Daily Times

NEW YORK: Stop moving around the new sofa to try to figure out where it fits. Forget about trying to judge a paint color from tiny samples against the wall. New tools like virtual reality measuring apps and online mood boards are trying to help consumers find easier and quicker ways to decorate homes and apartments.

The expanded services and online tools come as traditional retailers like J.C. Penney and Target are focusing more on home improvement – bringing back major appliances, creating in-store home vignettes. The interest is happening in the wake of improving technology and increased consumer spending on the home fueled by a strong real estate market. But those creating the new tools say the future of home decor is in ways to let people envision new wall colors, furniture and curtains without having to take them home.

At a new technology lab in Boston, online home retailer Wayfair.com is digitizing its catalog and testing augmented reality and virtual reality apps as well as 3D models of its products. It’s a move toward “constantly raising the bar to create the best possible shopping experience for the home, adapted to how consumers shop today and in the future,” says Steve Conine, the company’s co-chairman and co-founder.

The all-in-one site Houzz.com not only helps shoppers get inspiration and narrow their choices down from its more than five million products from over 10,000 sellers, it also helps people find local professionals to install the curtains they just bought. And Houzz.com just launched an augmented reality app called “View in My Room” that allows shoppers to experiment with home decor options by virtually placing products from its online store into their home before you buy. It seems to be converting browsers into buyers.