Top 6 Interior Design Programs for Beginners

Discover the top 6 interior design programs for beginners that can help you bring your design ideas to life. Learn about user-friendly software tools that offer creativity, functionality, and ease of use for aspiring designers.

Creating stunning interior design begins with careful planning. And the result depends not only on the skills and knowledge of a designer, but also on the software they use. 

In this article, you’ll discover 6 programs for users of all skill levels. These tools are commonly used by real estate, interior design, property development, and even management professionals. They are also suitable for DIY enthusiasts searching for easy-to-use software to design their space on their own. Let’s take a look at them right now. 

Interior Design 3D

If you’re looking for a program that is suitable for both beginners and experienced designers, you should try Interior Design 3D. This is intuitive software that can be used with zero experience. It offers several collections of built-in templates, objects, materials, and textures. Here, you can create simple floor plans and complex 3D projects of rooms, apartments, and buildings. 

This software also allows you to take a look at your design from the inside using the Virtual Visit mode. These are some of the other features that make Interior Design 3D stand out. 

Built-In Furniture Library

Interior Design 3D comes with an extensive library of customizable furniture and decor items, so users can create personalized designs that reflect the needed style. You’ll find furniture pieces for different types of rooms and spaces, such as a kitchen, bathroom, or gym. 

Detailed Floor Plans

This software allows you to plan a space with professional precision. For example, you can choose the desired units of measurement: centimeters, meters, inches, etc. There is also a handy feature for measuring space between various objects - Measure Tool. For your convenience, you can also turn on or off the dimensions while previewing your project. 

Customization Options

The key to a successful interior design is customization. With Interior Design 3D, you can change the material and size of each item you add. If you need a staircase in your project, you can customize it in the Staircase Constructor like a pro - adjust handrails, balusters, number of steps, and so on. You’ll also find a collection of wall, floor, ceiling, and furniture textures and materials that you can personalize as well. 

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly software

• 2D plans & 3D visualization

• Pre-designed templates

• Over 600 decor materials

Cons:

• Not compatible with Mac

Floorplanner

There is also a way to design home interior online - by using Floorplanner. It runs in the cloud and you don’t need to install software or set up hardware. The program has a drag-and-drop interface, so it’s quite easy to use. This software's main strength, as the name suggests, lies in its outstanding capabilities as a floor plan maker. The interior design features of the app are also quite good. It gives you the flexibility to design your house plan, place objects, and visualize it in 2D or 3D. 

Since Floorplanner is a free program, all of the essential functions are available. But in the premium version, you’ll be able to get access to HD quality and add more rooms to your project. 

Pros:

• Browser-based floor plan tool

• 2D and 3D preview options 

Cons:

• Some advanced tools require a paid subscription

• Few models in the library 

SketchUp

For professional use, SketchUp might be a suitable option. This is a good choice for creating detailed 3D models of buildings and interiors. Users find it useful for the control over almost every aspect of a model. Whether you need to make a piece or part for a model, it helps you get it done.

There is a built-in library of 4M+ 3D models that you can use for your own projects. By the way, it provides real-time collaboration between teams to share feedback and conduct walkthroughs. SketchUp is considered rather costly though - the pricing plans vary from $119 to $749 per year. 

Pros:

• Powerful 3D modeling tools

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for amateur users

• Costly subscription plans

• File format limitations

RoomSketcher

If you want to make floor plans and interior design on Windows, Mac, or tablet, then you should try RoomSketcher. The software offers a variety of customizable templates and a vast library of furniture and décor items. The standout feature this program has is taking 3D snapshots. However, users complain you can't model exterior space like paths or walkways unless they are attached to a property wall. 

Pros:

• Good customer service

• 360-degree view

Cons:

• Interface is not user-friendly 

• Steep learning curve

Draft It

Draft it is a user-friendly 2D architectural CAD platform. It has basic floor plan diagramming features and is a good choice for non-technical persons. This software has 4 versions catering to different levels of experience: Draft it Free, Draft it Plus, Draft it Pro, and Draft it Architectural. In all paid versions, you can make and edit layers in your design projects and use handy drawing tools, including Polyline, Curve Fit, Build Polyline, Polygon, Ellipse and Hatc. By the way, it lets you save your projects in popular formats, such as BMP, JPG, GIF or WMF. 

Pros:

• Software is frequently updated

• Collaboration available

Cons:

• Layering tools are difficult to use

• 3D Model Viewer is not fully automatic

DreamPlan Home Design

To create floor plans for a home or apartment in minutes, you can also use DreamPlan Home Design. This is suitable for experimenting with furniture placement and inserting blueprint symbols into a 2D floor plan.

Not only does it have home design functionality, but it also allows you to build the landscape or garden, build up or lower your yard's terrain, add a patio, porch swing, and even grill. In DreamPlan Home Design, you will also find a built-in texture library for roofs, floors, walls, decks, fences, etc. 

Pros:

• Free version available

Cons:

• Limited number of objects 

• Lacks advanced features

Summary

These are some of the best programs that can be used for interior design. We’ve talked about some key features of each software and listed their pros and cons. It’s time to see them in practice and choose the tool you like the most.

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