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Find decorating help with these 5 apps

December 23, 2016 at 3:37PM

(Phone, lower left) Hang It: Stash the iHandy Level in your back pocket. (Phone, lower right) Measure It: Store your home’s every dimension in one spot (on your device or in the cloud). (CREDIT: Bryan Gardner) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Nailing the perfect paint color. Leveling a shelf. Rendering a 3-D floor plan. Yep, there's an app for all of those challenges. Home decor is getting some mobile love, so let these apps inspire your next project — or take you all the way to the finish line. Martha Stewart Living

COOL MEASURING TOOLS

IHANDY LEVEL

How it works: Place your mobile along the top of the frame as you would a standard level; after a quick calibration, this digital version uses sensors embedded in the phone to assess whether the surface is straight.

Why it's great: Never hang another crooked picture! Testers at technology-product review site CNET found the level to be consistently accurate within one degree. It's also pretty, with a wood-grain background, giving it an old-school toolbox feel.

Specs: Free; iOS only

EASYMEASURE

How it works: Tape measures are so last century. With this app, you point your phone's camera at the furniture or wall art you're considering. The app uses the lens' tilt angle and height to calculate the item's size, and lets you save the dimensions so you can compare it to other pieces you're looking at.

Why it's great: You can eliminate the paper trail as you hop between stores and flea markets in search of the perfect end table or wall mirror.

Specs: $2.99; iOS and Android

CLEVER DESIGN AIDS

PHOTO MEASURES

How it works: After getting the dimensions of the space you want to decorate, snap a picture of it. Then type all the measurements — furniture, windows, ceiling heights — directly onto the image.

Why it's great: When you're out hunting for the ultimate rug or light fixture, you'll have all your pertinent home details on hand. Combine this app with EasyMeasure and you'll always know what will work — and what won't.

Specs: $6.99; iOS only

Mark On Call

How it works: Created by interior designer Mark Lewison, this app lets you set up digital floor plans, then move furniture around with two fingers (rather than three people) to determine the best layout.

Why it's great: Do-it-yourselfers in the "a room is never done" camp will love the constant rearranging possibilities. You can also take photos of design elements such as flooring, curtains or fabrics and plug those in.

Specs: $2.99; iOS only

HUE FINDER

Benjamin Moore Color Capture

How it works: When you spot a color that's just perfect for that bathroom redo — a vivid flower at the farmers market, say — snap a photo with your phone. When you touch the hue in the image, this app created by Benjamin Moore will instantly match it to one of the company's 3,500-plus paints and generate a strip of color chips.

Why it's great: Identifying colors on the fly saves time, stress (is this the wrong white?!) and money on do-overs.

Specs: Free; iOS and Android

(Phone, upper left) Paint It: Take a photo, then touch anywhere on the screen to find a matching Benjamin Moore paint. (CREDIT: Bryan Gardner) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)