Meet&CoCINCINNATI — In a market where retailers are racing to adopt AI, Furniture Fair in Cincinnati is already leveraging the technology to enhance customer experiences.
Nick Daniels, the company’s sales director, teamed up with his stepbrother to create Dream Draper, a proprietary AI system that allows sales staff to superimpose fabric swatches and design room scenes using customers’ own photos. The tool is designed to support both sales associates and interior designers in the showroom.
Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/
“While it won’t make or break a sale, it definitely boosts customer confidence,” Daniels told Furniture Today. “It signals that we’re current with technology and committed to helping furniture look its best.”
The idea came after Daniels learned that another retailer was manually taking photos and inputting them into ChatGPT. “I realized there had to be a smarter way,” he said. “I could build a basic version myself, then my stepbrother polished it into a web-friendly tool.”
Though not mandatory, the sales team quickly embraced the program, which has been actively used for about five months, generating meaningful feedback.
Dream Draper works with manufacturers’ swatches and images taken directly in the showroom. “Our staff use iPads to photograph swatches in the room itself,” Daniels explained. “That way, the lighting reflects how it will look in the customer’s home.”
The system simplifies training by consolidating multiple vendor catalogs into a single platform, making it easier for less experienced staff to use. It can also integrate additional furniture and decor to create complete room setups.
“Including rugs or coffee tables gives subtle prompts to the salesperson to suggest complementary items,” Daniels said. “With thousands of options out there, being able to see everything in context is a game-changer.”
For Daniels, Dream Draper exemplifies how AI can provide a competitive edge. “AI has transformed what we can do with data and design. Between YouTube tutorials and ChatGPT guidance, learning new tools has never been easier,” he noted.
