I used a much older version of this when we updated our kitchen/dining room/bar/laundry room. I took my plan sheets to Lowe’s to get cabinets and countertops and they were surprised that it was pretty accurate.
Sierra Home Architect
I think it’s discontinued, but there’s several other apps available.
@2many2no Wait. What? You have kitchen cabinets that cats can’t sit on the top of like our March goat’s cats did? Actually I never understood why people left that space up there. Having them go to the ceiling makes far more sense.
@2many2no@Kidsandliz When we had our kitchen cabinets installed, my wife wanted them to go to the (9-foot) ceiling. I disagreed, thinking the highest shelves would be too hard to reach, plus then we couldn’t put knickknacks or plants on top like shorter cabinets would allow. We wound up with a mix which is OK, but now I think she was right in the first place. It’s a PITA to dust up there.
@2many2no@Kidsandliz@macromeh
Those unreachable top shelves are for the things you only use once a year, or the hideous piece someone gave you that you only take down when they visit you.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@macromeh
Our original cabinets had a gap at the top with crown molding, but it was wasted dust-collecting space. Now we put that once-a-year holiday stuff up there.
Here’s a site that wants to sell you stuff (of course) but has lots of pictures:
@2many2no@Kidsandliz@macromeh i have tall ceilings in my kitchen. The cupboards go to the 9 foot ceiling on one wall and there is a space at top on the other wall. I can barely reach the second shelf in my overhead cupboards and have a folding step stool in the kitchen for higher shelves.
@2many2no@Kidsandliz I have a pitched ceiling in my kitchen, so there’s a limit, unless I want to pay big $$$ for something custom. Otherwise, I would like to have more enclosed storage, even if it is too high to reach without a Kik-Step.
@2many2no@macromeh@mbersiam@pocketbrain@kyeh What you need, if they don’t go to the ceiling, is cats who go up there and then dust it for you as they do their cat spy bot thing up there. See the cat thread from last month.
If you want to virtually “try on” some furniture, Ikea’s site is great for experimenation. You can even scan your room to see where to place items. Ikea Kreativ
The higher end furniture stores generally have interior designers on staff that will sit with you and work out a floor plan for furniture. The bedroom might be a candidate for this. You need to have a scale drawing of the room, or at least bring the measurements and note where doors and windows are.
A side comment about finishing the basements. Make sure you control for moisture on/through the walls as if you don’t when you hang things on the wall you will get mold behind them and the mold can then eat the back side of what is hanging (don’t ask me how I know that LOL).
I’m also a visual person. The virtual design tools above will definitely help you. But I’ve also found it helpful to use a more primitive but actual approach. Masking tape outlines on the floor and/or walls. Large cardboard boxes where the cabinets would go. Sheets draped over something. Whatever works to give a sense of the actual physical protrusions.
And while you are measuring, be sure to include the effect of any moldings and baseboards. I just missed that, and the bookcase I was sure would slip into an area got hung on some molding .
Give floorplanner.com a go. You set up as a 2d space and then can switch to 3d to get a better sense of how it “feels”. It’s not free but it’s very inexpensive and you can buy credits vs the subscription to upgrade a single plan. I’ve used it a lot.
I used a much older version of this when we updated our kitchen/dining room/bar/laundry room. I took my plan sheets to Lowe’s to get cabinets and countertops and they were surprised that it was pretty accurate.
Sierra Home Architect
I think it’s discontinued, but there’s several other apps available.
Before
Cabinets in
@2many2no Wait. What? You have kitchen cabinets that cats can’t sit on the top of like our March goat’s cats did?
Actually I never understood why people left that space up there. Having them go to the ceiling makes far more sense.
@2many2no @Kidsandliz When we had our kitchen cabinets installed, my wife wanted them to go to the (9-foot) ceiling. I disagreed, thinking the highest shelves would be too hard to reach, plus then we couldn’t put knickknacks or plants on top like shorter cabinets would allow. We wound up with a mix which is OK, but now I think she was right in the first place. It’s a PITA to dust up there.
@2many2no @Kidsandliz @macromeh
Those unreachable top shelves are for the things you only use once a year, or the hideous piece someone gave you that you only take down when they visit you.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @macromeh
Our original cabinets had a gap at the top with crown molding, but it was wasted dust-collecting space. Now we put that once-a-year holiday stuff up there.
Here’s a site that wants to sell you stuff (of course) but has lots of pictures:
Houzz
@2many2no @Kidsandliz @macromeh i have tall ceilings in my kitchen. The cupboards go to the 9 foot ceiling on one wall and there is a space at top on the other wall. I can barely reach the second shelf in my overhead cupboards and have a folding step stool in the kitchen for higher shelves.
What I don’t have is enough counter space.
@2many2no @Kidsandliz I have a pitched ceiling in my kitchen, so there’s a limit, unless I want to pay big $$$ for something custom. Otherwise, I would like to have more enclosed storage, even if it is too high to reach without a Kik-Step.
@2many2no @macromeh @mbersiam @pocketbrain @kyeh What you need, if they don’t go to the ceiling, is cats who go up there and then dust it for you as they do their cat spy bot thing up there. See the cat thread from last month.
If you want to virtually “try on” some furniture, Ikea’s site is great for experimenation. You can even scan your room to see where to place items. Ikea Kreativ
The higher end furniture stores generally have interior designers on staff that will sit with you and work out a floor plan for furniture. The bedroom might be a candidate for this. You need to have a scale drawing of the room, or at least bring the measurements and note where doors and windows are.
A side comment about finishing the basements. Make sure you control for moisture on/through the walls as if you don’t when you hang things on the wall you will get mold behind them and the mold can then eat the back side of what is hanging (don’t ask me how I know that LOL).
There are sites that let you create a virtual floor plan - we used one where I used to work and it was helpful:
https://www.mymove.com/home-inspiration/interior-design/best-free-online-virtual-room-programs-and-tools/
@Kyeh thanks! I’ll give one of these a try. I’m a visual peraon so it’s hard for me to “see” something that isn’t as it is in front of me.
@mbersiam Same here, and measurements are always easy to get wrong.
I’m also a visual person. The virtual design tools above will definitely help you. But I’ve also found it helpful to use a more primitive but actual approach. Masking tape outlines on the floor and/or walls. Large cardboard boxes where the cabinets would go. Sheets draped over something. Whatever works to give a sense of the actual physical protrusions.
And while you are measuring, be sure to include the effect of any moldings and baseboards. I just missed that, and the bookcase I was sure would slip into an area got hung on some molding
.
Give floorplanner.com a go. You set up as a 2d space and then can switch to 3d to get a better sense of how it “feels”. It’s not free but it’s very inexpensive and you can buy credits vs the subscription to upgrade a single plan. I’ve used it a lot.
If you are still working on this:
Shows how to use a free virtual design program they have a link to. (I just ran into it today.)
Or, for something faster and much less technical, you could just use this. https://print-graph-paper.com/virtual-graph-paper