Home-Improvement Apps: Tools You Need—In Your Pocket

Ready to tackle a few home improvement projects? There's an app for that.

Houzz Interior Design Ideas

This highly-rated app—4.5 out of 5 stars in the Apple store—lets you discover ideas for your home through a large database of design ideas. You can browse photos by style, room and location, and save them to a virtual idea book. You can also find product and local professionals, and read articles by renovation experts. You can save your ideas for offline access and ask for advice from the app's community. Available free in both Apple and Android stores.

MyPantone

There are many paint color apps, but this one lets you save colors based on their PANTONE ID and create colors palettes from inspiration. You'll be able to share the exact hue you like with designers, manufacturers, family and friends. It suggests complementary colors too. Available for $9.99 in the Apple store and $7.99 in the Android store.

iHandy Carpenter

This app turns your phone into the tools you need to complete your improvement project. It features:

• A surface level
• A bubble level bar
• A protractor to measure angles from 0 to 180 degrees
• A ruler with both inches and centimeter readings
• A plumb bob to verify the verticality of lines or walls

Once calibrated, the plumb bob, surface level and level bar also can be used as an inclinometer/clinometer by reading the angles on the screen. Available for $1.99 in both Apple and Android stores.