For years, Excel has been the trusted companion for creating spec sheets. It’s familiar, flexible, and gets the job done. But here’s the thing. Excel wasn’t designed with the needs of interior designers in mind.

Endless rows and multiple tabs can quickly get overwhelming, and formatting those sheets to look professional often takes longer than it should. Updating details is yet another story. Manual edits and version confusion can take up hours of your valuable time.

But there’s a better way. Specification software, built specifically for design professionals, offers a smarter and more streamlined approach to managing your projects. It simplifies organisation, automates repetitive tasks, and keeps everything in one easy-to-access place.

It’s more than just a spreadsheet alternative. It’s a way to focus less on admin and more on creating stunning spaces. Ready to rethink your workflow? Let’s dive in.

Excel for Interior Design: Strengths and Shortcomings

Excel has long been a default choice for managing projects across industries, including interior design. Its customisable structure and accessibility make it a reliable starting point for organising budgets, schedules, and even spec sheets. And for smaller, simpler projects, it gets the basics done.

But as any designer tackling complex projects knows, Excel has its limits. It wasn’t built to handle the intricacies of interior design. Every detail requires manual input and constant updates, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

Sharing spreadsheets with clients? That’s another hurdle. Navigating rows, tabs, and file versions can be confusing, leading to miscommunication. And let’s not forget the time it takes to make a spec sheet look polished – aligning tables, tweaking fonts, and trying to make a spreadsheet look presentable can eat into hours better spent on the design.

Lukas Senkus from LS Architects knows it all too well: "When presenting to clients, I wanted to convey a professional image, which was hard to achieve with just Excel or Google Sheets."

For interior designers juggling creativity and client expectations, its lack of automation and collaboration features can turn even simple projects into a frustrating ordeal. While it works, it doesn’t necessarily work well for the demands of modern design workflows.

Excel’s layouts are built for accountants, not interior designers

Why thesheet Is the Best Excel Alternative for Interior Designers

If you’ve ever found yourself buried in Excel tabs, scrolling endlessly to update a spec sheet or frantically searching for the latest version to share with a client, you’re not alone.

"When it came time to compile everything, it felt overwhelming and cumbersome," said Paola Castillo, the founder of Own Space Interiors.

That’s where thesheet comes in. A tool built specifically for interior designers, designed to make your life easier.

Imagine this – instead of manually copying product details into a spreadsheet, you can save them straight from a webpage with a few clicks. No more juggling product specs in one file, budgets in another, and client notes somewhere else. Thesheet brings everything together in one beautifully organised space.

Need to share a project with a client? Forget sending an email with half a dozen attachments. With thesheet, you can just send a single link, and your client can view everything – up-to-date and perfectly organised. Approvals? Changes? All handled in real-time, without the chaos.

And let’s talk about time. All those hours you used to spend on updates and formatting? Thesheet gives them back to you. Whether you’re managing one project or juggling five, it’s the digital tool that keeps you on track, automates the boring bits, and lets you focus on designing spaces your clients will love. It’s not just an Excel alternative. It’s a total upgrade.

thesheet: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Why It’s Made for Interior Designers

Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and thesheet is no exception. But for interior designers, its strengths are hard to beat.

The strengths

Picture this – instead of wrestling with endless Excel rows, thesheet lets you create spec sheets tailored to your project’s needs. Group by room, category, or both, it’s your call. Add the Web Clipper to the mix, and saving product details from a website becomes as easy as highlighting text and clicking save. It’s like turning a messy to-do list into a perfectly organised plan.

Need to stay on budget? With thesheet, you can track expenses in real-time and send quote requests straight from the platform. No more juggling files or drafting emails.

And collaboration? Sharing a single link keeps everyone on the same page, cutting out the back-and-forth of scattered communication. Clients can approve or decline products with on click in real-time. And the presentation? Spec sheets look polished and client-ready, giving your work that professional edge without extra effort.

No more fighting with formatting, images, or multiple versions

The weaknesses

If you’ve been using spreadsheets for years, switching to something new might feel a bit unfamiliar at first and that’s completely normal. It’s like getting a new coffee machine. The first few mornings, you might fumble with the buttons or miss your old routine. But once you get the hang of it, making your perfect cup is faster, easier, and even a little more enjoyable.

The same goes for thesheet. While there’s a small learning curve, it’s much simpler and more intuitive than tools like Programa or Notion. You’ll pick it up in no time, and the benefits are immediate. Once you see how much time you save and how effortlessly your projects come together, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Thesheet isn’t about cramming in every feature – it’s about giving you exactly what you need, nothing you don’t. For designers juggling creativity and client expectations, that simplicity is a game-changer.

Who Can Benefit from thesheet? A Tool for Every Interior Designer

Thesheet is for anyone in the interior design world who’s ready to trade spreadsheets for simplicity. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, part of a small design team, or a freelance designer juggling multiple projects, thesheet has you covered.

For solo designers, it’s like having an extra pair of hands. The intuitive interface makes it easy to organise spec sheets, manage budgets, products, and track client approvals – all in one place. Small design teams will love the shared product library, where every item added is instantly accessible to the whole group. No more duplicating work or sending files back and forth – everyone works from the same, up-to-date information.

Making the leap from Excel to thesheet doesn’t require hours of training. Its intuitive design and low learning curve mean you can hit the ground running. Whether you’re managing one project or ten, thesheet keeps things smooth, organised, and under control. It’s not just for professionals – it’s for anyone who wants to design with clarity and confidence.

See the benefits of thesheet in 2 minutes

Why Choose thesheet for Your Interior Design Projects?

If you’re looking for a tool that simplifies your workflow and makes your life easier, thesheet is it. Think of it as your all-in-one project assistant – organising your spec sheets, managing client communication, and even automating those repetitive tasks that slow you down.

Imagine being able to save hours every week. Instead of manually updating rows in a spreadsheet, thesheet keeps everything up-to-date automatically. Sharing spec sheets with clients? It’s as easy as sending a single link.

Need product details? Clip them directly from websites in seconds. It’s like moving from juggling dozens of tasks to having a streamlined system that just works. And those spec sheets? They’re not just organised – they’re visually stunning, showing your clients a level of professionalism they’ll love.

The best part is that the first three projects are completely free. You can dive in, explore its features, and see how much it improves your workflow – no strings attached.

Give it a try

Whether you’re a seasoned interior designer or just starting out, thesheet is built for clarity, simplicity, and efficiency. It’s not about adding bells and whistles – it’s about giving you what you need to get the job done better. Ready to leave the chaos of spreadsheets behind? Try thesheet today and see the difference it makes.