At Your Service: An Eye for Design
May 1, 2008
Casually conceptualized at a hockey game and launched from a boxy Mac clone in 2000, DesignLens.com has grown into what its founders believe is the largest online database of searchable residential images in the country.
"One of the most interesting things about the evolution of DesignLens is that we have found no competitor," says Josh Englander, who, with his sister Jeni and their father, Howard (a 30-year veteran of the building consultancy business), runs the site as a tool for contractors, interior designers, architects and residents wishing to remodel or build a new home. "DesignLens gives users a walk-through of all kinds of model homes, providing a comprehensive visual survey of great communities around the U.S." This survey now includes some 50,000 exterior and interior images of every building style, most of them shot by DesignLens photographer John Bare. "This has developed into an architectural library, with every image we’ve taken becoming a book in its shelf," Englander adds.
Available by subscription, DesignLens introduces seven new communities each month, from gated developments to model homes to green buildings, as well as one historic neighborhood. "We are especially excited about the feasibility of green design, and the fact that we can bring it to people through our site," says Jeni Englander. "And we also capture the flavor of so many historic neighborhoods, providing an inspiring look at what’s been done in the past." With each passing month, the archive grows exponentially and remains at the ready for users to reference. Potential subscribers are offered a free trial and demo to help them navigate through the massive bank of images, floor plans and descriptions.
DesignLens will soon launch a new subscription consumer site oriented more toward the homeowner that will streamline its myriad of services, including allowing users to save and categorize their favorite images from the archive and send a link of their choices to their building team, virtually eliminating the guesswork between contractor and client. "This will be a visual playground for brainstormers," says Jeni Englander, "and an important tool in your toolbox for building your perfect dream home."
DesignLens, 949.633.6747, www.designlens.com
advertisement
