Five of the Best Online Kitchen Design Software Tools

Getting a new kitchen installed is an expensive task. So, it makes sense to do as much research as possible before you hand over any money to a kitchen designer. Visiting a kitchen showroom to see pre-built kitchens can give you ideas for kitchen planning. But it’s hard to beat seeing them in your own home.

Using kitchen planning software is a good way to visualise what your new kitchen would look like in your home. It also gives you the chance to play with different colour schemes and different kitchen layouts before redecorating your kitchen for real.

It’s good to have an idea of what you want your kitchen to look like before you start ordering parts for it. Designing your kitchen on your computer, and then being able to share it with your kitchen fitters is a good way to prevent misunderstandings and ensure you get the kitchen you want.

There are many online kitchen design tools that are ideal for doing quick and easy tests of your ideas. However, these tools are the best kitchen design software in the UK that are easy to use and offer great features that make kitchen planning a breeze.

1. IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner

One of the most popular kitchen planners is the IKEA 3D Kitchen planner, available through Windows as well as MacOS. This planner is very user-friendly, designed for the average customer.

With this tool you can design your dream kitchen virtually with their interactive drag and drop features. The IKEA 3D Kitchen planner can be accessed through the IKEA website for free.

Key features of the IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner:

Easy To Use: This online kitchen planner offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface.

3D Visualisation: Users can create a 3D model of their kitchen, allowing them to see a realistic representation of the final design.

Product Selection: Users are able to drag and drop IKEA kitchen products into their design. This includes cabinets, appliances, countertops, and more.

Room Customisation: This tool allows you to adjust room dimensions, add doors and windows, and explore different layout options to optimise space.

Cost Estimation: Because this tool uses IKEA products, it can provide users with a cost estimate. This is based on the selected products, aiding budget planning.

The IKEA 3D Kitchen Planner is one of the best kitchen design software resources available in the UK. With how easy it is to use, anybody who is looking to create a personalised kitchen will be able to use it. Another benefit of this tool is that you can hire an IKEA kitchen designer to help, for free.

2. Planner 5D

Planner 5D is a versatile and user-friendly house design software. With this kitchen design tool users can create detailed 2D and 3D floor plans and interior designs for their kitchen, and other rooms. This tool is also available as a kitchen design app on both iOS and Android.

Key features of Planner 5D for kitchen planning include:

Easy To Use: Planner 5D boasts an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface for all users.

Customisable Kitchens: Users can design their kitchens from scratch or modify existing layouts. It allows you to customise every aspect, including cabinets, countertops, appliances, and decor.

3D Visualisation: Planner 5D also provides a vivid 3D rendering of your kitchen design, with a realistic preview of the final result.

Extensive Catalogue: The software features an extensive catalogue of furniture and décor items to use in your kitchen design. This includes a wide selection of kitchen appliances, sinks, and lighting fixtures.

Materials and Textures: Users can experiment with different materials and textures for floors, walls, and kitchen surfaces for their desired aesthetic.

Cost Estimation: This kitchen design software can estimate the cost of your kitchen design by calculating the prices of the chosen items. Therefore aiding budget management.

Planner 5D simplifies kitchen planning, so users can create their dream kitchen with precision and creativity. It is one of the best kitchen design software tools available for homeowners and designers alike.

3. SmartDraw

SmartDraw is more than a kitchen design software. It can also create flowcharts, graphs, visuals, and schematics. We have chosen SmartDraw as one of our favourite kitchen designing platforms because of its powerful design tools. Users are able to use these to easily create and visualise 2D kitchen layouts and designs. This piece of software is an excellent choice for both professionals and homeowners.

Key features of SmartDraw’s kitchen planner include:

Easy To Use: SmartDraw has a simple drag-and-drop interface. This means users without any design experience can create kitchen layouts and designs.

Symbol Library: SmartDraw provides users with an extensive library of pre-made kitchen symbols. This includes cabinets, appliances, countertops, and more, making it easy to design and customise your kitchen.

Easy To Create 2D Floor Plans: With SmartDraw you can create 2D floor plans that are easy to read and understand. This helps you to determine what will fit into your dream kitchen.

