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When you are looking at getting home improvement work done, it can be difficult to visualise how it will look or the best colours for the room.

I recently had a kitchen extension, and most companies will do a 3D plan for you with basic colours, but unless you are an interior designer or have a particularly good flair for design, it is not always easy to choose what is best.

However, 3D design applications allow you to get an idea of what will work with your room, or how an extension will look. If you are struggling with choices you can then use a colour consulting service to help you choose the best colours for your room. In my kitchen, we used a local specialist called Emma Culshaw, who advised us on the best colours to use on our walls and what wallpaper would complement the units and wall colour. In our case, this was the extent for of her service, but if you are getting a bespoke kitchen or want something truly unique to your tastes then she also hand paints kitchens, allowing you to have 100% bespoke colours.

Obviously, depending on the extent of the work you are doing, you may want to have a professional do a 3D design for you, but doing a design yourself gives you a starting point when planning on your new kitchen or building work.

1. Planner 5D

Planner 5D, one of the most proven applications that are consistent and extensive on their designs.

This application feeds you with extra design tools on the market. These including stairs. Windows and interior architectural details. This enables a smooth experience even for amateurs.

2. RoomStyler 3D planner

Roomstyler, previously called Mydeco, is an outstanding online designer that enables you to design all the rooms at the comfort of your seat. Unlike other 3D planners, in a matter of minutes, you’ll have your room designed.

This online application contains various furniture and exciting accessories that you can add to your room, making it more pleasant.

The 3D planner is not only able to deal with regular rooms, but also access to objects not common in the regular room. You also can redecorate your room as many times as you please, allowing you to find the perfect colour combination.

There are also hundreds are pre-built designs by skilled designers, with these you can take the design and remix it to your liking.

3. IKEA Kitchen Planner

IKEA kitchens are always a popular choice, with a good balance of affordability and quality. Typical of their Swedish efficiency the Ikea website has their own kitchen planning tool which allows you to design your own kitchen in an easy to use system that has access to all the IKEA product range. You can, of course, go to IKEA direct and get them to do it, but with this, at least you can work out a rough cost and idea of what you want.

4. Design a Room by Armstrong

Design a Room is another online design tool by a retailer. This time it is Armstrong Flooring in the US, it is a bit more limited than the previous options, and of course, it is focussed on products by Armstrong, but it is good for deciding what flooring and paint to use on your walls. You can upload your own photo too, so it is great for when you want to redecorate a room.

5. Sweet Home 3D

Sweet Home 3D is a free architectural design software application that helps users create a 2D plan of a house, with a 3D preview, and decorate the exterior and interior view including the ability to place furniture and home appliance. In Sweet Home 3D, furniture can be imported and arranged to create a virtual environment.

6. HomeByMe

HomeByMe is another online interior design application that allows you to visualize your home ideas in 3D. Experiment with thousands of colours, materials and well-known products to see your ideas come to life. Invite friends and family to view your progress and provide feedback as you make your decisions.

Similar to RoomStyler, this allows you to import designs that have previously been submitted by members and then customise it to your liking. There are thousands of different colours, materials and textures to choose from so you can take these designs to a colour consultant or interior designer and they can then provide you advice on the best way to go.

Last Updated on 20th January 2020

Designing and renovating a new home these days is so much more than simply handing the key over to an interior designer.

For homeowners who want a hands-on experience in creating their own home, there are plenty of varied and affordable options out there – you can get anything from a modular kitchen to a bespoke liquor cabinet made to suit your individual lifestyle.

Here, we’ve narrowed down our top picks for custom fittings and furniture.

STORAGE AND SHELVING: CUSTO

With years of carpentry experience, the team at Custo works closely with homeowners to create custom storage solutions.

You can begin with one of their four templates or start by measuring the dimensions of your space, specify how many rows and columns you need, and choose from an array of finishes and doors.

All their wood is sustainably-sourced European birch, known for its durability and strength.

