Immersive Viewings

Using Virtual Reality to Preview Designs

By Gina Parsons

Photography by Alise O’Brien

Interior Design by Ellie Redders Interiors

I magine being able to walk through your new-build home or remodel and see exactly what the completed project will look like— before construction has even begun. The clients of Ellie Redders Interiors don’t have to imagine, they can experience it—in virtual reality.

The VR previews are especially helpful for new-build or massive renovation clients who have a hard time visualizing the floorplan with all of the selections working together, says Ellie Redders, CEO and principal designer of the firm. “Our job is to make it as easy for them to visualize as possible,” she says. “There is nothing that compares to the awe that we see on our client’s faces when they first use VR.”

For smaller projects, “we will have clients view it at our design presentation phase of the project when the whole space is designed. This allows them to approve selections at a much faster rate, and move the project along,” she says.

Seeing the design in virtual reality helps clients feel confident that they’ll love the end result. “They aren’t surprised. They’ve already walked through it, so they know what it looks like to walk through their space,” Ellie says. “When it’s done and they’re in, they can say, ‘Yes, this is what I was expecting.’” See stlouishomesmag.com for resources.