IKEA Place lets you “see” it in your home before you buy it

I’m over the moon excited about this — a new app from IKEA that allows you to preview 3D versions of IKEA products in your home setting. You get a life-like rendition of the piece in your space, down to size, lighting, shadows and fabric texture. See it at home first. Without all that cart manoeuvring, flatpack hauling, mind boggling assembly. (And what!? Your partner doesn’t like it? And you now need to reverse the entire freaking process.) With this app, you see it first. Albeit virtually. But still. Without. All. That. Sweat.

Just a few days ago, IKEA announced the launch of IKEA Place, an augmented reality (AR) application that can potentially change the way we shop at IKEA forever. No more second guessing whether the piece that looks great in the catalog will fit into your space and style.

Lets do away with #shoppingfail

“IKEA Place makes it easier to make buying decisions in your own place, to get inspired and try many different products, styles and colors in real-life settings with a swipe of your finger. Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster,” says Michael Valdsgaard, Leader Digital Transformation at Inter IKEA Systems.

From sofas and armchairs to coffee tables, all of the products in IKEA Place are 3D and true to scale so that every choice is just the right size, design and function.

Looking at the demo video, the app seems easy enough to use. You scan your room, browse the range of IKEA items and then select a product to place in the space. Tilt and turn the item to set it just right. And you can share the photo immediately too.

IKEA Place is built on Apple’s new ARKit technology, and boasts a 98% accuracy in scaling products to room dimensions. More than 2,000 IKEA products will be available in the app at launch, and in the future, the app will play a key role in the launch of new product lines.

The products in the first release will focus on larger furniture products for the living room: all sofas, all armchairs, all footstools, all coffee tables and top-selling storage solutions that can be placed on the floor. Some of the most recognized IKEA products are available on IKEA Place, including: the VIMLE sofa, the STRANDMON winged chair and the LISABO side table.

The app will be available in the Apple store starting in late-September; users will need iOS 11 to enjoy this app.

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