Find out more about Custo at www.custo.co.

STORAGE AND SHELVING: PENG HANDCRAFTED

If you’re looking for industrial-style shelves, look no further than Peng Handcrafted.

This local designer crafts his shelves out of galvanised steel sprinkler pipes and two types of timber, namely American white oak and reclamed wood from old lorries.

The shelves are joined meticulously without using any welding, screws or nails – what Peng calles a “marriage of hardware”.

Find out more about Peng Handcrafted at www.peng.com.sg.

STORAGE AND SHELVING: TRIPLE EYELID

Triple Eyelid was created in 2014 when its founder, Jackie Tan, realised that there was potential in upcycling the large amount of industrial materials that otherwise go to waste every year. Using materials such as reclaimed wood pallets, the team creates custom loose shelving for every need – ranging from plant displays to pet accessory storage.

Each unique piece is designed and crafted by hand.

Find out more about Triple Eyelid at www.tripleeyelid.com.

TABLES AND CHAIRS: ROGER & SONS

A family of dedicated craftsmen, Roger & Sons preserves the heritage of the woodworking trade passed down by their father some 30 years ago.

They make everything from tables and chairs to even custom liquor cabinets.

In their work, they salvage abandoned logs from already-felled trees that have been cut down for urban development, ensuring little to no impact on the environment.

Find out more about Roger & Sons at www.rogerandsons.sg.

TABLES AND CHAIRS: ETCH&BOLTS

Homeowners looking for a custom dining table need look no further than Etch&Bolts — all you have to do is pick a table design from their collection, then customise it by picking from a range of over 100 materials including natural marble, quartz, granite, live-edge wood slabs, and more. The production process takes between 3 – 5 weeks.

Find out more about Etch&Bolts at www.etchandbolts.com.

KITCHENS: MEISTER BY HAFELE

Meister by Hafele offers a modular-concept custom kitchen that can be disassembled and reassembled in the home, saving time and money.

The flexibility of the design means that your kitchen can evolve with your needs, and can even move with you should you choose to move homes in future.

Their work is made to last, with five-layer plywood that’s much more durable than the industry standard of three layers.

Find out more about Hafele at www.hafele.com.sg.

KITCHENS: MUDIAN

Since its founding in 1997, this home-grown brand has expanded to become a boutique furniture company specialising in wardrobes and kitchens.

They work closely with homeowners to design the best kitchen for their needs, taking into account their workflow, how often they cook and entertain, and the types of appliances needed.

With their years of craftsmanship and industry expertise, they are able to customise your kitchen down to the last detail, hinges and all.

Find out more about Mudian at www.mudian.com.sg.

INTERIOR DESIGN: SP HOMES

Modelled after three- and four-room apartments, SP Homes’ showroom showcases everything a modern homeowner needs, from customisable storage to space-saving solutions.

Here, you’ll find innovative kitchen and wardrobe organisation, as well as a wide range of materials including laminates and upholstery.

They even have in-house design software that lets you create 3D renderings of your home, so you can visualise what the eventual outcome looks like.

Find out more about SP Homes at www.sphomes.com.

INTERIOR DESIGN: COLLABORATESG

For homeowners who want a stylish apartment without the hassle or hefty price tag, CollaborateSG offers six “plug-and-play” designs, created in partnership with award-winning interior firms like Architology.

You can mix and match different modules to create your own, with the assurance that the design and spatial experience has been well planned for your comfort.

Find out more about CollaborateSG at www.collaboratesg.com.

BEDS, SOFAS AND FURNITURE: DESIGN INTERVENTION

The award-winning team at Design Intervention not only offers interior design services, they create bespoke furniture, too.

Creating fun, happy pieces is their specialty, paying attention to detail in order to achieve the optimum shape and proportion for the space. You’ll be able to customise every detail of your piece, even the stitching and type of filling.

Find out more about Design Intervention at www.designintervention.com.sg.

