Big APPetites

These days it seems like we’re all more glued to our iPhones, iPads, Androids and other fancy devices more than ever. These are our go-to’s for everything from phone calls to e-mails to lunch orders. Why not put them to work as you decorate your home as well? We’ve done our research (and blown through a fair amount of our own battery life) and here are a few design applications worth checking out:

Houzz Interior Design Ideas

Price: Free

Shelter magazines are one of our favorite ways to get inspired. But they can be cumbersome, especially as your collection grows. Houzz Interior Design Ideas offers a collection of more than 120,000 professional interior design photos—perfect for getting a little inspiration on the go. If you see an idea you like, you can save it to your virtual idea book and head directly to the store. 

Handy Level

Price: Free

Hanging photographs and artwork on your walls can be a pain. Handy Level makes it just a little bit easier. Rest your iPhone on top of the frame, and it acts as a level. So no more digging through that ancient toolbox.

Home Interior Layout Designer—Mark on Call

Price: $2.99

Prevent measurement disasters, like having a bed frame man handled up the stairs into a bedroom only to discover it doesn’t fit, with Home Interior Layout Designer. Set a room’s square footage in the app, then enter the dimensions of whatever piece you are looking to add. Simply drag it around the room to see where it fits best—if at all. There's even a feature that allows you take pictures of finishes, fabrics, and floorings that you can “skin” on to any item in a photo of the room. Very cool.

Handy Man DIY

Price: $1.99

Handy Man DIY offers detailed how-to instructions and videos for various home design projects, such as installing tile floors. It offers pre-built material lists for a variety of projects, or you can build your own. The app also allows you to enter product prices to get a cost estimate for a project.

JotNot Scanner Pro

Price: $0.99

This one can be useful for a lot more than just design projects. If you’re notorious for losing receipts or important documents, try the JotNot Scanner Pro. When you take a picture of a document—a receipt, for example—this app will turn it into a PDF, and you can save it to your library. It’s also great if you need to sign a document and fax it back—simply sign it, snap a photo of it, and email the PDF.

What are some of your favorite apps, for home design and otherwise?