DesignMyRoom launched this afternoon - It’s a new product from a company called Swatchbox Technologies that allows people to decorate a real room virtually via a photograph of the room and DesignMyRoom’s library of stuff. Previously the company, which has been around for 11 years, sold 2 million copies of desktop software that has similar functionality as the online tool.
If you thought MyMiniLife was cool, wait until you spend some time playing around with this.
The first step is to pick an empty room, or upload a photo of your own room. You then start decorating it by adding a floor, paint, fixtures, furniture, etc. I made my own room during testing - see the before and after photos above. I also made the project public, so anyone can log in to it and make changes. Have at it.
Objects can be resized, rotated and moved around the room. The next step, the company says, is to allow users to upload their own images and insert them into the room. They’ve also paid attention to details - notice the shadows behind the clover and the lamp, for example, and the light coming into the room from the windows.
It also would be great if they created an embeddable version of the projects (something I assume they’ll do eventually).
There is a clear and really good business model here - selling people the real stuff once they’ve seen it virtually in their room. The company also makes money through product placement and other advertising.
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Very cool - we did this at work about 5 yrs ago, but it was flat - meaning you moved a flat couch onto a flat layout. This looks great.
This is a place offshore outsourcers will love - why not sell home design services from a far. And if you can’t get a top notch designer into your home, just send them your plan and they can virtually work it up.
That’s one big frog in your room, Mike!
This is exactly the kind of thing that could get a person in trouble at work. Heh. I could definitely see myself getting lost in this site for hours at a time. Very cool.
I tried to give you a nice big TV, but they don’t seem to have any
Having flashbacks to Microsoft BOB…
Hi Michael,
I would like to have a combination of this site and http://www.papervision3d.org/demos/panorama/
Mario Ruiz
@ http://www.oursheet.com
Very cool, indeed. I’ll be wasting tons of time on this site!
I can see some quickly needed upgrades, though. Like when I upload my own photo, I’d like the app to be smart enough to strip the room of its furniture & colors, instead of having to provide an empty photo of the room to start as a canvas. The sample template rooms are nice, but they don’t really help me fully visualize the things I need or want in a specific place.
And the rotation & resizing should happen automatically — one of the most important functions of these tools for me would be to help me understand which choices actually physically -fit- together, not to just see a bunch of them juxtaposed with one another.
But this site is a great start!
Yeah, I hope they get some more TVs, and guy stuff like that. It is pretty addictive however, I just fine myself playing around. Did you notice these are real products though that you can buy? That’s crazy…
Nice, I’ve been playing around the last couple of weeks with http://www.floorplanner.com which is a great tool for 2D floorplans, would love to see a combination of these tools. Interesting stuff…
I’ve always wanted a giant clover and a frog in my room.
I could see Ikea buying this and uploading their entire catalog. Then as you put the room together there could be a running total on the right. Combine this with the image resize mentioned previously and you could do home remodeling as well!
Combining with floorplanner.com would be cool. It would also be cool to combine it with the virtual showroom on Autodesk’s labs site. It lets you view 3D photo-quality images of real products in a photo-real room. http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/showroom/
Although the idea is an old one… I like the spin this company was able to make - and business model that came up - wish I thought of this about 5 years back when VC money was easy to get
Jon
The Japanese company MUJI distributes a free CD-ROM each season which has similar software with a full 3D catalog of its furniture and you can see how much it would cost too.
I can’t believe no one has defaced the room yet.
Michael, Why some comments need moderation and others not? Mario
Finally, something worth reading about on TC. Not FACEBOOK CRAP. I love it
This is real cool. For once something really useful.
You’d have better Feng Shui with the frog on the right and a purple giraffe in the corner.
Pretty cool stuff, but this is pretty similar to what http://www.citypixel.com currently has available with the added bonus of wrapping the whole infrastructure around a social network. Still impressive nonetheless.
@Michael:
Do you know who the VCs are or the management team is?
@booboy:
We’re privately funded. Here’s a link to our management team: http://company.swatchbox.com/leadership_team.asp
This website takes it even further:
http://www.viseno.no
Check this out
check tis site out. Its the best. http://www.3dbolig.no
WOW! Lots of fun to play around! Maybe I will finally finish some rooms in my house! I like that I can shop right here-it will definatley save time. Very impressive!
While this is a “Flashy” app (pun intended), at the end of the day this is a toy not a serious application of any sort. Placing 2D images of products in a 2D flat room is easy and maybe a little fun, but it’s not effective as a way to design, visualize or engage customers. Try putting a fridge and stove against a side wall…can’t do it. Even with the community aspect of this, why would people come back…and pay $5/month? Don’t think this is going to make it.
Derek, if you select a product on the design board, you can drag the dot in the center of the product around to give it some perspective. Just a simple way to give 2D images a 3D look.
@Derek:
Make sure you talk to some women–our primary audience–before making any conclusions.
You’re absolutely right about the fun part. There’s a huge play aspect to it. People are calling it “addicting.” And there are plenty of incredibly successful websites that are about nothing but play.
But our experience from people using our web and CDROM tools (millions of users over the last five years) suggests that these tools actually do help people make decisions.
So obviously I hope you’re wrong.
But glad you’re engaged in the conversation.
Derek,
Jesse is absolutely right. It is addicting and fun.
Professionals won’t use these kinds of tools to design a room. But people (women) planning a redesign and DIYers might try out a few colors and finishes to help them visualize the products they intend to buy.
Jesse, when will the “upload your own photo” option be available?
Ahhh a social network that uses rooms for user environments would be good.
Wait that has already been created!
This product looks sweet, it’ll make it easy when i need to figure out what my room will look like. The only problem i’ll have is dimension measuring for all the furniture. But this does look like a great product for trying to place everything. Maybe i’ll use it in my work space.
Wish you could be able to change viewpoints and perspective views and virtually walkthrough your room. I guess that’s where the 3D sites mentioned above come into play.
Yeah, check out http://www.designerpages.com , it’s sort of similar but is specifically aimed at trade professionals, Architects and Designers, to find products and collaborate on design.
Very well done.
Jesse:
how can this possibly make money? will people actually pay for these services, i.e. the monthly fees? or are you counting more on advertising dollars?
Wow! I love how you did this thing! it is helping me make my house better and better!
I think that this thing could possibly be the next big thing!! seriously you are not taking away anything by getting your butts on this awesome program!!!!!
wELL IT IS A GOOD IDEA BUT NOT VERY CLEAR. I CAN’T EVEN WORK HOW HOW TO USE IT!
AND CHEESE
I AM IN NEED OF SOME NEW KITCHIN UNITS BUT EVERYTHING ON HERE ISN’T WORTH IT!
Probably the most comprehensive and powerful online, 3D space planner designed specificly for design professionals. Even generates customizable reports, shopping lists and proposals based on what you put in the room. Definatly worth a look: http://www.3dream.net/
Style guides, several of them, aloha, architectural, European country, Americana, Far east dream, Ivory coast, In Russian Style, La vida buena, so many products in all these different style guides, makes it easy to design your room in the style guide that you choose. The latest category is outdoor furniture with Andrew Richard Designs.