In January 2024, the Dallas Market Center’s Lightovation event introduced an exciting new project in residential design and lighting: the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse. This trailblazing initiative, designed and built by Annilee Waterman, revolutionized how we can showcase and engage with the latest lighting and home décor trends. In this article, we’ll dive into this innovative project, exploring its features and the teamwork that brought it to life.
The Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse
Welcome to the first-ever Metaverse TrendHouse – a groundbreaking initiative representing a significant leap forward for the design industry.
Interior of the Lightovation Showhouse. The dining room showcases light fixtures from 2 manufactures. (WakaNine & Alora Lighting)
Lightovation Lighting TrendHouse Virtual Tour & Metaverse Space
This version is an image based, 360 Walkthrough, just like you would see in a real estate listing. Using 3d modeled and rendered 360 panoramic images, this experience simulates a 3d space. A 360-degree virtual real estate walkthrough is a digital, immersive experience that replicates visiting a property in person, providing a comprehensive and semi-interactive view of a space. It’s an effective tool for showcasing properties to a wider audience, saving time, and enhancing the property viewing experience.
Residential Design, 3d Modeling, Rendering, 360 Tour & Metaverse Build all created and built by Annilee B Waterman.
Designed exclusively for the Dallas Market Center, the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse was an immersive and innovative experience that allowed visitors to visualize and experience the latest trends in a lifelike environment. The TrendHouse was a part of the January 2024 Lightovation event, which is renowned for showcasing cutting-edge products and design ideas in the lighting industry.
Virtual Reality and Metaverse Experiences:
The TrendHouse offered two unique experiences – a virtual reality walkthrough and a metaverse space. Both were meticulously designed to showcase the latest trends in lighting, home decor, and technology as per the 2024 Lightovation Trend Report, curated by global trend forecaster Patti Carpenter.
Design and Collaboration:
The TrendHouse was brought to life through the collaboration of several experts:
- Annilee B Waterman: Responsible for the residential design, 3D modeling, rendering, and the overall creation of both the virtual walkthrough space and the metaverse space.
- Shay Geyer: Celebrity interior designer who selected the highlighted lighting fixtures and decor for the TrendHouse based on the 2024 Lighting Trends Report.
- Leslie Carothers: Principal of digital marketing agency, Savour Partnership, and the project liason for the TrendHouse.
- Sponsorship by Samsung: The installation at Lightovation was notably sponsored by Samsung, providing essential support and technology that played a pivotal role in bringing the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse to life.
Features of the TrendHouse:
- Detailed Product Presentations: Each lighting product in the TrendHouse was presented with comprehensive details, along with QR codes for additional information and augmented reality capabilities.
- Accessibility: The TrendHouse was accessible at the Lightovation tradeshow and also available online via a special landing page on the Dallas Market Center website for global access.
- Augmented Reality Experience: The AR capabilities allowed users to visualize the lighting fixtures in different settings, enhancing the interactive experience.
Transformative Step Forward
The Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse at the Dallas Market Center’s Lightovation event represents a transformative step in the way lighting design and home decor are showcased and experienced. By leveraging advanced technologies like virtual reality and the metaverse, the TrendHouse has not only provided a unique platform for designers and manufacturers to display their products but has also revolutionized the way attendees and consumers interact with design trends.
This innovative project highlights the potential of technology in enhancing the design experience, making it more interactive, accessible, and engaging. As we continue to witness the integration of digital technologies in various sectors, the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse stands as a testament to the endless possibilities and the future of design exhibitions.
The Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse is more than just an exhibition; it’s a look into the future of design and technology integration. It’s a space where creativity meets innovation, leading to a unique and immersive experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional design showcases. As we look forward to more such initiatives, it is clear that the world of design and technology is on an exciting path, full of possibilities and innovations waiting to be explored. The Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse invites us to envision a future where the lines between the physical and digital worlds blur, creating spaces that are not only visually stunning but also emotionally engaging and interactive.
