One of the questions we get most often these days is: what are we doing for work? We touched on this a bit before, but in short, our work is a mix of things we did before blogging—copywriting and ad consulting—and newer skills we picked up while blogging, like product design and helping a local builder with spec-house design. You might have even seen the herringbone backsplash from a recent kitchen we helped design. That photo was tough to capture because Sherry kept reaching in and cooing at it. True story.
But today’s update isn’t about those jobs. It’s about a playful project we thought would be fun to share: our “first app” idea. Over the years we’ve been pitched lots of app concepts—many of which were essentially repackaged blog content—and we’ve daydreamed about building something genuinely useful. Recently the timing felt right: the right idea clicked and we teamed up with a fantastic developer. The project isn’t released, but it’s close enough that we can finally tell you about it.
What is it?
We wanted a tool that makes decorating decisions easier and more entertaining. Something that lets you test looks and experiment with furnishings or accessories without buying anything or doing any heavy lifting—just a few swipes on your phone. With the advances in face-swapping and image-matching technologies, the idea we landed on was playful and visual: an app that swaps decorative elements in your space in real time. We called the concept decorSwap.
In short: decorSwap works on similar principles to face-swap tools, but for home accessories. For a little levity, here’s a face swap of us—because why not? Splitting facial hair between two people is an instant conversation starter.
Here’s how the app would work: start a new swap or open a saved one. Starting a new swap opens your phone’s camera so you can point it at the room, corner, or wall you want to try. Use your finger to draw a selection box around the object you want to replace—the app recognizes object edges, so the box doesn’t need to be perfect. If the edges aren’t captured on the first try, zoom in to help it lock the item. The app remembers the selection even if you step back or change your angle slightly.
When an object is recognized, its outline changes color to show it’s locked in. Tap the main action button to take a photo and instantly try different replacements. The app demonstrates the swap from your original shot to a reimagined version so you can quickly evaluate new looks without commitment.
Imagine quickly solving everyday decorating dilemmas: whether that quirky print fits on the hallway wall, how a new lamp would look on the console, or whether a gallery wall needs one more small piece. Or, for pure silliness, you can test out absurd swaps—like putting whimsical faces or unexpected images on decor for a laugh. We played with some intentionally ridiculous examples just for fun.
We even joked about offering themed upgrade packs for a small fee—comical collections like exaggerated expressions, celebrity-inspired sets, or other playful bundles. The idea was never about serious commerce so much as creative experimentation and a few laughs.
That said, we want to be clear: this was an April Fools’ concept. There isn’t an app in development right now. We hope the idea gave you a chuckle and sparked a few silly decorating daydreams—frozen cereal bowls, plastic-wrapped toilet seats, bagels pretending to be donuts—the classic prank fare.
If you enjoy a walk down memory lane, we’ve done a few April Fools’ bits over the years, ranging from playful tech ideas to over-the-top DIY projects. They’re all part of the fun of creativity and community interaction.
- 2015 – Siri for home decorating (April Fools’ concept)
- 2014 – A household crafting challenge
- 2013 – A debut music video
- 2012 – A totally reasonable toilet purchase gag
- 2011 – A playroom announcement for our pup
- 2010 – A super classy curb appeal upgrade parody
- 2009 – Purrfect light fixtures prank
Psst—Speaking of fools and fun: we’ll be appearing live on stage in Richmond soon for a podcast recording at a historic theater, and we have other speaking stops planned in the weeks and months ahead. If you enjoy live shows, keep an eye out for event details and dates.