The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Houzz service offers new photo-sharing feature

By
January 14, 2016 at 5:30 a.m. EST
(Washington Post illustration of BigStockPhoto and iStockPhoto)

As if the Houzz website and app weren’t addictive enough for people who are redecorating, remodeling, building a custom home or who just love to daydream about upgrading their living space, it has added a new function called “Sketch” to its app for iPhone and iPad devices.

Sketch allows visitors to Houzz to add photos of any product on the site to any photo and to communicate and collaborate with their professional designer or other people through photos. Houzz users flip through more than one billion photos on Houzz apps every month.

Some of the new functions Houzz users can play with on Sketch include using a photo from Houzz or one of their own and experiment with how it would look in their home.

If they like the way it looks they can tap on the product within Sketch and buy it on Houzz. Users can communicate with several people at once while they look at the saved Sketch image, can make notes directly on a photo or circle a particular feature and use Sketch stickers to make notes.

[Mobile real estate apps help take guesswork out of house hunting and renovation]

Sketch canvases are available to create floor plans and mood boards that include inspirations and products to design a room.

To start Sketching, users tap the Sketch button on any photo on Houzz or upload a photo to an ideabook. Visit www.Houzz.com or get the Houzz app for iPhone and iPad for free on the App Store.

Michele Lerner is a freelance writer. To pass on a tip or news item, contact us at realestate@washpost.com and put “Town Square” in the subject line.