Match that paint color

If you see a color at a friend’s house that would look great in your home, use Benjamin Moore’s

 Ben Color Capture or Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap, free mobile apps for iPhone, to conjure

 up a matching paint color and code in a jiffy. Take a photo with your phone, and the app 

matches the paint as closely as possible, and will display secondary and complementary 

colors. (ColorSnap is also available for BlackBerry.)


Get rid of stains

Good Housekeeping magazine has placed all their best stain-removal and cleaning advice into

their free @Home app. It also includes decorating ideas and a searchable list of the 5,000-

plus products that have earned a Good Housekeeping seal.


Look for recycled stuff

If you’re searching for a cheap replacement part, or looking for a deal on slightly-used 

appliances and materials, eBay’s free Mobile app lets you search the auction site’s entire 

marketplace from iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry devices. You can also

put any of your disused-but-functional household items up for sale and recoup some cash.

For listings close to home, search the popular Craigslist site through the free Craigsnotifica for

 Android or Craigspro for iPhone.


Price comparison

Finding lower prices on electronics and appliances used to mean driving from store to store or

 scanning Sunday circulars. With the free Price Check by Amazon, you can scan a product’s

 barcode at a store and compare the price against Amazon and other merchants. (Android and 

BlackBerry versions are also available.) PriceGrabber has a similar app for iPhone and 

Android.


Carpenter’s tools in one

For $1.99, the iHandy Carpenter app puts a ruler, protractor, bubble level, surface level, and 

plumb bob into your iPhone, allowing you to make measurements without lugging out the tool 

box. It’s perfect for simple jobs like hanging frames and mirrors.

Need just a level? There’s a free app for iPhone from iHandy and for Android from Johnson.


Calculate materials you’ll need

Before you approach a home improvement project, use the $1.99 Handy Man DIY to record 

dimensions of flooring, windows, walls, and more. It calculates how much material you’ll need 

and gives you a cost estimate.


Order supplies

If you’re in the middle of a home improvement job and need supplies, use the $4.99 Work 

Shop app to order them from your iPhone. It’s also a great tool for keep track of expenses or 

plan your budget for a future project.


Light the way

With the iPhone’s bright display and the super-bright LED flash, you can use it in place of a 

traditional flashlight to illuminate crawl spaces, attics, cabinet recesses, and other dark spots.

There are many apps for this purpose, but two favorites are the 99-cent Flashlight (and 99-cent 


.
Know what and when to plant

Wonder why certain vegetation isn’t growing in your yard? Landscaper’s Companion provides 

a reference guide to more than 2,000 plants. You can search for a plant based on your 

garden’s sun exposure and garden zone, helping to ensure you won’t get any dead leaves after 

planting. The app costs $9.99.


Find a stud

Using your iPhone’s magnetometer, StudFinderPRO can help you locate studs by locating the 

magnetic fields emitted by metal objects like screws and nails. The app costs $2.99. A free 

Magnetic Stud Finder is available for Android devices.


Hire a virtual designer

Need decorating ideas for inspiration? Check out Home Interior Layout Designer—Mark On 

Call for $2.99. Created by an interior designer, the app can help you plan a space and 

determine if furnishings will fit. Also consider the $4.99 Living Room app for iPad and the 99-

cent Dream Home app for iPhone.