BEDS, SOFAS AND FURNITURE: BLAFINK

The team at Blafink will guide homeowners through their customisation service for hand-crafted upholstery, ranging from beds to sofas to even items as small as cushions.

You’ll be spoiled for choice – they have 12,000 swatches of fabric, faux and genuine leather.

To cater to individual comfort, they can also adjust seat depths, back heights, and storage requirements.

Find out more about Blafink at www.blafink.com.

This article was first published in Home & Decor.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Jan. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — JennAir, the luxury kitchen appliance brand hell-bent on driving progress throughout the industry, opened the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) with the reveal of JAXBOX, a revolutionary pop-up showroom experience. Taking cues from the JennAir Experience showrooms (JAX), the JAXBOX puts the brand’s RISE™ and NOIR™ design expressions and statement pieces into shipping containers, transporting visitors into a world of progress and creative freedom. The JAXBOX will be on display in the International Builders Show (IBS) Village outside the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 21 through January 23 as a part of the brand’s Defiant by Design experience.

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“This is the JennAir brand’s first year at KBIS, and knowing we had a vision that would take us beyond the traditional spaces of the convention center floor, we made it our mission to go all in on our progressive marketing approach,” said Jon Hall, product and brand marketing director, JennAir. “The debut of JAXBOX represents the next step in our fight for appliance progress, as it breaks every traditional way of thinking about the kitchen shopping experience and immerses our guests in the JennAir version of bespoke luxury, just like our JennAir Experience showrooms have done across the nation. As show attendees descend on Las Vegas, our surrounding marketing efforts will beckon the fearless spirits of the industry, ensuring JennAir brand’s footprint is impossible to miss.”

JAXBOX takes its inspiration from the brand’s JennAir Experience showrooms, which began to sweep the nation last year. Comprised of four reclaimed steel shipping containers, the multi-level JAXBOX was engineered to hit the road as a self-contained product experience that is modular, mobile and fully integrated with the signed-on digital experience of the brand’s brick and mortar showrooms. The immersive experience empowers personal discovery and delivers the tools for customization and seemingly limitless creative freedom craved by designers and the new modern luxury consumers they serve. With containers dedicated to the RISE design expression, the NOIR design expression, the brand’s statement pieces, as well as columns and  custom cooktops, visitors can come face to face with intricate product design details while accessing more than 5,000 customizable product combinations through touchscreen technology.

KBIS and IBS attendees seeking a stark departure from the convention center’s sea of stagnation are invited to join JennAir throughout the week for exclusive Defiant by Design JAXBOX tours every morning and talks every afternoon. Tours will immerse guests in the brand’s signature Bound By Nothing™ creative ethos, which serves as the brand’s operating system, and highlight the JennAir statement pieces and RISE and NOIR design expressions. Each afternoon, JennAir will host talks moderated by leading publication Architectural Digest, featuring industry rebels discussing the importance of breaking the chains of conformity in home and kitchen design. Marquee guests include designers Jeremiah Brent, Athena Calderone and more. Attendees seeking priority access are invited to sign up .

Throughout the week, JAXBOX guests are invited to refuel body and mind in an indoor-outdoor lounge designed to cure convention coma. Stay tuned for more details on where the entirely portable JAXBOX will land next, with more displays of luxury on the horizon in 2020.

To learn more, visit JennAir.com, @JennAir on Instagram and Twitter.

About JennAir
Defying physics with the invention of downdraft ventilation, Lou Jenn forged the path to an open concept and changed the kitchen forever. Founded in that progress, JennAir fearlessly carries his torch — hell-bent on burning down the tired conventions of luxury. JennAir crafts distinctive luxury kitchen appliances that push form and function to transform spaces. With exceptional performance, masterful execution and provocative design, JennAir offerings are powerful, yet bespoke to individual tastes, shattering norms to deliver the progress that today’s luxury consumer deserves. To speak with a concierge at the JennAir Epicenter or learn more about the new offerings from JennAir, please visit or join us on , facebook.com/JennAir, twitter.com/JennAir and youtube.com/JennAir.

