Switchin’ Things Up: a house log

One of the most common questions we get asked these days is what we are up to (specifically, what we are doing for work). We covered a lot of that back in this post, but in a nutshell it is a combination of stuff we did before we began blogging (copywriting, ad consulting) and some newer skills that we learned while blogging (like product design and helping a local builder design his spec houses). Perhaps you saw this Instagram photo of the herringbone backsplash we chose for a recent kitchen we worked on. It was hard to get that shot because Sherry kept reaching in and whispering sweet nothings to it. True story.

But this check-in is not about all of that. It is about one of the coolest, most lively projects we have ever undertaken. And we hope you folks are as psyched about it as we are: our first app!

Over the years we have been pitched a bunch of app ideas (typically simply something that repackages our journal content, which consistently felt a little unnecessary) and we have randomly daydreamed about making something a little more useful. Well, we are glad to report that the right idea at last struck, and we found the ideal development partner to take it from “random midnight thought” to “actual thing you can download on your phone.” It is not quite wrapped up yet, but it is close sufficient that we can at last tell you all about it.

Okay, okay, but what IS it?

So glad you asked! We hoped something that made navigating your decorating decisions both easier and more lively. Sort of a way to test out new looks or experiment with new furnishings and accessories without paying a nickel or lifting a finger (well, perhaps simply swiping with one). And with the recent rise in popularity of face swapping apps and the technology that supports them, the timing was ideal to create… (drumroll please…. now release the doves!)… decorSwap!

Simply put: it operates on the same sort of principles that face swaps work, but with home accessories. Speaking of face swaps, here is an obligatory swap of us. Do not you enjoy when facial hair gets split between two people? Your nightmares can thank me later.

But back to the app. When you click in to the decorSwap interface, it’ll prompt you to start a new swap or open a saved one. Starting a new one will open your phone’s camera, which you can then point at the room, corner, or wall in question. I feel like you need a visual here, so I will put on my Vanna White hat.

Then you can use your finger to size the selection box around the object you want to try swapping out. It does not have to be a ideal box, since the app can recognize the edges of objects.

If it does not capture the edges of the object on the first try, you can consistently zoom in to assist it lock in the item. The app will remember it even when you step back or change your angle slightly.

You will know that the item is “locked in” when the object’s outline changes from white to yellow. Then all you have to do is hit the big blue button to take your photo from this…

…to this!

I know what you are all thinking: “At last! An straightforward tool to assist answer all of my common decorating dilemmas!”

Simply think how swiftly you will be able to navigate common conundrums like, is my wife’s face destined to be the next put-a-bird-on-it trend?

Or how many chihuahua faces is too many chihuahua faces for one wall? (Spoiler alert: you can never have too many).

We are also working on a few special “upgrade bundles” that you can purchase for $1.99, like: The Many Expressions Of Jenny McCarthy, Random People Mid-Sneeze, and 90’s Celebrities. If you got a problem, yo Vanilla Ice Rhino will solve it.

Sure, an app that allows you to swap distinct accessories to see how they’d look instead of putting faces on home decor would likely make more sense, but it would not be nearly as ridiculous.

Also, GLAD APRIL FOOLS!!!

Although there is no app in the works for us, we hope you folks all have a lively day full of frozen cereal bowls, plastic-wrapped toilet seats, and bagels posing as donuts (oh the HUMANITY!). And if you’d like to stroll down memory lane with our April Fool’s posts of yesteryear, you can catch them all here:

• 2015 – Siri for home decorating
• 2014 – A household crafting challenge
• 2013 – “Hush” – our debut music video
• 2012 – A totally reasonable toilet purchase
• 2011 – Burger’s quite own playroom
• 2010 – A especially classy curb appeal upgrade
• 2009 – The purrfect light fixtures

Psst – Speaking of fools… you can see us live on stage (Sherry told me she’ll wear her mustache) next week here in Richmond for an NPR One podcast recording at the historic Hippodrome Theater (their events are ticketed, but this one supports a strong charity!). We will also be speaking in Northern Virginia the following two weekends, and trotting down south later this summer, so feel free to click over to get more details & see other upcoming events.