Many interior designers dabble in staging projects, and a few have embraced it full time. “Virtual staging” is a type of home staging executed with the help of 3D software technology. The process consists of creating a realistic tri-dimensional model of a space and then designing the interiors with 3D furniture and decor.
Really, how far away is that from offering a comprehensive design solution online?
I’m borrowing this headline from an article from artvoice.com, which specifically addresses the subject of the staging of properties for real estate sales.
But I think it’s far bigger than that.
Yes, yours is ideally a touchy-feely business, not only to develop rapport with clients, but to benefit from the tactile nature of so many of the solutions you develop.
Even so, you are not immune from the trend toward “digital everything,” including the use of software tools that can help customers to visualize those solutions. This is true whether they are looking across a table at your iPad, or are 3,000 miles away.
Every interior designer should examine every aspect of their business and think, “How can I digitize that process just a bit more.”
Maria Caterina Chiuchiarelli is a designer within this niche who says, “For now, we’ll just say that given enough time and resources, virtual staging can help you completely re-envision your current or future home with pinpoint precision, all from the comfort of your computer.”
She continues: “Virtual staging is almost 90% less expensive than physical. Physical staging requires multiple professionals and physical furniture. With virtual staging, I aim to merge my experience as an architect with my knowledge and taste as an international interior designer. In this case, one professional can do all the work in less time.”
Of course the timing couldn’t be better for virtual staging as it offers a perfect solution to the pandemic. Rather than having to invite professionals into your home to work on a redesign, one can simply enlist the help of a virtual staging company. That company can also be anywhere in the world.
From staging, to remote proposals, to progress updates, to a potential path to virtual reality, every designer should add a little time to their R&D budget to understand what’s happening in this realm. You don’t need to master these skills yourself, but you just may need to find someone who has.
If nothing else, just Google, “virtual staging” to see the state of the art these days.
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