Just when you thought Google had an application for just about anything you wanted (you’ve already explored the Earth, then you went to the stars), you find out that they have something to help you re-design your whole flat. I don’t really know how to say this, other than - it’s AMAZING. We’ve been struggling to work out how to plan our bathrooms for months - and we’ve had architects and bathroom shops ‘helping’, but all I really wanted to do is have a look to see how different things would look and fit together (like whether our shower door would be too close to the sink). So I went online to find a simple drawing program that allowed me to measure things easily so everything would be to scale - and found Google’s SketchUp. This is the perfect partner for Google Earth, since it allows you to create 3D models which can be used within the Google Earth universe…but it’s also one of the most helpful tools I’ve found to plan out our new home. And best of all it’s free.
Basically, SketchUp is a CAD program that let’s you build 3D models really quickly. You can then walk round your designs and try out different designs, layouts and finishes. It’s meant I could try out different tiling options in seconds (and I even used real pictures of the tiles and finishes from the web). You can even find models/components that have been uploaded to Google for use in your own (like the toilet you see in the pic below - it would have taken me hours to make one that well). It’s one of the easiest programs I’ve ever used.
My virtual shower room
So there you have it. I’ve now designed 2 incredibly eco-friendly bathrooms (they use no water, have no waste, but do consume some electricity - and required a bit of human fuel to create). Unfortunately, I’m going to use them to make real ones - but hopefully I now have a good idea what they’re going to look like.
