“I love it but I’m just not sure,” said Michelle as she looked at her new closet design on a computer screen. “That ‘not sure’ hesitation is almost always rooted in a person’s ability to visualize something that’s not yet built,” says Mike Wolf, VP of Brand Development at Inspired Closets.

Inspired Closets Envision™ is a first-of-its-kind augmented reality closet design tool that blends a two-dimensional rendering with augmented reality technology so homeowners can see and experience their new closet in its fully transformed state–at full scale–before it’s ever built. “Homeowners can put on a mixed reality headset in one of our Inspired Closets showrooms and walk through their closet before they commit to buying, giving them the assurance they need to feel confident and smart about the decision they’re making,” Wolf adds.

“It’s never a good thing to ask homeowners to mentally imagine something, because it can lead to misaligned expectations and unhappy customers,” explains H.L. Burkley, owner of Inspired Closets Southwest Florida. “With Envision, we now have a closet design tool that eases your mind before you make a big decision like purchasing a custom closet.”

What is Augmented Reality?

So how does this new closet design software actually work? Envision harnesses augmented reality (AR) technology, which integrates digital information into a user’s world in real-time. Augmented reality can be experienced on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, or through a mixed-reality headset. The technology overlays digital content on top of the user’s existing reality, allowing them to still see some of their surroundings. Augmented reality is different from virtual reality (VR), which completely changes the space and immerses the user into a new reality from every angle.

The ability to overlay a new design onto an actual space that you can walk through and interact with is what makes this closet design tool ideal for new construction or renovations. Augmented reality enables a realistic viewing experience and creates a true representation of how your closet will look and feel after it’s installed.

“Our process has always been simple. We start with a consultation where we get to know our clients. All of the insights from the consultation inform the design. Once the design is finalized, we help clients prepare for installation day, and then our build team installs the new closet. None of that changes except during the design phase, our designers can use Envision to help a homeowner visualize their new space. They can walk around in their closet before it’s ever built and experience the closet like never before,” explains Burkley.

The Benefits of Envision

Visualize Your Design

Visualizing a new closet, garage, pantry, or home office can be hard for many people, which is why conquering that challenge was one of our main goals when creating Envision. Leveraging technology to solve problems and help clients feel more confident is at the heart of this custom closet design tool. Envision bridges the gap between the digital version of your design and your physical space to truly bring everything to life.

See It At Scale

Anyone who has ever selected a paint color from a tiny swatch or stood inside a house before drywall is up knows there is just no true substitute for seeing things at scale. That’s where Envision comes in, making it possible for you to see, walk through, and interact with home improvements or new construction before anything is ever built. The closet design software also allows you to get a feel for the distance between things, how high up a shelf is, how much space the bank of drawers takes up, and how much room you have for double-hang or long-hang sections. This gives you a better sense of what your new closet will look like in your home, as well as how the space will feel when all of the details come together.

Validate Design Decisions

The fear of making a mistake during new construction or a renovation has kept more than one homeowner up at night. And, it’s all too common that this fear becomes disappointment and regret after installation. You think you like where a bank of drawers is when you see it in a 2D design, but will you feel differently after it’s installed? With our augmented reality closet layout design tool, you can step inside your closet and know for certain the design choices you made are the right ones. Envision takes out the guesswork and reduces the likelihood of making mistakes so you feel confident and assured moving forward.

Try Before You Buy

Aside from liking what you see, it’s important to know that you’re going to love how everything works, too. With Envision, because you can actually step into your design, walk around, and experience all of your choices, you get to evaluate your space in its fully-transformed state. That extra level of reassurance is only possible with an immersive custom closet design tool. Not to mention, it’s so much more engaging than the traditional closet design process.

Higher Homeowner Satisfaction

Not only do you get to use Envision, but our designers, project managers, and installers do, too. That way, everyone on your closet design team is fully immersed in your designs and on the same page about what they should look like and how they should be installed. This extra level of precision and quality control leads to unmatched client satisfaction, making it the smartest, most reassuring way to buy a closet.

How Our Designers Use Envision

Whether our clients are renovating an existing home or building something new, the goal of using Envision as a closet organization design tool is to help homeowners feel more confident and less stressed about their project and the decisions they’re making. “We knew Envision was a game-changer from our very first appointment. The homeowners were super concerned about having enough space to walk around a couch and the cabinets in a game room. They put on the headset, were able to walk around their game room, decided to move forward with the project, and left feeling confident in their decisions and very excited for installation day,” shares Marye Silvers, owner of Inspired Closets Los Angeles.

See Your Closet Come to Life

No more losing sleep over whether or not you’ll like your new closet, and no more costly do-overs down the line. There’s never been a smarter way to buy a custom closet. Envision launches this month in most Inspired Closets showrooms nationwide. Visit your local showroom or schedule a design consultation to try the newest closet design tool to see your closet designs come to life.