Moving is never fun and buying new furniture has its stresses, too. How will the furniture all fit in the space? Will it all fit and will you still have enough room to be able to maneuver to feed the fish?
FurnishUp is an online 3D visualization platform that makes designing and visualizing interior spaces fun and easy, and reduces the stress and guesswork involved in how furniture and decor will look and fit.
And works a lot better than visualizing in your head, trying to do it with tape measures and graph paper, or trying to figure out complicated software tools.
FurnishUpis changing the way that people design their homes by giving them the right, easy to use tools, which means you simply draw a room or floor plan, then drag and drop the furniture in.
Even better, they’re also building a curated catalog of favorite furniture and decor and their associated 3d models.
Cofounder and President Chris Stanley fills in the details:
Tell us about the service.
FurnishUp is an online 3D design platform that allows anyone to design the interior of his or her home with furniture and decor. FurnishUp has an easy to use drag and drop interface that invites non-technical users to leverage the power of 3D tech. On a professional level, interior designers and real estate companies leverage our software tools to help communicate about space and design with their clients.
How is it different?
Building a 3D model of an interior space traditionally requires the use of complex CAD software that is often expensive and has a steep learning curve. FurnishUp users can now leverage 3D tech without paying for software or taking a class. The software on our platform does all of the heavy lifting required to generate a 3D model of an interior – all the designer has to do is drag and drop the furniture and decor into place to create a design and realize their vision.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
FurnishUp operates at the intersection of real estate, home furnishings and design — two $100bn+ industries. FurnishUp helps facilitate purchasing decisions with regards to interior design and real estate, and helps professionals find, communicate, and interact with their customers. Software is a growing presence in these industries, as more consumers start and end their path towards purchasing online.
What inspired you to start the company?
Living in NYC, where space is a premium, inspired me to make the most of what I had. When redesigning my apartment, I became quickly frustrated with the existing options for figuring out how everything would look and fit in my space. FurnishUp began as a layout tool for furniture, but I soon realized the market opportunity to operate in the bigger markets of interior design and real estate and decided to build out the appropriate platform.
What is the business model?
FurnishUp operates on a freemium model. Customers can access a basic set of tools on our website for free, or can request customized work on a case-by-case basis.
Why do you feel 3d tech for real estate is not a fad?
3D as a medium for communicating about and interacting with interior spaces is unparalleled. There are several technology trends that will continue to drive adoption of this technology. The first is WebGL, which enables compelling 3D experiences in a web browser, without the added friction of downloading and installing custom software. As 3D scanning continues to develop, and as 3D sensors find their way into smart phones, everyone will have a powerful means to capture and create 3D content, in their pockets. More broadly, 3D technology is becoming more ubiquitous, from movie theatres to virtual reality headsets. The impact this will have on real estate is just starting. While virtual tours can be compelling and informative, interaction is the key that traditional mediums cannot offer a substitute for. This is where FurnishUp is focused.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
We’ve received great feedback from the users of our beta and are currently making product improvements to prepare for a launch in the next couple months.
If you could be put in touch with one investor in the New York community who would it be and why?
Although more of a designer/consultant than an outspoken investor, I’d love to be in touch with Bradford Shellhammer, one of the founders of Fab. He has extensive experience creating innovative companies and domain experience with the furniture and design markets, given his work with Fab, Design Within Reach, and BluDot.
Why did you launch in New York?
Besides being an overall great place to launch a startup, NYC is rich with designers and forward thinkers who are willing to embrace a new technology like FurnishUp and its impact on business.