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There are so many disparate foodservice equipment manufacturers in the UK marketplace with so many individually-developed products that it can make it tough for dealers to know who to specify. But when multiple manufacturers work together to create complementary appliances, this can ease design challenges for dealers.

Therefore we quizzed a cross-section of suppliers to see who is helping to make distributors’ and operators’ lives easier with some joined-up thinking.

One tie-up which is particularly easy to action is between sister AFE Group companies, Falcon Foodservice Equipment and Williams Refrigeration. Falcon’s 20 shelf Lainox combis can now be used with the new Williams blast chillers. Both pieces of equipment have been designed specifically to be compatible with the Lainox 20 shelf trolleys.

In operation, staff can wheel a laden trolley from the combi oven straight into the blast chiller. The castors and bottom remain beneath the cabinet while the door design ensures a tight seal around the rest of the trolley. The blast chiller chills the piping hot food down to the designated holding temperature in 90 minutes or less, designed to ensure the food is safe and its quality is preserved.

In addition, the F900 and Dominator Plus countertop equipment is suited for location on top of Williams UBC and Chef’s Drawer models, designed to optimise use of space and be a standalone cooking station.

According to Falcon’s product development chef, Shaune Hall: “Caterers can benefit as Falcon can provide tried and tested solutions. There’s no need to worry that, for example, the cookline will be too high or that the fridge won’t support the weight. By being able to pair pieces of equipment this will also provide solutions to space issues.”

Plus the Lainox 171 – a seven grid combi mounted on top of a ten grid  – can further help space restrictions, as both chambers are contained in a single body. “It delivers the flexibility of two separate units but, because it’s housed in one body, it’s shorter, and so safer, while both combis’ control panels are mounted at user-friendly heights,” commented Hall. The 171 is available in gas and electric in either top of the range Naboo touchscreen controls or the Sapiens manually-controlled models.

At Williams itself, much of its product range is stand-alone units in varying configurations, utilised for many different applications, which the manufacturer therefore believes can be used in conjunction with many other brands of equipment found in a commercial kitchen.

Williams’ Chef’s Drawers can be stacked on top of one another.Sales and marketing director Malcolm Harling emphasised: “Williams has a number of products within its range which are particularly suitable for pairing with other equipment. For example our low level Under Broiler Counters (UBC) range provides refrigerated storage directly below the cooking station. They can accommodate most suppliers of one piece tops and prime cooking equipment brands of heavy duty appliances such as chargrills and griddles.”

He added: “Our designs have led to providing a cook and chill solution for the operator. For example Williams UBC paired with a chargrill offers a great space-saving solution for compact kitchens. It also negates the need for transferring food from, for example, a coldroom to the cook face. The other benefit is that food remains chilled until the point of cooking.”

Plus the manufacturer’s range of Chef’s Drawers are stackable. Its latest model in the range, VWCD1 (launched in October 2019) allows the user to set the temperature of each stacked drawer as either a refrigerator or freezer. According to Harling: “Clever design has meant the new VWCD1 model has been built to a depth of just 670mm, thereby fitting perfectly within a standard 700mm work surface and taking into account the, often overlooked, extra 30mm required for plug sockets. Even though the new Drawer accommodates 2/1 GN storage with an impressive depth of 150mm, two stacked units with castors measure only 838mm in height and therefore fit perfectly beneath a 900mm-high work surface.”

Another cooking and refrigeration equipment collaboration is between Charvet and both Precision and Adande. The French manufacturer can house the latter pair’s refrigerated draws underneath its cooklines. Plus Charvet can incorporate custom rotating chargrills, robata grills, warming drawers and cabinets and water baths in its suites. Ian Clow, Charvet UK sales director, detailed: “We also work with a specialist commercial supplier of induction cooking hobs. The Induction Multizone 4 x 3.5kW hobs working independently or as one, was a result of this collaboration.

