People always ask me what my home is like. "I bet its stunning, isnt it?" is a common place question. Those that know me well, will vouch that "its not stunning". So when I explain 'its far from it', my response is received with great surprise. Sometimes disappointment. Being a young family my home spends the best part of 24 hours looking like a tornado has just hit. Except when everyone's asleep, then its a bit better, but then no-one gets to see it.
I then came across an advert in a magazine for bedding and I realised instantly that this desire for stunning spaces was another side effect of "Faking It". The advert displayed beautiful bedding, but disheveled and unmake. The doona on at an angle, pillows not straight, sheets all over the place. An unmade bed! No, its not an unmade bed. Its a staged unmade bed. Nobodies unmade bed ever looks like that. The give away "throw off the cover in a triangular formation and leave the crinkles behind" were nowhere to be seen. Even the lived in look was 'fake'.
This is an unmade bed..... Image source withheld for shame reasons!
This is not. Image Source - Linen House
If you leaf through magazines, practically every image has been staged. Be that of entire homes, or just one room, or even one wall. Nobody wants to see what a real lived in home looks like when they're looking for inspiration. And nobody wants all and sundry to see their real home.
The result is a "faking it" scenario where we drool over homes and rooms that are either not really achievable, or simply don't exist at all.
A styled room. Its real, but its been staged. No kid has been here for a while. Image Source: interiorsaddict.com
Some spaces just simply don't exist. But technology and photoshopping skills are so advanced, our eyes really struggle to see that it's a complete fake set up.
This apartment, as lovely as it is, does not actually exist in its entirety. Image source: feed144photobucket.com
We end up wanting a homely holey grail which is exceptionally difficult to attain. And when we chase endlessly, we end up unhappy. We look more for the answer. Its a viscous cycle.
But the good news is, that with improving technologies and apps, even Jo Blog can photograph every day real experiences and sights. And with cropping and fancy filters available, even your every day can be spruced up. You can even make your lived in, dark, dreary space look great ..... on a screen! One step closer surely!
Modern miracles happen every day.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It certainly helps you see products, designs and the potential of spaces. I just think one of the biggest hurdles is seeing it for what it really is.
In fact, faking imagery can actually be very beneficial. Especially when you need help to visualise what your space is going to look like, when you add finishes, furniture or accessories to it. This has been done for kitchen and bathroom renovations for years. Because these are the most costly rooms to renovate, customers have wanted to be able to see what their money was buying very early on. Most designers now use software packages and apps to show clients their ideas and what the space is going to look like. If used properly it can eliminate uncertainty and doubt and give clients the confidence to choose designs.
Kitchen Design Software used to create a 3D image of someones dream kitchen. Image source: www.easyplanner3D.com
Computer software and apps are now increasingly used to show designs and potential of other spaces around the home. Image source: kysonho.wordpress.com
We've had the luxury of being able to see 2D and 3D mock ups of interiors depicted in 2D images, as seen above, for a while. We also have the ability to mock up and move around spaces in applications such as google sketch up. But when I recently visited the DesignBuild Expo I was introduced to the next step of "faking" interiors and I hate to admit it, but I was pretty excited.
The next step in interior imagery is using both advanced cameras and virtual world software packages to create a 3D model of an existing space, which you can actually be in and move through. This has the potential to revolutionise the way in which we take on redecoration, renovation and extension projects in our homes. After uploading your property, you will be able to add architectural changes, fixtures, fittings, linings, furniture and accessories and actually experience what you're proposing to do before you commit further time and money. You will be able to walk through your new kitchen. Don't believe me, then just take a look here, Its simply amazing. http://www.realtour3d.com.au/showcase-gallery/
Once this technology becomes more readily available, "Faking it" imagery will practically have gone full circle, but having been flipped on it's head. It will put the control back into the home owners hands (with the help of professionals) giving them the technology and the confidence to try out unique designs in their own spaces. Add and remove ideas as you have them. Test out a certain appliance in your space. Renew entire flooring. Change your doors. Put in a new bed. Endless. As this takes off, we are less likely to look at other imagery sources for ideas on what 'could work'. Because you will simply be able to source the product image file and then test it out yourself in your very own, real, space.
The development of technology is going to really change the "interior design & decorating sector" over the next decade. This will be the subject of my next series of blogs.