The day comes to almost every homeowner when you decide that you can’t live with your kitchen or bath room any longer!

That day recently arrived in our house when my wife announced to me that she was bringing her interior designer in to have a look a our kitchen to decide what could be done to gain more space and/or a more efficient use of the available space.

I cannot visualize how things will look in a room without the help of pictures, drawings or even physical objects to move around.  So, I was at a loss to understand what they were talking about.  Once the drawings arrived from the designer, I was able to get the “picture” and feel comfortable about what was planned.

My guess is that many of us need some visual cues when faced with a remodel and so I have found a tool that can help you or your clients use their computers and web sites to virtually design that new space.  Oh, did I mention that it is free?

Go to Autodesk’s® HomeStyler® web site, http://www.Homestyler.com.  This site allows you to plug in the dimensions of your room, add the flooring you like, then select cabinets, appliances, fixtures, windows, doors and paint.  You can get a 3D view, a 2D view, save designs and share designs.

There is also a gallery of professional designs to start with in case you need some ideas on how to get going.  They have quite a few videos created by designer Nadia Geller that really helped me understand some design principals and ways to use the tool.  Given that we have been having some unseasonable rainy weather, I didn’t mind the lost hours spent playing with this tool!

This might be a useful web site to tell your buyers about when they are considering how they might personalize that home they are considering purchasing.  Sellers might use it to help them get their house in top condition for a sale.  And of course it’s a useful tool for any one planning on refreshing their home for years of enjoyment to come.

Check it out!  It’s fairly easy to use without reading the directions, but if you take a few minutes to watch the videos you’ll be designing that new kitchen or bath in no time!