No matter what kind of DIY, construction, or home improvement project you have in mind, there’s an app for it.
You know that feeling when you’re sitting in a room in your house, looking at furniture you’ve seen a million times, and suddenly a spark of inspiration strikes.
What if you created a heart-shaped frame and displayed a selection of your wedding photos? Wouldn’t that look great on your couch?
Or better yet, how about buying a wall-mounted shelf and then getting rid of an old shelf whose wood has faded from use? Not only would that mean getting rid of old furniture, but it would also free up space in your living room. Wouldn’t that be great?
What if you could put a corner chair in the place of the shelf? But how big is your room, and how much can you expand it with your comfy armchair?
STOP!
You have tons of great ideas, but you need to put them into practice. Doing everything at once is not the answer. Have you made a list of your ideas and analyzed them one by one? Now you have.
Once you have your to-do list in order, it’s time to start working on your projects and charting them out one by one. Of course, this can be overwhelming, as there’s a lot expected of you and not much guidance.
STOP AGAIN!
There are plenty of guides out there for any DIYer looking to complete a home improvement project (or projects). Whether you know exactly what you want to do and just need the tools to do it, or you’re looking for inspiration to improve your home, there are plenty of apps that can help. Some of these apps will surprise you with how practical and useful they can be.
The question is, which DIY/home improvement project are you ready to tackle first?
Redesigning a Room
Room renovations can take place on a variety of levels. For example, one type of renovation might be buying new furniture, like a sofa or a bookcase, and getting rid of the old ones. While this is certainly an important step (especially if you’ve been debating furniture for years), it’s not the same as removing all your furniture, tearing down walls, painting, or rearranging your space.
The good news is that whether you’re looking for one piece of furniture or a bunch of them, the apps you’ll use will be the same. Houzz Interior Design Ideas is a great app for inspiration. It features millions of photos of home interiors, and you can browse through them until you’re in tears.
If you already have some furniture options in mind and just need some help deciding, you can use the Homestyler app, which lets you upload a picture of your room and see how different furniture and decor would look. This app is amazing—it can give you a more accurate idea of how your room will look than a graphic designer.
If you want to rearrange your space or enlarge a small area, you can use additional apps like MagicPlan or RoomScan Pro, which turn your phone into a measuring tool and allow you to take precise measurements of your space (room, house, yard, etc.).
Painting
Forget about furniture and moving items. Your walls are falling apart, and now it’s your DIY project.
If you’re not sure what color you want, apps like The Home Depot, ColorSnap Visualizer, and Homestyler can help you find the perfect color for your walls. If you have an idea of a color you want but don’t know how to find it in real life, the latter two apps can match your dream color to an actual paint shade and then design what your room or house will look like. Think about it. Technology never ceases to amaze.
DIY Construction Projects, Big and Small
Maybe you’re more of a builder than a decorator and would like to build a new bed, mailbox, deck, or chair. Whether you’re a seasoned builder or a beginner, you can choose an app that will make your project a lot easier, more affordable, and more fun.
iHandy Carpenter and Handyman Calculator are apps that you can use once you know what you want to do and how.
iHandy Carpenter includes real tools like a ruler, level, spirit level, steel protractor, and steel ruler. Handyman Calculator is used by both professionals and amateurs. It includes a stopwatch, to-do list, and over 30 different types of calculators that can help you with your DIY projects.
If you want to build something but don’t know where to start, you can turn to WikiHow, which is probably the most popular guide in the world. Here you’ll find detailed steps to build x, y, and z. You can also find out how to make delicious lemonade to cool off after work. The site includes tutorials on almost everything.
If you prefer a more aesthetically pleasing site, Snapguide is a similar app that includes guides on everything from cooking to DIY, gardening, crafts, and more.
Goal-Oriented or Just For Fun?
There are three main reasons why people try to design, build, and do-it-yourself home improvement projects.
- They need or want new furniture/a new home look.
- DIY is usually cheaper than hiring a professional or buying it off the market.
- For pleasure
With so many highly rated DIY and home improvement apps, you’re sure to find one that suits your needs.
For those who try to do things on their own to get results or save money, there are apps that can do just that. For those who try these projects for fun, there are apps that can provide endless hours of fun, ideas, and methods to complete them.
Once you’ve prioritized your self-care projects and understand why you’re doing them, the only question left is: which app best suits your purpose?
