Bringing 3D interior design to life

3D printing architectural models has become a well-established practice within that industry, with an increasing number of firms purchasing their own printers to test their designs and display them for clients. It’s a logical application for the technology, and one that has already yielded excellent results. But are there other areas where 3D printing could be utilised in this way? We would argue that any industry where complex designs must be tested and displayed would benefit from exploring 3D printing in depth.

A strong example of this would be Japanese interior design specialists id.arts’ recent use of 3D printing to create attractive scale models of their kitchen designs. Starting with a highly detailed model of a kitchen, id.arts envisage this technology being useful for both industrial designers and developers, helping them test multiple iterations of their designs and providing clients and internal stakeholders with a striking representation of a design.

Of course, one huge asset for interior designers who’re ready to dive head-first into 3D printing would be the ability to design and print custom parts on an as-needed basis, without the associated costs of ordering one-off parts from traditional manufacturers — something that forward-thinking designers are already exploring. With the right technology and a willingness to explore its capabilities, it is possible to produce designs that would be challenging, or even impossible, to produce with traditional methods. If effectively implemented, this could easily turn into a powerful USP for an interior design agency.

The potential is enormous, but as with many other industries, 3D printing is still finding its feet in interior design. It will take time for interior design agencies to establish the technology within their individual workflows, and for the concept of ordering 3D printed parts for the interior of one’s home to catch on amongst the general public. This will take time to resolve itself, but the more agencies that begin exploring 3D printing technology, and the more high-profile projects they successfully apply it to, the sooner we will see 3D interior design enter the next stage of its evolution.