Renovation Mythbuster: Can You Trust Result Photos on Contractor Websites?
Interior Design & Decor4 minutes read
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1891 views
Let’s get it straight, NEVER trust photos you find on the internet. Since the birth of Photoshop, what you see is seldom what you get. Say, you go on a contractor’s website and look at the photos of the results of their renovation projects. Have you noticed how spacious all the rooms are, and how pleasing the colours of the furniture and the walls are? It will take more than a bit of wishful thinking to believe in those heavily-filtered, blemish-free photos. Remember, judge all photos on the internet with a grain of salt, and a pair of good eyeglasses. Here is a brief list of the possible manipulated aspects of a result photo. |
Colours |
Notice the flawless, distinguished colours in the photos. The room looks like a set built in a photography salon; surely you would not believe the real thing looks just like that? Beside, the hues in a photo can be manipulated too. That burgundy red sink might actually be orange, you never know. |
Lighting |
The lighting of a photo can be manipulated to look like natural light. |
Width and Spaciousness |
(Image: phtographymad.com) |
‘Result photos’ taken with a wide-angle camera function can make the space looks considerably more spacious than the flat actually is.
You will not notice any flaws or blotches on the photos but really, these photos might be just a magnificent demonstration of optical illusion.
Demonstrative Furnishing
The look in design blueprints can never be replicated, since you will not be able to (and will not want to) furnish your house exactly how the flat is furnished in the photos.
Digitally-Rendered Materials
In demonstration photos, you might notice that the furnishing materials look odd, perhaps a bit unreal. The truth is renovation design software can render the textures of different materials digitally.
What you see in these photos are in fact not real at all.
Omitted Miscellaneous Items
The reason why demonstration flats’ result photos look so spacious and bright is that the miscellaneous daily items are not shown. This results in an extremely open and clean space.
These omitted items include the rubbish bin, the floor fans, and sometimes even electrical sockets and curtains.
No Blemish
With the click of a mouse, all blemishes in the photo are removed in no time.
What You Should Do
Digitally-rendered design blueprints and result photos only give you a 2D visual experience of the flat. Therefore, if possible, arrange with the contractor companies to see the renovated flats for yourself.
If you cannot see the renovated flats for yourself, you can find responsible renovation platforms which regularly send their staff to inspect finished flats by various contractors. These platforms make sure that the contractors comply with the business’ standards, which in turn acts as a safety net as you take a leap and entrust contractors with your home.
This article originally appeared on HKDecoman.
HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation, and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.
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