Could Augmented Reality Change the Way We Design and Decorate?

“With augmented reality, interior design and decoration become an immersive, interactive process, where creativity knows no bounds.”

– Gerry S. Vassilatos (Author and Design Expert)

I often get confused when buying anything new. Looking at the various options available in the market fills me with questions. ”What if I buy the wrong item, what if it doesn’t look good after buying”, and many more such doubts. No one wants to regret their decision after spending huge bucks on something, especially if it is related to real estate. 

Technology has outdone itself again. Now we can envision stuff in the final settings, even before buying it. How, you might ask. Well, augmented reality is the answer. 

Remember how the world went crazy over the Pokémon Go game back in 2016?  You would leave your house and find Pokémon at your doorstep. The Niantic game has made more than $6 billion since then, highlighting how lucrative AR can be.

Nowadays, AR is being used in areas like interior design and changing the way we shop, design, and decorate. Let’s take a deeper dive and uncover what the future holds in this field.  

Interior Design Visualization Made Easy

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could visualize how the final result would look before making a purchase? Well, it is very much possible. Now, you don’t need to hire an expensive interior designer to plan the house decoration. Their job is to visualize how things could look, and they’re paid to be masters of this. However, AR could make it possible for anyone to do it.

It is like slipping on a pair of AR glasses and being able to view furniture in the abode in real-time. You could mix and match things, move items around, and test loads of different combinations. AR would allow you to see these elements in the home, so you have a better idea of whether they fit or not.

IKEA has already pioneered this technology with the IKEA Place app, which allows users to place virtual furniture from the Swedish megastore in their homes. It’s a revolutionary step forward, as it’s a great way to see if something will fit or clash with existing furniture. 

According to an article about IKEA’s AR app in Appify Commerce, it has increased online sales by 35 percent and reduced the number of product returns by 20 percent since 2017.

FUN FACT The first AR system, called the “Sword of Damocles”, was developed by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland in 1968. It was a head-mounted display that superimposed simple graphics onto a user’s view of the real world.

Testing Out Major Layout Changes

I understand how confusing it can be to make decisions when it comes to interior design. It is natural to get flooded with questions and doubts when making structural changes in homes.

Everyone’s thought about having that kitchen makeover or making the downstairs open plan, but it’s hard to bite the bullet and go for it, knowing that it could be a mistake. After all, no one wants to regret their decision after spending a hefty amount on layouts. 

AR can effectively solve this problem, as it allows people to see exactly how an idea would look. You won’t need to break out the sledgehammer or call an architect, as you’ll be able to see some things for yourself first with AR.

There’s already an app that shows the potential of AR in this situation. MagicPlan enables users to create their own detailed floor plans and layouts. It’s easy to get the hang of and doesn’t require any architectural credentials. You can add and remove walls, and mix up different layouts – you name it. 

When AR improves and glasses become ubiquitous, people will likely be able to do this in their real-world surroundings without having to look at the app.

Helping With Home Sales

AR could be a powerful tool in helping people envision how a property would look once they move in. Prospective buyers on house tours could wear AR glasses and put their own furniture and belongings in rooms to see how they’d look there.

Online estate agents could implement this type of technology to help with their sales. These services buy houses from people looking for quick sales and then offer tours of the dwellings to new homebuyers. 

We Buy Any Home’s sell house fast service does this, making the process smooth for the customers who are selling the houses. All these people have to do is fill in some key details about their homes to receive a cash offer in minutes.

After that, AR could come in handy for these online estate agents, allowing them to let homebuyers get a better feel for the house when they visit for a viewing. 

DO YOU KNOW? 
The AR shopping market is on the rise as more companies are incorporating AR to enhance their consumer experience. It is expected to be worth $54.7 billion in 2033 from $4 billion in 2023.  

Enhancing Decision-Making

Buyer’s remorse is a real thing in countless industries, but its impact is arguably the greatest in real estate. You don’t want to fork out your life savings and get tied up to a mortgage on a property that you’re unhappy with a few months later. Similarly, it’s a bad idea to do renovations or buy furniture if there’s a chance that you’re not going to like these changes.

AR could be the key to reducing buyer’s remorse and ensuring that people are sure of what they want before they make a purchase. By implementing a variety of AR tools, people will be able to wait until they are completely sure before parting with vast amounts of money. This try-before-you-buy format has been key to the success of many online industries, and it could be a game changer for interior design as well.

AR is continuing to evolve, and there are exciting projections for the next decade. It could soon become normal to wear AR glasses and experience digital elements in the real world. When this happens, it will have a great effect on interior design, helping people become more certain before they make purchases.

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