This is the future of design – a fusion of art, technology, and human experience, unfolding in dynamic and unexpected ways.
The Back Story
Annilee began exploring Web 3 tech and Metaverse design in 2020. After answering an audience question about cryptocurrency during a Dallas Market presentation, Leslie Carothers approached Annilee to help her learn about the current state of the Metaverse. Annilee taught Leslie about the available Metaverse platforms, such as Decentraland, Sandbox, Roblox, and Fortnite, showing her how to navigate these virtual worlds.
Recognizing the potential for the design industry, they decided that Annilee should conduct a group webinar for the designers in Leslie’s group. In these webinars, Annilee would teach designers how to leverage the Metaverse for creating project presentations, virtual showhouses, and virtual product showrooms. This initiative aimed to empower designers with the skills needed to harness the Metaverse for their businesses.
This single webinar quickly expanded into a monthly course that ran from 2022 to 2024 and eventually incorporated AI image creation. Through this collaboration, and by integrating the technology into her daily design business, Annilee was able to stay at the forefront of Metaverse design.
In 2022 Annilee created her own concept Metaverse showhouse “Mountain Retreat” which was a finalist in Interior Design Magazine’s Metaverse Architecture Design (MAD) Awards.
Annilee and Leslie had many great discussions about the possibilities and opportunities for designers, brands, and manufacturers in the Metaverse. It was an exciting and innovative time. They agreed to a collaboration where Leslie would act as PR to promote Annilee’s work in the Metaverse and help find designers or brands that would be willing to take the leap, leading eventually to Dallas Market Center’s project.
Leslie showcased these ideas and Annilee’s work at several national industry events, including Furniture Today’s “The Innovation Event” and High Point Market 2023.
Below, you can watch Leslie’s presentation for Universal Furniture at High Point Fall 2023. Annilee took over at the end for the Q&A segment, which lasted nearly 30 minutes. Unfortunately, that portion was not filmed, but an audience member snapped a couple of photos of her.
In September of 2022 Annilee was interviewed for an article for Furniture Today Magazine
“Here’s why every furniture retailer should be thinking about using the Metaverse to Increase sales”
“The Metaverse & New Possibilities”
In May of 2023 I was interviewed and featured in an article in Kitchen Bath & Design Magazine
“Virtual showrooms have great potential,” Waterman asserts. “With no real limit to size, vendors can showcase all of their products, rather than just a portion. All pieces can be set to function as augmented reality as well, so buyers can view the items in their space.”
Dallas Market Center
In early 2023, the Dallas Market Center began planning an educational panel on the Metaverse for Lightovation 2024. Initially, the panel was the sole focus. However, Allison John, Director of Exhibitor Events & Marketing for DMC, envisioned transforming it into a fully interactive installation to truly showcase the Metaverse. In August 2023 Allison proposed this idea to Leslie, who then brought it to Annilee.
Annilee crafted a proposal that aligned with their concept, timeline, and budget. Leslie then reached out to Shey Geyer, who thankfully agreed to collaborate. Together, they assembled a comprehensive package, with Annilee as Lead Designer & Builder, Shey Geyer as collaborating celebrity interior designer, and Leslie as project liason. Allison presented to the Lightovation Board of Directors. The proposal received enthusiastic approval, setting the stage for an immersive Metaverse experience at Lightovation 2024.
The full installation at DMC.
Annilee, Leslie, Shay and Lauren speaking on the Metaverse at Lightovation.
A snip of the original proposal.
Do You Want to Create a Virtual Showroom, Showhouse or Home Tour?
Educational Session and Events
The debut of the TrendHouse was complemented by an educational session where Annilee was a featured panelist speaking on the topics of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. These sessions provided insights into how these technologies could be applied in the design, architecture and product industries.
TrendHouse Live Event -- Dallas Market's Lightovation 2024
High Resolution Renderings of The TrendHouse
AI Generated Art Displayed Throughout the TrendHouse
