Free home design and improvement planning

Measure twice. Choose once.

Plain-English selection guides, calculators and cost estimates for all 37 parts of your home, plus an AI studio that reads a photo of your room and shows what it could be.

Upload a room photoBrowse the guides
37 guides56 calculators379 brandsNew column daily

Every strip is painted a real 2026 or 2027 Color of the Year. Pick one to open its guides.

Today

Today at Plumb & Hue

Something new every morning: a column, a color and a job worth doing.

This month at home

Loading…

Color of the day
Latest column

New columns publish at 6 AM Eastern. Open the Journal

AI design studio

Upload a photo. Get a plan you can actually do.

  1. Snap your room.
    Any phone photo works. Nothing is stored.
  2. Get an honest read.
    What works, what to fix first, a palette and a shopping list linked to our guides.
  3. See it restyled.
    Pick from 12 styles and compare before and after with a slider.

Try the AI studio free

A dated living room with heavy drapes and a beige sofaThe same room restyled in modern organic style with warm wood and plaster tones
BeforeAI concept · Modern organic

Sample room. AI concepts are for inspiration; measure before you buy.

Calculators

Know how much before you buy

All 56 calculators
Paint calculatorHow many gallons of paint and primer a room needs.Flooring calculatorSquare feet, boxes and underlayment for any flooring.Tile calculatorTiles, boxes and thinset for a floor, wall or backsplash.Countertop square footageCountertop and backsplash area, slab count and cost.Room AC / heat pump BTU calculatorCooling capacity for one room, using the ENERGY STAR sizing chart.Heat pump vs gas furnace costCompare yearly heating cost of a gas furnace and a heat pump.Roofing calculatorRoof squares, shingle bundles and underlayment from your footprint and pitch.Deck boards, joists and screwsMaterials for a simple rectangular deck.Fence materials calculatorPosts, rails, pickets and concrete for a wood fence.Rug size calculatorThe right rug size for a living room, dining room or bedroom.Curtain size calculatorRod length, panel count and panel length.TV size and viewing distanceIdeal seating distance and mount height for a TV.Lighting lumens calculatorHow many lumens and bulbs a room needs.Water heater size (first-hour rating)Size a tank water heater by your busiest hour of hot water use.Solar system size and costSystem size, panel count and gross cost from your yearly electricity use.Project budget and contingencyAdd contingency and see what to save each month.

Selection guides

Every part of the house, decided

All guides

Colors of the Year

The 2027 picks, side by side

Open the color studio
CelerySherwin-Williams · SW 6421Webster GreenBenjamin Moore · HC-130 · see brandGroundedBehr · T27-01Cottage DoorValspar · 8004-38EDeep RootedDutch Boy · 311-7DBFrench Press CoffeeDunn-Edwards · DEBN07ArtifactGlidden · COL10-16 · see brandCountry SoilPPG · PPG15-30 (per PPG release) · see brandRose EarthGraham & Brown · · see brandPuebloC2 Paint · C2-510 · see brandPickled OakMinwax (stain) · MW260 · see brand

Screen approximations of brand-published values; striped chips mean the brand did not publish a hex code. Pantone reveals its 2027 color on December 4; we will add it the same day.

The Journal

Ten columnists. Ten ways to see a house.

From a retired shop teacher to a punk salvager. All AI, clearly labeled, every number sourced.

Read the Journal
Ray KowalskiThe Shop Teacher · Weekend projects, explained like you are standing at his bench.Vex MorrowSalvage & Noise · Punk DIY for renters, thrifters and anyone allergic to beige.Amara BellThe Collector · Art, heritage and the stories rooms tell.Luz RestrepoCasa Llena · Big families, small budgets, kitchens that feed everyone.Kenji AraiThe Quiet Room · Small spaces, natural materials, fewer and better things.Priya RamanKilowatt · Energy, comfort and the math behind your utility bill.Theo SantosLease & Love · Renter glow-ups, vintage finds and hosting in 600 square feet.Midge WhitcombeStay Put · Aging in place, gardens and homes that keep you independent.Dante RiversSafe & Sound · Home safety, storm prep and the outside of your house.Sloane HaddadThe Forecast · Color, trends and where to spend for a high-end look.

My Home

Your house, remembered.

Save room sizes once and every calculator fills itself in. Keep a running budget from the estimators, a monthly maintenance checklist, palettes, AI plans and saved guides. It lives in your browser, with an optional sync code for your other devices. No account needed.

Open My Home

  1. Rooms
    Sizes that prefill paint, flooring, drywall and rug calculators
  2. Budget
    Line items from 260+ sourced cost ranges, exported to CSV
  3. Reminders
    A checklist for every month, plus a calendar file
  4. Reader prices
    Share what you paid; see what neighbors paid

Get up to 3 quotes from local pros

Free, no obligation. Tell us about the project and we match you with licensed, insured pros.