The Tape Measure of the Future
After we sign a client, our first step is to survey the existing conditions. I always like to have a team of two for this. We document the entire space and each elevation with photos. We document electrical and data details along with ceiling details, moldings, soffits and the like. Then we measure! Measuring by hand is great but accuracy can be off with this method, especially when you need to be down to the 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch. Also, everyone measures differently, so you need to be sure your survey is done following your firm’s standards and guidelines. I created a survey checklist in my book The Interior Design Productivity Toolbox which I use for every survey. It has also been an invaluable onboarding tool for new hires. Someone from our team who is more seasoned will always accompany a new hire on the first and maybe even the second survey, but they are empowered by having the checklist and being able to follow all the steps and not miss an important detail.
Laser measuring tools have been on the market for the past decade. I preferred the Bosch model for accuracy but it is sometimes difficult to use when structural elements and furnishings get in the path of the beam and it also often requires a second person to block the beam when you are measuring an open-concept space. I recall a few weeks back that one team member was positioning the laser, and another was holding a plain sheet of paper up to simulate a perpendicular wall to get a measurement. I particularly love this tool for high ceilings and slopes as it is fairly accurate, and I am vertically challenged!
I have been following the trends as new virtual measuring tools have hit the market. When we sold our house a few years back, the realtor hired a Matterport photographer to digitally capture the entire house, by level with 3-D dollhouse views, birds-eye and walk through options. The process took a few hours to complete but I thought the results were amazing! To see each level of my home sliced through and be able to click on rooms and use a mouse to go from space to space was astounding.
Due to COVID, many brands have opted to employ this or similar technology to host an online walkthrough of the showroom. Some are even equipped with dimensions on pieces you click on and others have human figures to give you a better sense of scale. During Highpoint, many showrooms promoted the digital walkthrough for those who still were not comfortable coming to market and for others in town to prep for their shopping itinerary. I loved Bungalow Five’s showroom tour. It gave me a great sense of what is new and fresh, along with the pieces from previous and current collections.
Three years back, I was approached by a start-up company – 3-Dazer – who had a tool that you attached to your iPhone. It guaranteed measurements to 1/16” accuracy and worked like a laser level. The difference was that it would take the measurements and draw a plan or elevation that you could then share with clients or import to other programs for more details. You could create projects, name your drawings and share them with contractors/builders/clients. I thought this was very cool but the need to charge regularly, remembering to pack it and have the attachment for the phone made it a bit more challenging.
Have you heard of Lidar technology? I had not until I read an article on a new tool called Canvas. This tool uses Lidar technology to build 2D and 3D models with incredible accuracy. The drawings can go from your phone to CAD and then are convertible to 3D programs like Revitt, Sketchup, and others. No attachments or plug-ins needed, and it uses the new smartphone technology to do its job. Interested in learning more? Click on the link here to read further.