7 interior apps you need before you decorate your home

Planning some DIY this weekend? In need of some home inspiration? If you're thinking of painting the walls, moving the furniture into a new formation or adding a personal touch to a second hand lamp, you may want to experiment via an app being committing.

Here are the interior apps you should download this week ...

Dulux visualiser

Struggling to work out a colour scheme for your room? This clever app from Dulux uses augmented reality technology to virtually paint the walls of your home. Simply take a picture of your wall, choose a colour from 1200 Dulux palettes and it will instantly turn that colour. There are also "how-to" video demonstrations and you can order paint testers straight to your door.

The cost: free Download it here.

iHandy Carpenter
Accurate to one tenth of a degree and using Apple's accelerometer technology (which uses sense movement), this app acts as a spirit level, surface level, plumb line, protractor and ruler. Far better than you could achieve by eye, this is like a slimline carpenters tool kit.

The cost: £1.49 Download it here.

Magpie by Conran

This is pretty much like Pintrest and good for those who like to make a plan. Create neatly arranged mood boards of inspirational photos, products and videos you like and then export them as a PDF, print it off and pop it on your wall.

The cost: free Download it here.

Design Sponge

From the American design blogger Grace Bonney, this spin-off of her hugely popular website, Design Sponge, is a great resource for ideas. From DIY projects and inspiring images of stylish homes to before and after room makeovers, you'll easily get lost in this addictive app.

The cost: free Download it here.

Photo Measures

Moving into a new place or planning on doing some decorating? Photo Measures is the ultimate time saving tool. Take a photo of the room and then note down the dimensions directly onto it. Take it with you to the shops so that you know everything will fit easily. Sounds simple but it's very useful.

The cost: £4.99 Download it here.

3D Augmented Reality Viewer

Planning on hanging some artwork or wondering where in your home gets the most natural light? This augmented reality viewer measures the amount of light a room will get and tell you how it will change during the day and with the seasons. Very handy to take with you when you're viewing properties.

The cost: £7.99 Download it here.

Remodelista
The app for the justly popular online design sourcebook, who's devotees include Gwyneth Paltrow, has an impressive selection of daily design and interiors news (we're talking cool lampshades spotted in a bar in Berlin), inspirational images and galleries, lots of DIY projects and a click-to-buy functionality for American users. Think browsing the Remodelista site but with simple finger scrolling. The Remodelista LITE version is fee.

The cost: £2.29 Download it here.