IKEA’s App Update Can Delete Your Furniture and Replace It With Theirs
Typically, you would remove old pieces of furniture after a trip to IKEA, but a new app update from the Swedish company can now remove your stuff even before you leave the house.
IKEA has launched an augmented reality tool, called IKEA Kreativ, that can scan your room, create a 3D replica of the space, and then delete your existing furniture. With the blank canvas, you can then tap into their catalog and fill your room with products to get a better sense of what your place will look like.
According to Thomas Fenrich, VP of Digital Product at IKEA US, the technology can help customers decide now that they can actually see how various items will appear in their homes.
“People often buy [furniture] without context and rely on their imagination. In fact, 87 percent of our customers say that they want to feel good about their home, but only half of them know how to do it,” he told Fast Company.
To use the feature, take several photos of a room to stitch together a panoramic shot. Then, the app will ask you to wave your phone around in a figure-eight motion to capture more visual data. Once that’s done, you can delete furniture, add new ones, save your ideas for later or share with others, and of course, add items to cart.
If you need design inspiration, IKEA has also uploaded more than 50 new virtual showrooms, which you can filter based on the room type and furnishing needs.
“There has also been a rise in IKEA customers doing more of their home shopping in digital channels and they want to enhance this experience with some of the magic they can find in IKEA stores,” the company said in a press release. “IKEA Kreativ gives customers the confidence, ability, and control to create functionally designed and attractive spaces in a simple, time-saving experience.”
IKEA Kreativ is now available in the US for iOS users via the IKEA app, with the rest of the world to follow next year. You can head here to learn more.