The Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R
Visualize new Corian® Design solid surface colors across entire countertops in your own home using augmented reality (AR*) technology with the Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R — so go ahead Make Your Space™.
Corian® Design just announced the new Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R. Rather than using actual small-sized solid surface samples, it is a wonderfully quick and easy way to see how your kitchen countertops and other surfaces will look in reality with any of the available Corian® Design solid surface or quartz colors. Using an Apple device, the Spaces by Design App provides you with a real-time, interactive experience for resurfacing your existing countertops with Corian® colors. You can even add in a virtual island to match your augmented reality countertops. Whether in your kitchen, bath, laundry, or anywhere you need new surfacing, the Spaces by Design App is a very handy tool.
Small Samples — Problem Solved with the Spaces by Design App
In addition to providing visuals of how your countertop may look, the Spaces by Design App helps solve two long-standing problems customers struggle with.
The first is trying to visualize, and get the proper perspective on, a 2” x 2” or 4” x 4” solid surface sample on a countertop in a large room. For instance, when you place that small sample on a countertop and step back several feet, the small sample becomes overpowered by its surroundings. It is of little help with how it’s color or particulates might add or detract from the overall aesthetic.
A small solid surface sample makes it difficult to visualize how the pattern and color would look on the countertops in a large kitchen.
The second problem arises with the recently introduced and very popular veined patterns (also referred to as marbling) in solid surface colors. Again, standard samples are 2” x 2” or 4” x 4” and are cut from the 30” wide by 12’ long sheets of solid surface. The random veined patterns, with their large flowing veins, variegated colors, and swirls cannot be fully represented in such small samples, making it difficult for the consumer to determine if a particular multicolored pattern will work.
This second problem is illustrated below in the magnified image. Here, a 2” x 2” sample area (the black square) has been enlarged to show how the sample might look if it were cut from that area. It is evident that if this is the sample your expectations are built on, they might not be fulfilled when you encounter the actual sheet, which is full of swirled patterns and multiple colors.
A small solid surface sample does not show the full veining of a large solid surface slab.
The Spaces by Design App Uses AR Technology
The Corian® Spaces by Design App uses augmented reality* (AR) technology for fully visualizing the whole countertop. It provides solutions for both of these problems. The first problem is overcome because the app provides an image of the size needed to accurately represent the countertop within its surroundings. The second problem is solved because, as you step back from the virtual location, the image increases in size and the veining, in all its glory, materializes in front of you. You can then see the beauty of the swirls in the pattern across the entire surface.
The Surface Scanner Feature of the Spaces by Design App
So how do you make this happen in real time, in your home, with your Apple device in front of you? Augmented reality technology applications are popular because they allow consumers to virtually project a chosen look onto an object helping them to envision it in the reality that is showing on their device’s screen.
The new Spaces by Design App does just that for quartz and solid surface countertops. To get started, begin by downloading the app from the Apple App Store. You can search for it under “Corian® Design” or “Spaces by Design from Corian®.” Upon opening the app, you will need to allow the app access to your camera so A/R will work on your device. Next, select between the Virtual Island or the Surface Scanner.
Viewing Corian® color samples on an augmented reality countertop with the Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R.
Marking the four corners of your augmented reality countertop in the Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R.
Once the app is opened, it will walk you through how to resurface your augmented reality countertops in just a few steps: (1) make the grid appear, recalibrating if necessary; (2) find your four corners to mark the surface area; and (3) play with the wide selection of Corian® quartz or solid surface sample colors on the wheel to find your ideal design. Then, click the camera in the upper right corner and download the photo, or share it with others.
Extended View of Solid Surface Countertops
If you want a view of how a selected color sample will look across your countertop from several feet away, step back a few feet while pointing your camera at the surface. The Spaces by Design App will adjust the image detail as you move away, move closer, or move from side to side. Then pan the device around the room in the area of the countertop to get an idea of how the different colors will look amid the actual surroundings in the room.
The Virtual Island
If you have an open area in your kitchen where you would like an island, choose the Virtual Island option in the Spaces by Design App. You can virtually place the island into that space to get an idea of how it will look. You can also rotate the island to adjust its position in the open space in the room. Once that is completed, you can then apply the Corian® Design colors to see what looks best for your virtual new island.
Placing a Virtual Island with the Spaces by Design App from Corian A/R
In its quest to bring new innovations into your space, Corian® Design frees you from limitation with the ability to view colors and patterns on your augmented reality countertops. Of course, you still have the option of ordering actual Corian® solid surface samples for the genuine look and feel of the material. That way you will have everything you need to make your selection and know that it will look great!
The free Spaces by Design App from Corian® A/R is available from the Apple App Store for Apple devices running iOS 11: iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPad Pro (9.7, 10.5, and 12.9), iPad (2017).
*AR = Augmented Reality — By definition, augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.
For the full press release, click here.
View Corian® Spaces by Design App Video: