Saturday, June 26, 1999
Fixer-uppers: Consider software before trip to hardware store
BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer contributor
The long, lazy days of summer mean afternoons at the pool for some, but for do-it-yourselfers the added light and warm weather create the perfect opportunity to build a deck or add an extra bedroom.
If you're considering a building or decorating project, you may want to experiment a little. If you have a home computer, head to a software store. You'll find myriad programs to help with everything from drawing a two-dimension floor plan to replacing the faucets and wallpaper in the bathroom.
Software vendors have created products specifically for single uses, such as designing decks or mapping out a landscaping plan, to programs that combine several projects. The latter allows the user to modify floor plans, see what a particular style of cabinets would look like or mix 'n' match wallpaper, paint and window coverings until the look says “that's me!” Some of the products will print out a list of supplies for a project and its estimated cost.
Design programs cost about $20 for a single-use product to $100-plus for a more sophisticated computer-assisted design program similar to what professionals use.
We tested Broderbund's Total 3D Home Deluxe, which allows users to design their own floor plan, place furniture and then choose fabrics, textures and color combinations. It boasts 20,000 premium-brand furnishings and finishes and includes a budget estimator. Priced at about $50, this two-CD package lets users design a floor plan or modify floor plans included, get a 3D multistory view of the home, pick brand-name materials and furnishings and budget one look against another.
A step-by-step tutorial guides new users through projects. Although programs are geared to beginners, don't expect to pop the CD in and have your dream bedroom designed 30 minutes later. Two to three hours can pass effortlessly as you browse color families, matching paint with wallpaper borders and choosing a window treatment to complement the look.
It's fun and provides decorating, floor plan and other ideas, but design expert express caution. Don't rely on these programs exclusively to prepare acceptable drawings, especially if you plan to submit them to get a building permit.
“Sometimes we get (computerized) drawings that look like they spent more time learning the program than concentrating on the details,” says Seth Currier, plans examiner for the Cincinnati Buildings and Inspections Department. “They're bare — not enough detail. We pull our hair out on those. I'd rather review a hand-drawn plan with information than (a computer generated) one without.”
“It's a double-edged sword,” says Maridonna Wamsley, past president of the regional chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and a designer with PEDCo E&A Services in Sharonville. “They're helpful if you have trouble visualizing, but they're dangerous because they can make the user feel they know everything.
“It's a tool. Instead of using pencil and paper, it's a keyboard and CAD (computer-assisted design) program.”
“What (design programs) don't show a lot of the time is proportion,” says Judy Minnich, an interior designer with Kordenbrock Interiors in Erlanger. “Computers are just machines. They take direction from people who might not understand design.”
Ms. Minnich encourages clients to bring in pictures of rooms they like — whether created by computer, hand or torn from a magazine — to give her an idea of what style they like.
Often, computerized drawings give builders an idea of what clients want — which is helpful — but they don't always point out potential problems, says Alan Schmidt, president of the Home Builder's Association of Greater Cincinnati and West Chester's Schmidt Builders Inc. For example, a home program might allow him to move a load-bearing wall that, in reality, cannot be moved.
Architect Paul Muller calls mass-market design programs only a step up from plan books.
“We are not seeing a lot of those (computer-generated drawings), and I'm grateful for that,” says Mr. Muller, owner of Muller Associates in Walnut Hills. “They're worse than nothing because they give you an idea you're accomplishing more than you are.”
“Somewhat limiting” is how architect Ken Bowerman describes the home-computer products he has tried. The programs are fun and helpful to individuals who like to play with computers, he says, but they are not professional quality.
“In designing a home, you have complexities that get beyond the abilities of a $50 computer program,” Mr. Bowerman says. “They're OK to a point and for simple projects. When clients talk about their drawings it becomes a basis for conversation. Anything they bring in is more helpful than nothing.”
Before taking any building plans — computerized, hand drawn or ready-made — to a municipal building department, be sure you know the requirements, says Mr. Currier. The Cincinnati department posts its guidelines on the Internet at www.cintibuildings.org and also offers ready-made plans, which meet code, for simple projects like decks or uncomplicated garages.
In an average year, the Cincinnati Buildings and Inspections Department reviews 12,000-13,000 plans, of which less than 25 percent were done using home software programs, Mr. Currier says.
That's not to say the department won't accept computerized drawings. Complete, well-done plans can be submitted on disks for review, along with paper copies. In fact, people submiting plans on disk are given a 10 percent discount.
“The ease of using these (programs) is when you go back to make your corrections,” Mr. Currier says. “We're equipped to handle a lot of formats, both the home user and professional program. But you still need to have a basic concept of how to do a drawing.”
SOFTWARE PACKAGES
Here is a sampling of the home decorating and design software packages available for under $100:
• Broderbund: Total 3D Home Deluxe, $49.99
• Broderbund: 3D Home Design Suite, $59.99, deluxe version, $79.99
• Broderbund: 3D Home Architect Deluxe, $49.99
• Planix: Home Design Classic Edition, $19.99, Complete Home Suite, $59.99
• Expert Software: Home Design Premier, $24.99
• Punch: Home Design Complete, $49.99
• Sierra: Complete Home 2.0, $49.99
• House Beautiful: 3D Interior Designer, $39.99
• IMSI: Dream House 3D, $29.99
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