One of the questions we get most often these days is, “What are you doing for work?” We’ve written about much of that before, but in short: we combine skills from our pre-blogging careers (copywriting, ad consulting) with new talents we developed while blogging (product design, helping a local builder design spec homes). You may have seen the Instagram photo of the blue herringbone backsplash we picked for a recent kitchen—Sherry practically whispered sweet nothings to it while I tried to get the shot.
But today’s update isn’t about our usual projects. It’s about one of the most fun and silly ideas we’ve ever played with—our “first app.” Over the years we’ve been pitched plenty of app concepts (most simply repackaged blog posts, which felt unnecessary), and we’ve daydreamed about creating something genuinely useful. Recently the right idea finally arrived, and we found a development partner to turn that late-night brainstorm into something real. It’s not finished yet, but it’s close enough to share.
So what is it?
We wanted a playful, easy way to experiment with decorating choices—an app that lets you try new looks, furniture, or accessories without buying anything or moving a thing. With image-swapping technology now widely available, the moment felt right to invent… decorSwap!
DecorSwap uses the same basic technology as popular face-swap apps, but it’s focused on home decor. To illustrate, here’s a cheeky face-swap we did of the two of us—because why not?
In the decorSwap interface you can start a new swap or open a saved one. Starting new opens your phone camera so you can point it at the room, corner, or wall you want to test. You then draw a selection box around the item you want to replace—the app recognizes the object’s edges, so the box doesn’t need to be perfect.
If the app doesn’t capture the edges on the first try you can zoom in to help it lock on. It remembers the selection even if you step back or change angles slightly.
The item is “locked in” when the outline changes color from white to yellow. Then you tap the big blue button to capture the photo and see the swap happen.
One tap can transform a scene from this…
…to this!
We imagined people using the app to answer common decorating dilemmas quickly and playfully—testing whether large or small touches fit a space, or simply having a laugh while experimenting with different looks.
For example: is a quirky portrait the right fit for a wall, or would a series of tiny frames be better? Our app would let you try many options instantly. And in the spirit of silliness, we also made a few ridiculous mockups—like wondering whether a wall should host a chorus of chihuahua faces (spoiler: we think you can never have too many).
We even joked about offering $1.99 upgrade bundles—absurd collections like “90s Celebrities” or odd expressions for comedic swaps. But here’s the reveal:
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!!
There isn’t actually an app in the works—this was our April Fools’ bit. We hope it made you smile or inspired a playful idea for your next decorating experiment. Enjoy the day with harmless pranks, cold cereal bowls, wrapped toilet seats, and bagels pretending to be donuts.
If you want to revisit our past April Fools’ posts, here’s a list of highlights from previous years:
- 2015 – Siri for home decorating
- 2014 – A household crafting challenge
- 2013 – Our debut music video, “Hush”
- 2012 – A hilariously over-the-top toilet purchase
- 2011 – Burger’s very own playroom
- 2010 – A super classy curb appeal upgrade
- 2009 – The purrfect light fixtures
Psst—if you’re local, we’ll be on stage soon: a live NPR One podcast recording at the historic Hippodrome Theater in Richmond (tickets support a charity). We’ll also be speaking in Northern Virginia the following two weekends and traveling south later this summer. Check our events page for details.
Thanks for reading—and for joining in the fun. We love sharing experiments, practical projects, and the occasional ridiculous idea with this community.