Thomas Wolosik of House Tipster Works to Keep the Interior Design Industry Alive with Virtual Reality and 3D technology

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Thomas Wolosik: It has been a crazy year for my family and me. I am sure it has been so for most also. I am a father of three active boys, all involved in sports and extracurriculars. When COVID hit, having everyone stuck in the house was a bit hectic, especially with remote education. Luckily everyone in my family has remained happy and healthy as we slowly but surely adjust back to the normal.

Tell us about you, your career, how you joined House Tipster.

Thomas Wolosik: I am both techie and creative. I went to school for architecture but fell in love with the technology, so I wanted to merge my love of the two. Over the years, I have seen how the interior design, furniture, and architectural industries have rapidly changed with the rise and new developments in technology. I have always felt these industries had so many talented, creative, and innovative people, yet little behind with the technology and general coverage, unlike its distant cousin, the fashion industry. House Tipster was a perfect concept, and it is split into 2 components. House Tipster delivers great content and inspirational 3D tools for designers and homeowners while its media “little brother” House Tipster Industry serves the professional community with fresh news, live streaming content, and spotlights.

How does House Tipster innovate? 

Thomas Wolosik: In order to innovate, we here at House Tipster like to stay updated on the latest trends in technology. Technology, architecture, and interior design all go hand in hand. 3D animation and virtual reality have become an integral part of making visions a reality in the design space. We have been working with VR, AR, and 3D technologies for the last few years because this is where we see the world heading. The pandemic has solidified those decisions since now large showcases, panels, even small businesses, and so much more are now turning to virtual experiences. I personally took part in many industry events and spoke on technology panels educating professionals about modern tech and what benefits it can bring.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Thomas Wolosik: Luckily, since we are very tech-based here at House Tipster and House Tipster Industry, business remained as consistent as possible. It was easier for us than most industries to work from home since so much of our business is done online. Of course, like most other businesses, we face both technical and financial challenges, but now we are getting back into the full swing of things. 

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Thomas Wolosik: We had to make many difficult decisions. Some writers, developers, and other office positions had to be furloughed as we waited what would happen with the pandemic. We hated having to make the already uncertain times even scarier, not knowing what would happen and when we would be able to bring our team back, but we quickly adjusted. 

It was particularly frightening because here at House Tipster, we have dedicated countless hours to making connections in the industry and traveling across the world to cover showcases and special events such as the High Point Market, Maison et Objet in Paris, Surfaces, and many more. Through our effort, we were on the way to becoming one of the leading publications in interior design and home improvement, but we fear our traction would be lost.

We have also spent a lot of time and money developing virtual room technologies as well as other 3D tools and models for both designers and businesses to purchase. Especially for the older generation designers, 3D, and virtual reality technologies can be difficult to navigate, so we made it our goal to make it as simple and easy as possible. It was hard to monetize these developments since the world froze economically. 

How do you deal with stress and anxiety, how do you project yourself and House Tipster in the future?

Thomas Wolosik: When dealing with stress and anxiety, I try to stay as level-headed as possible. I don’t view what happened globally as a setback but instead a pause in life, allowing us all to put everything into perspective of what is truly important. I used the downtime to really focus on technology and how we can help people industry-wide virtually. 

In the future, I hope to see House Tipster as the go-to company for all things 3D, virtual reality, and augmented reality content. We have put in the time and effort, done the research, and are working every day to innovate new and improved solutions to today’s problems. 

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Thomas Wolosik: We don’t view other companies as competitors but instead colleagues. The home improvement, architecture, and design space is very tight-knit, and we are all working to innovate and educate together.

We plan to “stay in the game” by continuing to stay industry leaders in technology development, especially in the virtual and augmented reality space. We will be focusing on Virtual Rooms and Augmented Reality projects and, at the same time, keep educating and delivering content to the homeowners and professionals. House Tipster really does see all industries turning toward technology as an essential part of especially with the uncertainty that is going on in the world today.

Your final thoughts?

Thomas Wolosik: I would just like to thank our unbelievably supportive investor Richard Wojtach, for his support and trust during these troubling economic times. Richard is a huge believer in technology and innovation. Without his unweaving support, House Tipster would not be able to continue its mission to make all things virtual every company’s reality. 

Your website?

http://HouseTipster.com

http://Industry.HouseTipster.com