I use 20/20, but that's proprietary to pros. Google SketchUp is free, and you can do basic layouts with the $99 version of Chief Architect that Better Homes and Gardens sells.

For what you want to do, you don't necessarily need software though. Use graph paper and lay out the bones of the space and then you can use another sheet to cut out the "basic three" of the range, stove, and sink, to be able to move them around to find their best position. Once you find the best position for them, the other stuff flows easier. You can scan the graph paper directly on a scanner or take a pic and post to Photobucket and use their HTML to post here. You can get larger and clearer diagrams within the post doing that than the forum software allows.

Yes thank you. getting ready to measure with my graph paper!

For learning SketchUp there's a pretty decent series of books called "Google SketchUp for Interior Design and Space Planning" or some such. I bought them last winter when I was first learning it.

The books ended up being a bit too basic for me, since I learn computer stuff quickly -- it's what I do for a living. By the time the books arrived I'd already learned most of what was in them. But for someone who's just starting out I think they'd be good.

The series has 3 books. They're all pretty thin and fairly inexpensive. I bought them on Amazon.

I agree that graph paper is a good place to start, though. Or go buy a cheap architects' ruler at Office Depot. I think I got one for $5 or so.

Laura
still annoyed that Google got rid of SketchUp