“By enabling the installation of multi-purpose cooking equipment such as the Multizone, this can be used for several purposes, just like the traditional solid top, but with much less impact on ventilation and energy bills.”

He added: “Furthermore, Charvet can make to order, for our distributor partners, recessed and ‘drop-in’ spaces for specialist equipment such as combi ovens. The advantage for users of the combi – typically a six or 10 grid model – is less bending down to load/ unload, improving ergonomics.”

Charvet’s modular One Series further features quick connecting strips which allow for the modular units to slot together more quickly and more accurately than previously, helping to speed up install times.

One headline-making team-up in 2019 was Synergy Grill Technology and Lincat. The manufacturers signed an agreement which allowed the Middleby Group company to offer Synergy Grill’s multi-patented technology within its Opus 800 series.

Prior to this agreement, Synergy Grill had never before allowed its British-made advanced grill technology to be used by another company. Richard Ebbs, commercial and marketing director at Synergy Grill Technology, commented: “By offering our pioneering technology with Lincat’s Opus 800 series, we are helping dealers to satisfy customer demand for suited kitchen solutions that don’t compromise on energysaving technology.

“The benefits of massive energy savings, cleaner, safer kitchens, cleaner ventilation shafts and above all higher food quality, are now being increasingly specified by a wide range of end users.”

Over in the warewashing sector, Winterhalter works alongside its sister brand Classeq, as well as a variety of glassware and crockery manufacturers. Paul Crowley, marketing development manager of Winterhalter UK, detailed: “By working closely with crockery companies Winterhalter can demonstrate how, through efficient warewashing and crockery design, the need for lots of storage can be reduced.”

He also revealed: “Winterhalter machines have, in the past, been paired with, of all things, a coffee machine! This meant that the equipment was able to share the same softened water. Generally, it is rare for these two products to be in the vicinity of each other.”

Bridging the gap between stationary and mobile appliances, Rieber’s self-ventilating mobile Varithek front cooking stations are said to be able to be paired with virtually any distributor’s fixed counter or servery scheme to create a bespoke front cooking experience.

BGL Rieber MD Gareth Newton recounted: “Rieber’s Varithek system was chosen by a leading distributor for its refurbishment of a major Premier League football club hospitality area because it solved a crucial ventilation issue in a public space.

“The lounge hosts a sumptuous running buffet for three hours before kick-off. The club wanted a front of house cooking station for stir-fries and to cater for its vibrant conference business including breakfast meetings and functions on non-match days. A conventional extract system was a nonstarter due to site layout restrictions and potential interference with the existing air conditioning systems. The self-ventilation system on Rieber’s Varithek solved the problem.”

The manufacturer also works closely with distributors using its EST system, which should allow for up to five Varithek GN 1/1 cooking modules to be installed into a counter. This is aimed at creating a multi-purpose counter which can hold food hot but can also cook when needed.

The EST is a tailor-made frame, which holds one to five cooking modules. It is suitable for refurbishments or new counters. Newton explained: “The distributor cuts the slot into the countertop and the EST frame sits over. It allows Rieber 1/1 induction or Ceran hobs, and griddles to simply slot in. The height of each module can be adjusted to create a flush surface.”

He summarised: “This collaboration benefits the distributor because building a hot food holding and front cooking solution into a counter design brings a highly productive and flexible cooking system and maximises use  of space.”

Plus Rieber is a major maker of stackable, space-saving GN pans, sold by its distributor partners in the UK. Newton detailed: “Every distributor and any chef knows how hard it is to prise apart steel GN pans that have become stuck together. This frequently happens when pans come out of the dishwasher hot and are stacked, one on top of each other.

“Rieber’s patent pending development is a special ‘lug’ formed into each corner of its GN pans. The lug sits on the internal rim of the pan, enables space-saving stacking and easy unstacking because the pans are not allowed to nestle into each other. The lug also ensures air can get in and around the pan, helping with drying.”