Bathrooms.com has announced the launch of the first augmented reality app for bathrooms.
Allowing customers to virtually place life-sized 3D bathroom furniture anywhere in a room, and even walk around it as if it was real, the company said the app proves augmented reality is the future of retail.

The bathrooms.com virtual showroom combines the convenience of online shopping and the security and ability of visualising and purchasing products in a store.

Buying director Lucy Powell, commented: "One of the most annoying things about buying furniture is that it sometimes doesn't look the same in reality as it did in your imagination. Despite the use of images, videos and other multimedia it is still very difficult for a consumer to clearly see what it would be like to have a product in their home.

"This app finally gives people the chance to actually walk around a product prior to purchase and see how the colours and materials would work with their existing décor. It also makes it easy to get advice from friends and family before making a purchase," she added.

The app is free to download from the App Store and works on any iOS device that is connected to the internet. It works by using a printed A4 piece of paper from the bathrooms.com website and then using this as a marker to display a chosen piece of furniture, allowing you to see if it will fit into available spaces. You can view around the product and zoom in to see it closer.

Users can customise the colour and type of furniture and even order it direct through the app. You can take photos of what furniture and products looks like and share these on social media sites, too.

This follows the introduction of an augmented reality app by Swedish furniture giant Ikea at the end of August. Available on iOS and Android, the app offers a huge range of products and provides users the option to try before they buy.