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Ways to plan a room makeover
Before you paint or buy anything, it helps to see the change. Here is how the common ways to do that compare, including when you don't need our app.
We compare kinds of options rather than specific products, because every service and app is different. Check a specific service for its exact features and prices.
Comparison
| Option | What you get | Uses your own room | Cost | Effort | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior designer | A plan, product picks, often drawings | Yes, on site or from photos | Paid per hour or project | Low for you, takes weeks | The most expensive option |
| Mood boards and magazines | A collection of photos you like | No | Free | Hours of collecting | Shows other people's rooms |
| 3D room planners | A to-scale model you furnish yourself | Yes, after you measure and build it | Often free with paid extras | High: measuring and modeling | Looks like a model, not a photo |
| Paint samples and swatches | Real colors on your real wall | Yes | Small cost per sample | Trips to the store | Only colors, one at a time |
| General AI image tools | An image from your own prompt | Sometimes, if they accept a photo | Varies | Writing and rewriting prompts | Often ignores the room's layout |
| RoomGlow | Restyles of your room photo in 12 styles, saved as versions with palette and materials | Yes | Free download; Pro subscription to create | A photo and a few taps | AI images, not measurements or shoppable products |
When an interior designer is the better choice
For a full renovation, a new layout, built-ins or anything involving measurements and contractors, a professional is worth it. A designer sees the real space, knows suppliers and can manage the work. RoomGlow can help you arrive with a clearer idea of the style you want.
When mood boards are the better choice
If you are still exploring and don't want to spend anything, collecting photos you like is free and open-ended. The downside is that they show other people's rooms, so you still have to imagine how a style would look in yours.
When a 3D room planner is the better choice
If the question is whether a sofa fits or how to rearrange furniture, a to-scale planner answers it and RoomGlow does not. Planners take time to measure and build, and the result looks like a model rather than your room.
When paint samples are the better choice
Before the final wall color, nothing beats a real sample on your real wall in your own light. Use RoomGlow to narrow the choice down, then test the last two or three colors in person.
When RoomGlow fits
RoomGlow is for seeing your actual room in a new style quickly and comparing options over time: one photo, 12 styles, wall, floor, furniture and lighting choices, a timeline of versions and a palette for each. It is iPhone-only, creating designs needs a subscription, and the AI images are ideas, not measured plans or a shopping list.
Plan a makeover without any app
- Take a wide photo of the room in daylight.
- Save 10 to 15 photos of rooms you love and look for what they share: colors, wood tones, fabrics.
- Pick one main color, one wood tone and one accent.
- Test paint samples on two walls and look at them in the morning and the evening.
- Change one thing at a time, starting with the largest surface: walls, then floor or rug, then textiles.
Written by the developer of RoomGlow. We aim to be fair; if something here is wrong, write to erbalta80@gmail.com.