#Home Designer Interiors Review 2015

Editor's note: A newer version of this product is available. We will evaluate, rank and review the new version of this product when we next update the Kitchen Design Software reviews.

Planning Tools

You can create a beautiful kitchen using the software's 3D viewing and design tools. This kitchen planner has a 3D walkthrough, which lets you preview your kitchen design as if you were strolling through the room itself, and you can see what it looks like from different angles. This gives you a realistic rendering of what the final project is going to look like when it is complete. The dimension and depth perspective that you get with this 3D design software gives you a much better rendering than you get when using flat 2D drawings or blueprints. You can even get an idea of where shadows will fall with Home Designer's light recreation capabilities.

We like that this kitchen design software lets you enter the exact dimensions of objects such as appliances, cabinets and countertops. This allows you to measure the quantity of materials you need, such as hardwood for your floors or granite for your countertops. You can even use the cost estimation feature to track your use of materials and generate a price estimate.

If you will not be changing your kitchen's basic footprint as part of your remodeling project, you can import existing floor plans into Home Designer Interiors and it will recreate them digitally so you don't have to. That way you can start redesigning your cabinets and other elements sooner. If you need to recreate your kitchen's floor plan from scratch, it is pretty easy with this program especially with the automatic dimensioning tools. As you digitally draw your kitchen walls, you will know exact measurements, which will change when you drag and drop walls to be longer or shorter.

Home Designer Interiors has an intuitive user interface, so if you do not have a lot of experience using design software, this is a good option. It is easy to move objects around and place them where you want. The PDF export is another feature that makes this product easy to use. When you want to share your plan with contractors or your friends, you can just attach a PDF file to an email and send it out.

Construction Tools

While picking out the countertops and curtains is the most fun by far, you also have to think about things like electrical outlets, air conditioning vents and hot water lines as you design a dream kitchen. This software helps you plan HVAC, plumbing and electrical configurations. You will be able to insert symbols for outlets and work out how they will need to be connected so that your kitchen has ideal form and function. You will probably want to run extensive changes to plumbing and electrical systems by a professional, though, to ensure they pass inspections by your municipality. While other versions of Home Designer offer Plan Check, a feature that ensures your plan conforms to basic building principles, the Interiors level product does not.

This software also has tools for designing windows and doors, and a materials paintbrush that allows you to choose wall colors, textures and coverings. Home Designer Interiors offers an array of cabinet styles in its library, and it also has convenient tools for manipulating them. You can use the Center Objects Tool to anchor cabinets under windows, dormers and other architectural features.

The object library is stockpiled with almost 5,000 design items, which you can import using the drag-and-drop tool. You will find everything you need to equip a kitchen, including sinks, cabinets and appliances. We found almost 100 cabinet styles alone. There is also a notable selection of stone, tile and granite surfaces for your floors along with light fixtures and switch plates. The design library has three-dimensional houseplants and kitchen appliances that you can position on your virtual countertops, and decorative backsplashes and crown molding.