If you’re thinking about getting a new kitchen, you’re likely dying to know what it could look like! It’s all well and good to be pinning ideas on Pinterest, but if you want to get an idea of how a design will actually work in your space, you’re going to need to use kitchen design tools. But, which tools are available, and are they worth using? Read on to find out more about the best kitchen design tools for visualizing a new kitchen renovation.
Online kitchen design tools are those you can use via your browser or an app to design your kitchen or help with aspects of planning your new kitchen. Some of these are very basic and will simply help you plan your layout or colors, while others are more robust.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many online 3D planners designed specifically for kitchens; most are designed for any type of interior design. Since kitchens need to be measured down to the millimeter, this can leave them somewhat lacking in the kitchen department.
Determining which one is best for you will depend on which features you’re most interested in – do you want to get an idea about the colors you’re using and placement, or do you want an accurate representation of the floorplan? Unless you work with a kitchen redesign tool like Skipp's, with which we come to take accurate measurements in person, you will have to choose between layout and realistic representation of colors.
You’ll be forgiven for expecting there to be kitchen design software that’s like loading up The Sims and building a kitchen, but unfortunately, there isn’t any independent software that’s like that on the market right now.
The free or cheap versions are very basic, and the rest are designed for kitchen design professionals and come with the associated price tag. If you’re determined to download software to plan and design your kitchen, you can find our list of remodeling software here.
If you want fully custom measurements and tailored designs from hundreds of different options, working with a kitchen redesign service like Skipp is your best next step. After a 30-minute in-person precise 3D scan of your kitchen, our software can generate hundreds of options for you based on the measurements in your space that you can then narrow down by budget, needs, and preferences. You’ll be able to customize design options for your kitchen until you pin down your dream design. Can’t wait to get started? Click here to start your kitchen renovation estimate and book your 3D measurement scan appointment.
There aren’t many online apps for designing a kitchen, and they’re likely not going to tick all your boxes. The ones you may want to consider are:
· IKEA Home Planner – you can plan without an account and figure out your cabinet placement. Of course, it only plans for IKEA kitchens, but it’s a good place to start if you just want to brainstorm some ideas.
· Space Designer 3D – another general home planner tool that you can use on your browser. It has realistic graphics that help you visualize what your kitchen will really look like, but it’s not really designed for individual use and so, it is rather expensive.
· Home Stratosphere – this free interior design software includes features for kitchens and can render basic designs to help you visualize your home renovation results.
· Backsplash and Cabinet Colors – this basic software will allow you to combine backsplash and cabinet colors to find a combination you like. While they promote certain products, you can ignore that and look simply at the colors and styles. Many other free online options have poor backsplash options, so this is a good one to use if you’re struggling to find what you need to plan.
· Homestyler – this is another popular option that looks modern and has a good range of options. You may not get entirely accurate measurements here, but you will get a good basic design to share with your kitchen designer or contractor.
· Prodboard Online Kitchen Planner – this free tool will allow you to create a kitchen for any taste. The software is actually designed for professionals, but you can use the kitchen planner without parting with any money.
· Caesarstone’s Kitchen Visualizer – while you won’t be able to make an accurate layout of your kitchen, this hyper-realistic tool will help you choose modern color combinations for your cabinets, backsplash, and countertop. It’s a great tool to consider if you’re thinking about getting a modern kitchen design.
· Floors and Kitchens Today Visualizer – this is another option that will allow you to try out color combinations and textures for cabinets, countertops and backsplashes.
Yes – Houzz’s app will allow you to take pictures of your kitchen and place other images of cabinets and accessories over the top. So… it’s a little like uploading pictures of your kitchen to Photoshop and adding other images. It’s not exactly accurate, but it will give you an idea about where you want things and the color combinations you want to use. User reviews are mixed, but hopefully it will improve in the future.
There’s also Planner 5D which is a great phone app for home floor plans and can even create a realistic rendering of what your kitchen could look like. The basic features are free, but you will need to upgrade to their premium plan to access their full catalog of additional elements.
Formica’s Design a Room is another that allows you to upload your own photo. Once it’s uploaded, you simply need to hover your mouse over each part, and you’ll be able to test different textures, materials and colors. Make sure you’ve got a good quality and well-lit image before you use this software.
For the perfect kitchen, you need to use a tool like Skipp's in which you’re using realistic, accurate measurements. We come out to your home -- only once! -- and take tech-aided measurements that are more accurate than measurements by hand, so you know that your design with us will actually look like your finished kitchen.
However, if you’re planning to use tools just to put your ideas to screen so you can share them with others, consider:
· Create a Pinterest board – this is a great place to collect ideas for your overall look, theme, as well as features and details you want to include. Many would call this making a ‘mood board.’
· Get accurate measurements – remember, space matters in a kitchen, so make sure your measurements are as accurate as possible, even if you’re only making a basic plan.
· Choose an app or software that accurately represents the colors you’re looking for in your kitchen.
· Create your kitchen in a few different free apps if you’re not going to work with a professional designer. This will help you expose any potential issues and find better solutions. Remember, this takes time, so patience is key.
· Make sure you research storage features and more that may not be offered in your software, so you know what you want in your real kitchen.
· Think about how natural light enters the room when you’re selecting colors. Remember that light colors reflect light while dark colors absorb it.
If you don’t like any of the options we’ve listed above, here are some more free options:
· Lowe’s Virtual Kitchen Designer – Like IKEA’s design app, you will be limited to working with their style of kitchen cabinets, but while basic, it does offer realistic renderings of your kitchen.
· Roomstyler – this one is great if you want to get the shape of your kitchen right. Most of us don’t have the benefit of a perfectly square kitchen, and this tool will allow you to free-draw your own walls. It also allows you to add things like small appliances and cutlery to your design.
· Floor Planner – if you’re more interested in replicating or designing your home’s floor plan than rendering a beautiful kitchen, this is a good option. You can design one floor plan for free.
· RoomToDo – another great floorplan software that’s perfect if you’re remodeling a small home or apartment. There’s a mobile version too, though as always, the desktop version is easiest to use.
Once you’ve tried all the tools and got your plans, it’s time to turn them into reality. Start talking to local contractors or, if you’re looking to get your dream kitchen at up to 40% less than what you’d pay through a traditional contractor, talk to us.
Our simple 4-step process takes you from idea to completed kitchen with the least amount of stress possible and offers you far more design options. We’ll come and take your kitchen measurements with a 3D scan, and we’ll input them into our super-smart proprietary software. Then, we offer a full design and build experience, and your plan to tailor it until it’s your dream kitchen at your ideal budget. Our skilled kitchen interior designers are always on hand to help you get the look you’re looking for and get you that Instagrammable and “Pinnable” kitchen you’ve been lusting after.
Then, we work with our trusted contractors to get the job completed to the highest standard as soon as possible, meaning you don’t have to suddenly become a project manager or chase unreliable contractors.
To find out more or to start your renovation estimate and book in for your 3D measurements, click here to get started with your Skipp kitchen plans today.
