Skip to main content

Augmented reality is becoming real for home goods brands like Williams-Sonoma

Augmented and virtual reality may have cut their teeth in the gaming realm, but the industry truly leveraging this 21st century to its advantage is one that doesn’t always engender thoughts of innovation. But whatever you think about the home improvement and interior design companies of today, one thing is clear — they’re now leading the way when it comes to the adoption of AR and VR.

From online interior decorating startups like Hutch to industry giants like Ikea, these companies are leveraging AR capabilities to help potential buyers make smarter decisions. And the latest to join the fray is Williams-Sonoma, the kitchen and home goods brand that is also the parent company of the West Elm and Pottery Barn furniture stores.

Recommended Videos

Williams-Sonoma isn’t just releasing an app or debuting a new platform that makes use of augmented reality — instead, the company has spent $112 million in cash to acquire San Jose-based AR startup Outward. The five-year-old company is known for creating high-quality 3D-images of physical products, perfect for appearing on websites and apps. And previously, Outward has collaborated with brands like Pottery Barn to place these 3D renderings in, you guessed it, AR apps, helping customers “see” how an item might look in their homes.

“One of the key components here is the quality of the image,” Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber told Recode about the decision to acquire the company. “If you look at other 3-D images, they are very cartoon-like or take a lot of time to produce. We believe the quality and scalability is unparalleled,” she added.

Outward has a long-standing relationship with Williams-Sonoma, having worked with the firm for three years. If you’ve ever looked at furniture on the company website and tried to see what a couch or table might look like in a different color or finish, you were using Outward’s technology. Moreover, Outward and Williams-Sonoma more recently partnered to debut Pottery Barn’s augmented reality app, which we told you about in March.

The move marks a burgeoning trend among furniture and design firms to make use of an increasingly advanced set of tools to improve the customer experience. After all, you’re much more likely to buy a product if you’re able to “try” it first, even if it’s only virtually. The acquisition deal is expected to close by the end of 2017.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Aiper robotic pool cleaners and bundles on sale for Prime Day — up to $750 off
The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max cordless robotic pool cleaner at the side of a swimming pool.

Keeping your swimming pool clean is tough work, but you can say goodbye to manual cleaning by taking advantage of Aiper's discounts on its robotic pool cleaners for Prime Day. Up to $800 in savings are up for grabs, and you'll get an additional 5% off these lowered prices by using the code DGTRENDS5OFF during the checkout process. We're going to say it — these Prime Day deals on Aiper robotic pool cleaners are simply amazing.

These offers are scheduled to last until Prime Day ends, but you shouldn't wait until the final minutes of the shopping holiday before you finalize your purchase. That's because there's no assurance that these Aiper robotic pool cleaners and the bundles featuring them will still be available by then. If any of these bargains catch your eye, we highly recommend proceeding with your transaction immediately to make sure that you pocket the savings — just don't forget that checkout code for the extra 5% discount!

Read more
Tineco carpet cleaner at lowest-ever price for Prime Day — here’s how to save more
A man using the Tineco Carpet One Cruiser Smart Carpet Cleaner.

Not all vacuum deals will be able to provide in-depth cleaning for your carpet. You're going to need something more specialized, and we highly recommend the Tineco Carpet One Cruiser. From its original price of $699, it's available from Amazon's Prime Day for its lowest-ever price of $489, but you can get an additional 5% off with the checkout code TIN25PDPR. That means you'll only have to pay $465 for this smart carpet cleaner, for total savings of $234, but you'll need to act fast as we're not sure if the stocks that are up for sale will last until the final minutes of the shopping holiday.

BUY NOW

Read more
Tineco vacuum nearly $300 off for Prime Day — use this code for extra savings
The Tineco Floor One Stretch S6 cordless vacuum cleaner cleaning a spill.

In one of the most attractive vacuum deals that you can shop for Prime Day, Amazon has slashed the Tineco Floor One Stretch S6 to its lowest-ever price of $319 from its sticker price of $599. However, we've got a code for you to be able to get the cordless wet-dry vacuum cleaner with an extra 5% off — just enter TIN25PDPR during the checkout process so that you'll only have to pay $303, for total savings of $296. That's an excellent offer that you wouldn't want to miss, and you better hurry if you want to take advantage of it as it may not remain available until the end of the shopping holiday.

$303 at Amazon

Read more