You wouldn’t buy that pair of pants before making a trip to the fitting room, or a car before taking it for a test drive, so why buy furniture without seeing it in your home? Now, you don’t have to. It’s all thanks to the new “View in Room” feature from the Wayfair mobile app, which promises to let “shoppers see furniture and décor in their homes before they buy.” Rather than using your mind’s eye, you can use your actual eyes and place 2D product images in any room of your house through your smartphone’s camera.
“As we pioneer new emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, we are simultaneously focused on bringing new solutions to market that will immediately benefit all of our customers,” said Steve Conine, the co-founder and co-chairman of Wayfair. “The new View in Room feature solves a common customer pain point by making it possible for shoppers to preview furniture and décor in their home before placing an order.”
While many augmented and virtual reality experiences require a headset or some other hardware, Wayfair’s app allows shoppers to take advantage of this technology with nothing more than their mobile device. Just click the View in Room button underneath a product image in the existing app and the product will appear on your screen in camera mode, so you can take a picture of a room with your potential purchase superimposed.
“From lighting and throw pillows to sofas and chairs — and even holiday décor — the View in Room feature makes shopping for the home fun, interactive and social,” continued Conine. “Our newest visualization feature is broadly available to our rapidly growing customer base and offers shoppers the added confidence that they’re making the right furniture and décor selections for their homes.”
You can check out the mobile app here.