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Thanks to a couple of brilliant pieces of software, planning your living space has become a whole lot easier.
Whether you choose Richmond Hill-based SceneCaster or 20-20 Virtual Planner from Montreal's 20-20 Technologies, you cannowdecorate or design your room from scratch, view it in all its three-dimensional glory and - in certain cases - even price such contents as furniture and appliances before you reach into your wallet to commit.
And if you make a mistake - presto! - one click of the delete button and it's gone.
"The 20-20 Virtual Planner is used in a number of ways," says product manager Sammy Nelson. "It basically gives people a 3-D sketch. Some actually take the time to make it as detailed as possible, because Virtual Planner does allow you to include measurements that are accurate within a half inch."
SceneCaster creator and president Mark Zohar says you don't have to be artistic to take full advantage of his software.
"You can do a number of things in SceneCaster," notes Zohar. "We have a very simple kind of drawing tool, so you can basically draw the exact dimensions of any room you have.
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"Once you do that, it turns into a 3-D space. Then you drag and drop from a catalogue of products that we have: furniture, lights, rugs, wood flooring, paint - you name it - and you start basically assembling, creating and visualizing the space that you want, whether it's real or an aspiration."
A recent partnership SceneCaster instigated with Google allows you to customize your interior.
"Google operates the largest 3-D online library in the world. It has millions and millions of 3-D objects, anything from the mundane to the ridiculous," says Zohar. "If you want a specific sofa, a chandelier or a vase, you can just type it in and bring them to your scene."
Accessing SceneCaster, which boasts over 2.5 million registered users, is simple: go to scenecaster.com, where you can register and create your free account, which is required in order for you to save your scene. There is also a Facebook application.
Meanwhile, the 20-20 Virtual Planner 3-D visualization software, first introduced in 2007, is available on the websites of key retail outlets like Ikea and Home Hardware.
Access is basically from home," says 20-20's Nelson. "The application requires you to download a plug-in so you get the full immersive experience. That's what also handles the 3-D interaction and the rendering.
"Once you install that in your browser, you're up and running. Some retailers will require you to at least register, create an account in order to save your designs so you can come back."
The program also comes with an item list, although Nelson says it's up to the individual retailer as to whether they'll include a price list with the items you choose.
"The one for Rona is purely an idea generator, so there is, in fact, no actual manufacturer catalogues; they're just generic shapes, says Nelson. "However, the one from HomeHardware does have a line of ready-to-assemble cabinets in there, and when you go through the item list, it will generate a pretty detailed pick list of all the SKUs [stock numbers]."
And if you're in the mood to simply create? SceneCaster's Zohar says his software is ideal for letting the ideas flow.
"Maybe it's a project they have in their mind. Whether they execute it or not, it's a way for them to get their ideas out of their head, onto the screen, and see them come to life," he says.
You don't even have to use it for the home. Joy Brewer says that SceneCaster offers her a creative outlet.
"Sometimes if the weather is bad, I'll hole up for a weekend and create four or five scenes," says Brewer, who discovered SceneCaster through Facebook.
"I really love the site because there is literally no limit as to what you can do. I just really enjoy it and Iwould recommend it to anybody."