If you're an IKEA fan like me, you'll be glad to know that the new IKEA 2008 catalog is out, with more than 300 pages full of ideas and suggestions for home furnishing and decoration.
Now, what does all that have to do with software? The answer is easy: along with their catalog, IKEA has launched a set of software decoration tools that can help you redecorating your life. One of them is this Home Planner Bedroom, which includes the whole bedroom section of the IKEA catalog and enables you to plan your bedroom's new decoration without actually moving anything.
Home Planner Bedroom features a very simple interface where you can create the floor plan for your bedroom, choose the new furniture and even see how everything looks in a three-dimensional image. The program also generates the approximate budget and enables you to upload data to the IKEA server, so that they're ready to use when you visit your local store to buy the furniture.
On the downside, and despite being an IKEA fan, I must admit I found the program to be too simple: the interface looks dull, furniture is poorly drawn and the 3D rendering is clunky. I guess software development is not IKEA's strong point.
IKEA Home Planner Bedroom is an easy-to-use 3D decoration tool that lets you test IKEA furniture at home before actually buying anything.
