Using Augmented Reality Interior Design to Create Your Dream House

A creative industry like interior design requires a lot of imagination, and a lot of times, it may not be easy to fully convey your vision to the client or the agency you are using. AR design has become so popular since it allows everybody involved to better visualize various elements of the project by juxtaposing physical and virtual input. Best of all, this technology is readily available. All you need is a smartphone or tablet capable of running the ARKit if you’re using an iOS device or AR Core for Android. Since augmented reality design is becoming so popular, we would like to tell you about its use cases, functionality, and development costs. 

Picking Out Furniture

When you go into stores like IKEA, there are so many items to choose from that it’s preventing you from making a buying decision. One of the problems is that you don’t really know how well the item will fit into the room’s overall interior design. Thanks to AR, this problem can be easily solved. IKEA implemented AR functionality into its mobile app that allows shoppers to overlay the catalog items onto their physical environment to understand better how the item will look if placed in their rooms. 

Wayfair took the AR experience a step further and added body and environmental occlusions, real-time lighting, and more. Virtual objects naturally cast shadows and blend into the surroundings. For example, if you are shopping for a table, you can place some chairs next to each other, and the app will automatically place the table in the right spot. Moreover, users can stand or walk near virtual objects just like they exist in real life. The Wayfair app supports multiple planes so that users can place objects on the ceiling, walls, tables, or floor.

Create the Kitchen of Your Dreams

Whether you’re looking to completely remodel your kitchen or make some adjustments here and there, you will have a much easier time doing so with augmented reality kitchen design. First of all, it will allow you better visualize new appliances, cabinets, and other aspects. Still, also it will give you a better understanding of the type of kitchen you’re looking for. Often, we think we have a great idea or understanding of what we want, but when we actually see what it looks like in real life, we might start to shift our opinions. 

In addition to homeowners looking to remodel, sales associates working for various design and renovation companies need to be able to sell more projects. This becomes a lot easier with AR since they can visualize kitchen design in a matter of minutes and show it to the customer instead of describing abstract ideas and concepts. The AR can visualize everything down to the smallest detail, such as countertop options and various finishes. 

Augmented Reality House Design

So far, we talked about picking out furniture and remodeling a room or a kitchen, but why not take this a step further and use AR to design the entire house? Augmented reality home design can save you a lot of headaches and regrets by better planning out each step of the design process. Before construction even begins, an augmented reality development firm can create floor plans that are not simply 2D drawings but something that you and your customer will be able to walk in them as if you are already walking in the completed house. 

This works because users focus on a given design or plan file with the camera on their mobile device; the app then recognizes the design, and the screen overlays a virtual model of what the project will look like upon completion.

Enhancing the Construction Process

Even though the design and blueprints for the house have been created, the house itself needs to be built. Construction companies can use AR to enhance the construction process and keep the customer in the loop about what’s going on. They can use popular software tools like Revit from AutoDesk to create elevations, sections, schedules, 3D views, and renderings. It also enhances communication with all parties involved since everybody can be virtually at the construction site together. This also helps keep costs down since it eliminates the need for costly site visits. 

What Factors Go Into Calculating the Cost of a Project

Since every project is unique, it’s impossible to give a precise estimate, so the best we can do is tell you about some factors affecting the cost. These include: 

• General Cost Factors – Number and complexity of the features. Also, the types of devices that will be able to use the product. 
• Additional Costs – CReating the 3D model, integrating the tool with other systems such as CMS, 3D design tools
• Operational costs – All of the costs associated with cloud services such as computing power, storage costs, etc. 

In addition to this, there will be consulting costs if you are using an agency to create your product. This is the best way to go since there are so many details and nuances that need to be accounted for when creating AR software that you will probably not be able to manage without the right expertise. 

Trust Skywell Software to Create Your AR Products

As we discussed earlier, many benefits of AR house design will allow you to better plan out everything from separate rooms to the entire house. Also, it dramatically simplifies and expedites various processes involved. However, it would help if you had the right expertise to reap all of these benefits. Skywell Software has extensive experience creating AR products for some of the best-known brands in the world. We have the insider know-how and skillset on staff to make even the most visionary projects come to life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.