We all have our ways to relax; one of mine is experimenting with design using different design apps. Several weeks ago I found Neybers. Have you heard of it? You can spend way too many hours perfecting a design, and there are so many designs to look at. |
| Modern magenta, Margaret Ryall using Neybers |
What is Neybers?
Neybers is an interior design app created by amagumo games and available on
ITunes. Users can decorate rooms with images of thousands of real products from international interior design brands. There is also a social component to Neybers, allowing you to follow other people, like specific designs, and make comments. It is a fun, easy app meant for everybody.
Using Neybers
Choose a room backgrounds/template that can be decorated by clicking to select wallpaper, paint and flooring. Windows and doors can be added, cloned for multiples, and sized. You can even choose a scene to put behind a window! If you change your mind mid design you can go back and adjust any of the room template options.
Once your room background is set you import images of furniture and accessories. These are items from real designers and brands, many with a modernist bent that can actually be purchased. All information regarding designer, source etc. is available for viewing. The more creative you are, the more ways for can find to use the available items in your designs.
Added items can be move around, sized and moved forward or back in the picture plane. There are lots of orientation choices, and I love the fact that you can change the perspective of many items right in the program. Other items have various orientations you can choose from. All items are searchable, but you can also view them by category, colour and style/genre.
Once your dream room is created you have the option of bringing it to the next level with filters for a vintage, grayscale lighter or darker look. Acid, bleach or vignette are also available.
You next step is publishing to the app, and if you wish, share it on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or by email or IMessage.
Perhaps one part of the design appeals to you more than another. No problem. I Just move the viewfinder over the part you want and press the button.
And viola here's what I am publishing. Only part and I've included the darken filter to make it a little more moody. After three weeks of using Neybers, here's my review of the positives and annoyances:
Positives:
There are many! Neybers:
- is easy to use, and is a great way to pass the time if you are interested in design;
- is free to download;
- encourages total creativity if design is your field, don't have to consider client budgets, likes and dislikes, etc.;
- provides opportunities to work out space layouts, but not to scale;
- has a social component if you want to participate in it;
- allows you to create and store an unlimited number of rooms with or without publishing them to the Neybers community;
- has many options for finding objects; I particularly like the colour and genre categories;
- allows you to see what others are creating, and many boards are strong in design and show creative use of available materials;
- offers easy to manipulate stock background templates;
- presents many pieces of furniture in various orientations allowing you to place furniture in a 3D space (side orientations);
- allows manipulation of the perspective of wall art, curtains and some furniture;
- provides many choices in wood flooring in room templates;
- lets you share your designs quickly and efficiently;
- offers new items on a continuous basis, but slowly.
Annoyances
Every app has them, and Neybers is no different. My commentary must be tempered by the fact that I am an interior decorator and artist with a keen sense of colour and design.
This is my personal set of irritations after using the app for three weeks:
- limited sampling of furniture and accessories if you are interested in a certain style, but lots of styles are represented;
- being an accessory junkie, I'm always looking for new options: pillows, curtains and art items need more variety;
- wall treatment choices in room background templates are very limited and consist mainly of wallpaper which I would rarely choose in real life;
- choices for wall colours (painted look) are not subtle (mostly garish really), which usually leads me to choosing wallpaper;
- no cropping; if it had cropping abilities it would be just awesome;
- it is really difficult to put together a design with perfectly matched undertones mostly because of limited choice in wall finishes and accessories;
- the terminology for categories takes a little getting use to, and some objects are not in the obvious place;
- there's less selection if you are interested in more traditional design;
- some of the really desirable accessories to finish a design must be purchased from Neybers by buying coins, or won by completing tasks.
Here are several other colourful, modernist designs I created with Neybers.
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| White on white, Margaret Ryall using Neybers |
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| Leading with orange, Margaret Ryall, using Neybers |
Go on, if you have an IPad give it a try; it is fun.