Regardless of whether you are a professional interior designer who would like to propose your design ideas to your clients in a highly effective way or if you just fancy having a go at creating your own dream home yourself and want to know what the finished result will look like, interior design software can act as an invaluable tool that will go a long way to help you get it right first time and avoid any costly and distressing mistakes.

Interior design involves so much more than having a nicely decorated room with co-ordinated curtains, cushions and carpets. Interior designers have to consider style, mood, atmosphere, lighting, colours, texture, functionality, health and safety, furniture, fixtures and fittings and so on. At the very least, all interior design projects will have to take account of the following:

The amount of space available and the purpose of that space - The health and safety of the occupants - The size, shape and style of furniture - Fixtures and fittings whats practical or appropriate - Wall, floor and ceiling coverings - Light, Colour and texture in the room - Finishing touches - Aesthetics will the finished result appeal? - Budget

Its hard to imagine a finished room without visual props to help you do that. Colour swatches, placement of furniture, lighting, space, even the finishing touches, what will they look like together? What might sound a good idea to start with might end up looking ridiculous when it comes to the finished result. This is where software can come in extremely handy. Before any work actually begins on your interior design project it will be necessary to plan it all out first and what better way to do this than from the comfort of your own home on your computer or laptop.

The following list represents just a small selection of the kind of software that is available to help you design beautiful spaces.

Virtual Worlds - allows you to visualise with a three dimensional viewpoint in virtual reality all your interior rooms. Uses drag and drop technology and live three dimensional walk-throughs. Virtual worlds is a professional fully interactive suite that can run on any modern computer or laptop.

Showhome3D - A simple to use programme enabling you to view a virtual representation of your ideal home on your own pc. Also features drag and drop technology and 3D walk throughs. Choose all your colours, fixtures and fittings and arrange your home the way you want it to look before you even begin.

DEXIS Visual Design Studio - A professional programme that will enable you to communicate your proposed design ideas to your clients in such a way that they can feel confident in what the finished result will look like.

Smartdraw - An interior design aid that will enable you to produce interior design plans quickly and easily using the thousands of images and textures built in to the programme.

Interior Designer - An easy to use programme featuring a House Wizard for room layouts and comes with 500 sample plans to help you choose your layout as well as the ability to create your own. It has over 5000 library items and other tools to allow you to change the colours, textures and materials with the click of a mouse.

Live Interior 3D - Interior design software that allows you to view and edit your proposed look in a two or three dimensional view, perform walk throughs and many other features that will help you get it right first time.

Which design software you decide to use will depend very much on your own personal preferences, how much you'd like to spend on it and what you want to use it for. Most software will allow you to create and edit room designs, place furniture fixtures and fittings, choose and match colours, add finishing touches, and perform two or three dimensional walk throughs.

Gone are the days when you have to rely on sketches and imagination to get your ideas across, new technology allows you to take a glimpse at tomorrows finished look today and all you have to do is install the software and unleash your creative streak.