Do you have Photoshop? If you do you can upload and resize pictures of existing furniture (and even recolour them if, for instance, you are thinking of reupholstering) that way, then drop them in to your room design. SketchUp is free and a lot of people find it the easiest interior design software to use. Have fun!

hi can anyone suggest any good 'free' software for garden design /layout? I need to plan the layout - I want to enter measurements of the current garden and use them to redesign and build on it. I use SweetHome 3D for the interior and get on with this really well - so a garden equivalent would be great!!!! thanks Jo

Just commencing a landscape design business, graduating from hand drawn thumbnails to designing/visualising using software. Any tips or recommendations please?

You can use an independent like me - or there are even a few popping up on Houzz too now that aren't tied to a product. That way you work with a designer to get the layout just how you want - then shop around to get it supplied at the right price ! It's a slightly different way of doing it - but some might agree it's a bit kinder to retailers than spending time with them for a 'free design' when you don't really want to buy from them ! This way you walk in to which ever showroom, big or small, and ask for their best price ! Often they will offer to discount your design costs if you ask them ! Obviously if you choose to go ahead and buy from them - most will then pop over to do their own measure up etc ! But until then - you do you own measuring and don't have to have a stream of different sales /planning people trying to sell you things !