Auto-generating Measurements: Automatically calculate measurements so your design is accurate and to scale.

Integration with Other Tools: SmartDraw integrates with popular software like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. This allows users to export their designs for presentations, reports, or sharing with contractors.

Collaboration: Multiple users can work on a design simultaneously, making it suitable for professional designers and teams.

SmartDraw is a fantastic piece of software to use for kitchen planning. It can create an accurate 2D floor plan that contractors can easily understand. Unfortunately SmartDraw isn’t free, however there is a free trial that users can take advantage of.

4. SketchUp

Sketch-Up is a renowned 3D modelling software that can be effectively used as a kitchen planner. With Sketch-Up users, ranging from design professionals to homeowners, can create detailed kitchen designs from scratch from your web browser. You can also download SketchUp’s kitchen design App to view your designs.

Key features of Sketch-Up include:

User-Friendly 3D Modelling: SketchUp provides an intuitive 3D modelling environment. Users can precisely sketch kitchen layouts, add walls, cabinets, appliances, and fixtures.

Extensive 3D Warehouse: SketchUp offers access to their 3D Warehouse, a vast online repository of user-created models. This resource allows you to easily find and incorporate pre-made kitchen components into your designs.

Customisation and Realism: Users can also apply realistic materials and textures to surfaces, achieving a lifelike representation of their kitchen. This makes it an ideal tool for visualising the final look of the space.

Integration with Layout: SketchUp’s companion application, Layout, is useful for creating professional 2D floor plans. Here you can create a 2D plan of your SketchUp model. This will help you to communicate your design with contractors or clients.

Geolocation and Sun Positioning: Sketch-Up includes geolocation features that can  incorporate real-world data into your designs. This means you can take into consideration the angle of the sun for optimal lighting in your design.

Cloud Storage: Store your designs in the cloud so that they’re readily available on the go.

SketchUp’s kitchen planning capabilities offer a flexible and robust solution for designing and visualising kitchen spaces. We believe it as an invaluable resource for anyone looking to create a realistic design for their kitchen.

5. Roomstyler (formerly known as MyDeco)

Roomstyler is a 3D design software that can be used for kitchen planning. With Roomstyler, you can also explore mood board creation, a helpful blog, and become part of an engaged community of designers to draw inspiration from. Roomstyler also has over 12,000 named brand furniture and decor items to choose from when planning your kitchen.

Key features of Roomstyler include:

Easy To Use: Roomstyler provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface that simplifies kitchen design for users of all skill levels.

Extensive Product Catalogue: The platform includes an extensive library of over 12,000 brand name furniture and décor items. This includes a wide range of kitchen-specific components like cabinets, appliances, countertops, and lighting fixtures.

Realistic 3D Rendering: Users can view their kitchen designs in 3D, providing a lifelike representation of the final result.

Customisation: It allows for complete customisation of kitchen layouts, colours, and materials. You can therefore create a design that aligns with your vision.

Cost Estimation: Roomstyler provides cost estimates based on the selected items, helping users create a plan within their budget.

The Roomstyler kitchen planner offers a robust and straightforward solution for creating kitchen designs. Although this software can be time consuming, it does allow you to customise almost every element of the design.

More Online Kitchen Design Tools:

There are hundreds of kitchen design software available. So, although we believe that these five examples are the best that are available in the UK, there are many more to choose from.

Here are five more kitchen planner tools that we would also happily recommend:

• Home Hardware Virtual Kitchen Planner
• Homebase Kitchen Planner
• Lowe’s Kitchen Planner
• Online Backsplash Designer
• Kitchen Planner

Conclusion

Choosing the right online kitchen design software can be a cost-effective and efficient way to plan your dream kitchen. These tools are our pick for the best kitchen planner tools in the UK that offer valuable features. Features that offer the most value are those that help you to visualise the final design, budget, and easily understand the design.

With many options available, we hope we have helped you to make an informed decision. 

Do you also need help choosing kitchen appliances that will perfectly match your kitchen needs? Contact our friendly appliance experts on 0115 965 1937.