Technological Advancement in Interior Design
Technological advancements and digital transformation have touched every industry, including interior design. It has changed – how designers engage with the design and engage with customers.
Here are five areas of technological advancements in interior design set to raise the benchmark of every top interior design firm in India.
1. Augmented Reality (AR)
Gone are the days of plans and drawings. Interior designers work with 3D visualization softwares to showcase the design, colours, size, shape, and space of any room. They help clients customize any design by replacing flooring types, wall colours, wallpaper, furniture, and finishes in real-time videography with only a click of a button. Today, with the advent of augmented reality (AR) technology, customers can directly experience how their interior design will look. Augmented Reality fuses the virtual world and the real world by overlaying virtual features on top of actual ones.
2. Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a step further than AR. Some interior designers give goggles and headsets to their clients to immerse them in a virtual reality experience. VR enables clients to walk through a 3-D replica of the envisioned space. Clients can appreciate every detail of the project, which otherwise is not possible using conventional interior design tools. Virtual interior designers will be the designers of tomorrow.
3. Point Clouds and BIM
Point clouds provide interior designers with information, and Building Information Modelling (BIM) enables access. Modern interior designers now look at a detailed 3D model of a building, develop designs with the latest software applications, collaborate with team members, accelerate processes and achieve better outcomes with these technologies. The technology enables flexible applications, is more cost-effective, and improves customer service. Interior designers have begun to access both of these capabilities to their full potential.
4. 3D Printing Technology
3D printing is the printing of a 3-dimensional model. It is a step ahead of conventional printing as it produces a physical, tangible, and realistic model of whatever you design. Many interior designers use 3D Printing Technology to create complex interior designs objects in 3-D with the perfect finish. Also known as additive manufacturing, this technology is helping designers create for their clients – avante-garde furniture pieces, lighting, and interior design models or prototypes in miniature form. 3D printing, reduces the time between idea conception and confirmation and improves the aesthetics of a space.
5. Smart Tech enablers
Modern interior designers are delivering spaces designed with the latest technology enablers. They include: –
i. Smart Sensors
Buildings have smart sensors or intelligent sensors. They include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, motion sensors (passive infrared sensors), occupancy sensors, smoke sensors, gas/air quality sensors, and electrical current monitoring sensors. These sensors can improve the quality of life, save lives in a time of an accident and ensure the safety and security of a place. Top interior designers in Mumbai and other megacities are equipping newly constructed skyscrapers and smart homes with smart sensors in different patterns and shapes, including decorative objects to blend with the décor.
ii. Intelligent Lighting
The best interior designers for commercial spaces and homes use smart lights in their interior design. Smart lighting effectively changes the mood of a room, enhances dominating décor elements, and allows routine settings like intensity, color, brightness, and timing. Smart lighting is not only good for your eyes but is also durable, energy-efficient, cost-saving, eco-friendly, and free from UV emissions. Today, lighting plays a crucial role in designing interior and exterior spaces.
iii. Smart Speakers
A music lovers’ necessity, the big and ugly speakers often became a sore point for designers. But modern speakers compatible with Apple products and Android through Bluetooth connectivity offer high performance with an elegant look. Interior designers have a wide choice of modern-day wireless speakers and levitating speakers in various colors and shapes to make a room sound smart. The perfect placement of speakers means you can combine functionality and aesthetics in one space.
iv. Smart home shades
End-to-end home interior design solutions offered by an interior designer always include home shades beyond traditional curtains. Smart blinds are window dressings that can open or close with the help of a remote, an app, or voice command on your smartphone. They come in various colours, light-filtering options, and styles like roller, accordion, slat, and honeycomb. There are also good-quality soundproof blinds that can dampen the noise and make your place more comfortable for you. Battery, hardwired, or corded, there are plenty of window treatment ideas to choose from with smart home shades.
v. Smart Locks
Smart homes and IoT technology have enabled locks to offer security and other functions. Smart lock owners can – receive notifications, control who can enter the house when they are away, alert when a door is unlocked, see who got home and when, and even remotely ensure the safety of children in the house. These locks function with smartphones, key codes, fingerprints, and facial recognition. Interior designers are installing some of the best smart door locks today to provide safety with design in home interiors.
Conclusion
India’s interior design market is projected to reach USD 38.2 Billion by 2027. The booming real estate market, rising income levels, social media influence, better living standards and urbanization are contributing to the growth of interior design market. It is time to rethink the interior design future. Top interior designers have started to embrace the five areas of technological advancements to influence design, relay their ideas faster, connect with clients better and deliver unique living spaces. The contemporary designs are aesthetic, functional, and controlled by devices or apps. AR, VR, 3-D printing and smart tech enablers are the new guidelines for the most successful interior designers.
