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Mouse Movers: Arranging Furniture With Your Computer

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You are exhausted, dripping with sweat and ready to quit.  You stand back to admire your new furniture layout only to find that you hate it.  You sigh with disgust and start moving those heavy pieces one more time in hopes of a better turnout.  Why not try a different approach?  An online floor planner allows you to visualize the room without all the heavy lifting.

Using a digital floor planner is easy.  All it takes is a program and a measuring tape.  First, find a program that works for you.  There are several free programs and apps available online. These programs are generally trial versions that limit the number of plans you can save or offer fewer options for plans.  However, if the purpose is solely furniture design, they are more than adequate.  Just be sure to choose one that has pictures of furniture and allows the user to change the measurements of those items. 

Once you've decided on a program, measure the room or rooms you are planning on changing.  Enter those dimensions into the floor-planner.  Make sure to measure doors and windows, including the spacing of those objects.  For example, note if your door is 3 ft from the corner and 5 ft from the window.  Next, measure the furniture you plan to use in the room. 

Now comes the fun part.  Use the program to place your furniture within the digital room.  You can try out several arrangements to find the one that works best.  Some programs even offer a 3D rendering of the room.  With this option, you can better see your design and even change the paint color if you are considering something different. 

When placing furniture, consider the spacing between furniture to allow for adequate space to walk.  Adjust the furniture from a company like http://www.carolsdesign.com to create easy conversation settings.  Use the floor planning software to design more than one room in order to see how the furniture flows from one room to the next.  Don't forget to include plants and accessories; they make a room look completely different.  You can also try out new drapes or window treatments before you buy them. 

With the help of a simple program, you can arrange furniture like a professional, but without all the heavy lifting.  Save the hard work until you know exactly what you want the end result to be.  Then, when you put all that physical effort into it, you're sure to end up with a room that you love.  


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