SMARTDRAW IN HOME REMODELING:

SmartDraw Helps Couple Update Victorian-Era Home

Blast from the Past
Lisa Barrett and her husband recently purchased a huge, Victorian home in Belington, West Virginia. The 107-year-old house desperately needed refurbishing and restoring, so the Barretts decided to do some remodeling as well.

"We wanted to change the floor plans of the kitchen and bathroom, and we realized that we needed to find a program that would help us design the layout of those rooms," said Barrett.

Barrett had used a CAD program in the past, but knew that it wasn't the right tool for the task. "I decided to sample free floor planning programs to find one that would work for us," she said.

Barrett found SmartDraw on the Internet, and decided to download the free trial.

Back to the Future
Barrett found that SmartDraw's intuitive user interface allowed her to create floor plans quickly and easily. "SmartDraw was the easiest program out there, by far," said Barrett. "I didn't even have to read any instructions to begin designing."

Barrett learned that SmartDraw included thousands of symbols and templates, including templates and graphics designed specifically for floor plans, room design (including kitchens and bathrooms), landscaping, furniture, and more. The program also gives users helpful tips and wizards that walk them through each step involved in creating a perfect floor plan.

"As soon as I realized what SmartDraw was capable of, I started using some of the wizards and tutorials," she said. "Amazing!"

In addition, SmartDraw allowed Barrett to quickly insert textures, such as tiles, into the different rooms.

"The program is so fast, I completed room after room, and experimented with different layouts," she said. "It's so easy to make changes."

Everything Old Is New Again
Barrett now uses SmartDraw every weekend, and couldn't be happier with the results. The Barretts have even used SmartDraw to insert "before" and "after" digital photos of their home's living room and dining room into their drawings.

"Now, I can design and change two rooms within an hour," she said. "I've been bragging to my friends about my drawings!"

In addition, Barrett's husband plans on using SmartDraw to design his garage and landscape the exterior of their home.

The bottom line? "SmartDraw is the easiest and best program out there," proclaims Barrett. "You can't go wrong!"