I rarely pass up a chance to play with a new software tool, but with all the work on LiquidPlanner I’ve not had that much time for this interest.

Fortunately a project found me. In this case, planning for a kids bedroom remodel. Finally I had an excuse to stay up to 3:00 in the morning for the pure pleasure of learning how to use Google SketchUp. If you’ve not found this gem, I highly recommend it. Like most things, you can watch it on YouTube; here is somebody building a house in time lapse.

If you have a remodel in your future, here are a few tips:

Find a floor plan, import it as a picture and just start drawing on top of it. It looks hard but it’s actually pretty easy; it’s like building blocks for adults.



If you have some Photoshop skills you can get things to put in your rooms from places like Pottery Barn Teen and my new favorite thing, which is Blik. Bliks are big stickers for your walls and they now come in designs from Threadless, so you can get a t-shirt that matches your room.



I’m hoping this bit of planning will remove some of the uncertainty that is surrounding this project, like who’s going to pay for what? Maybe my next post will be on negotiating with a pre-teen.