Houzz is considered to be the Wikipedia of interior and exterior design, and hosts what could be perhaps the largest online database of home design ideas supported by close to a million high-resolution photographs from which you can draw inspiration from while looking for new ideas for your new home or office remodeling project.
And now Houzz has released its official Android app, which lets you browse through the entire Houzz catalog of pictures, ideas, articles, lists and details of contractors and a whole lot more, right from the convenience of your Android phone or tablet.
Let’s go ahead and have a look at this nifty app, which is sure to be a boon for aspiring as well as professional interior and exterior designers, architects or even the average Joe or Jane who are simply looking for inspiring ideas and designs for their own homes.
Let’s start with the photo browsing feature. Upon clicking the Home button which is pinned to the bottom left of the app screen, and then selecting the photos option, you are presented with a huge list of categories for every possible type of room or living/working space. Clicking any of the categories brings up the photos listed under that category of room. You can view photos via two filters — one, by City or region, and the second by Style.
Once you set your filter, you are all set to browse through thousands of high-res images under that section. Clicking on a photo thumbnail brings your device screen to life, and you are able to see the image in its full intended glory. Now the interesting part with the photos is that you are also able to view several tags added by the designer.
Clicking on any of these tags provide information about various appointments in that photo. For example, a chandelier in a dining room, or a stuffed pillow cushion on a chair. The Tag screen also provides further information about that particular object like vendor information, and even a link to visit the store.
Clicking on the Info  button on the main product photo, brings up detailed information about that particular design, details of who the designer or architect is, reviews about that particular design and so on. Clicking on the Professional button in the detailed information page of that photo automatically pulls up the profile of the designer, along with additional options to view reviews about that designer or design firm, as well as what other projects they may have worked on.
At any point within the app, you can share any information, be it about a particular design you liked, or a particular design firm whose work you found interesting, via email, Facebook or Twitter. Social media is tightly integrated and works pretty well from within the app.
You can also browse through just products like Accessories and Decor or Furniture or Kitchen Products or you can view  filtered lists of professionals, depending on exactly what you are looking for.
And last but not the least, you can also browse through Ideabooks, which are basically user submitted articles, pages, photos or tips which can help expand your ideas, and you can even create your own Ideabook by adding stuff. Makes it easier for you to go back to something you liked earlier.
All in all, Houzz for Android is a fully featured interior or exterior design database available at your fingertips. If you have even a passing interest in home design, or for that matter are in the business and want to have a handy repository of ideas as well as details of others firms and contractors in the same or ancillary businesses, Houzz is an app that will serve you extremely well.
Houzz is available as a free download for all Android devices running Froyo 2.2 or higher. Hit the link below to get it from the Play Store.
