currently, there are three types of space planners available:
- Simple 2D planners, which are effective in visualizing proportions within a space. You can, for instance, easily check whether the furniture fits into the desired size and arrangement in the room, ensuring there is enough space for movement.
- 3D planners provide a sense of space. With 3D planning tools, you can realistically depict your rooms. 3D space planners offer an intuitive and interactive experience in online space design by utilizing a 3D model.
- Virtual Reality (VR). The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in conjunction with interior planning tools offers an immersive and realistic way to design a room and visualize furniture arrangements.
What can an online space planner do and what can it not?
Space or interior planners allow you to plan the design of your space without actually having to move furniture. They enable you to find the optimal layout and depict size proportions. With a space planner, you can experiment with various placement options and choose the most suitable variant.
Many space planners also allow you to try out different color schemes, as various colors and materials for walls, floors, and furniture is selectable. However, the available selection is typically limited, which may result in the space planner’s output being less realistic in this regard.
Interior planners are generally usable for all types of rooms. Most commonly, they are used for residential spaces such as living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. They are also utilized in offices to design workspaces. Business owners use interior planners for retail and commercial spaces, while in the hospitality industry, they are employed to design hotel rooms, restaurants, and communal areas. With their versatility, interior planners enable the creative design of a wide variety of spaces.
What is the difference between a space planner and an interior planner?
The terms ‘space planner’ and ‘interior planner’ are often colloquially used interchangeably. However, they can indeed have different focuses. Here are the typical distinctions between a space planner and an interior planner:
A space planner typically focuses on the fundamental structure and arrangement of spaces within a building. This may involve creating floor plans, placing walls, positioning windows and doors, and defining the overall spatial distribution. Space planners are often more versatile and can be used for various applications, including residential spaces, offices, commercial spaces, or even entire buildings. They enable the visualization of spatial layout and help plan the flow and functionality of the space.
On the other hand, an interior planner primarily focuses on the furniture and interior decor of a space. It allows for the virtual placement of furniture, selection of colors and materials, and planning the aesthetic design of a room.
In many cases, however, the terms are used interchangeably, and the functions may vary depending on the provider.
Are online space planners truly free of charge?
Most online space planners are indeed free or, at the very least, offer a free version. Free space planners often do not include as many features as their paid counterparts. The choice of your planning tool should depend on the specific features you need and how comprehensive you want your planning to be. It can also be helpful to try out different tools to find the one that best suits your needs. If it is primarily about furnishing spaces, you should choose the planning tool from your preferred furniture provider. In their planning tool, you can plan with ‘real’ furniture.
Floor Plan and Interior Design Planning made easier than ever
The planning of floor layouts and furnishings has never been easier than today. Thanks to advanced technology, numerous online floor planners are available, differing in functionality, user-friendliness, and additional features offered. Below, we present a selection of the most popular space planners that assist in optimizing the design of your living spaces.
Examples of Apps and Online Planners
The right software for interior design and space planning is a crucial tool for renovating office and living spaces. An overview of the most popular 3D space planner apps:
HOMESTYLER
At Homestyler, the emphasis is less on individual planning and more on sharing one’s own designs and following other users. The 3D view in the editing mode may take some getting used to. The catalog includes both universal furniture and designer pieces.
- Price: Free + paid versions with additional options
• Features: Good
• User-Friendliness: Good
• Link iOS (Download), Android (Download)
ROOMLE
The Roomle space planning app, available for free, offers comprehensive features for room design. This includes to-scale floor plans, a diverse selection of furniture and colors, as well as an impressive 3D view for virtual house tours. An additional highlight is the augmented reality feature of the space planner.
However, navigating the app proves to be challenging. Precisely adjusting walls requires significant effort, and entering specific measurements is not possible. Unfortunately, there is also a lack of a ‘Back’ button.
- • Price: Free + paid Pro versions
• Features: Good
• User-Friendliness: Satisfactory
• Link: iOS (Download), Android (Download)
HOUZZ
Houzz provides countless design ideas. The free basic version of the app does not focus on creating floor plans but instead offers inspiration for designing personal spaces. It taps into an extensive image database with ideas for various interior styles. Over 400,000 photos are available in the space planner app to find creative inspiration for personal living spaces. In the paid Pro version, there is also the option to take 3D tours with augmented reality through the created sketches.
- Price: Free + paid Pro version
• Features: Satisfactory
• User-Friendliness: Good
• Link: iOS (Download), Android (Download)
MAGIC PLAN
With the MagicPlan app, users can effortlessly create precise floor plans. By using the smartphone camera, existing rooms can be easily mapped and combined into an overall view of an apartment or house. Additionally, room planning through augmented reality allows for a virtual 3D walkthrough. However, some drawbacks in this space planning application include the use of voice commands and non-disableable videos.
- Price: Free + paid version
• Features: Good
• User-Friendliness: Satisfactory
• Link: iOS (Download), Android (Download)
ROOMSKETCHER
RoomSketcher is user-friendly and offers various room views, integration of furniture, and decorations. However, the space planner is only moderately intuitive to use. Youtube tutorials provide assistance. The database for apartment planning with furniture, accessories, decor, and other furnishings is sufficient in the free version.
- Price: Free + paid Pro version
• Features: Good
• User-Friendliness: Satisfactory
• Link: iOS Download, Android Download
Planner 5D:
Planner 5D offers simple 2D and 3D space planning with a large library of furniture and decorations and an intuitive user interface.
- Price: Free + paid add-ons
• Features: Good
• User-Friendliness: Good
• Link: https://planner5d.com/de
Can online space planning work even if I’m not a design professional?
Online space planning is possible even without design experience. With user-friendly tools, you can easily use templates, place furniture with drag-and-drop, and utilize pre-made color palettes. An intuitive interface and tutorials simplify the process. At Flexcube, we offer you free and non-binding expertise for your interior planning using the Flexcube design classic: for large or small office projects, your medical practice, your law firm, or even just your home office.
