Describing a piece of furniture with words is difficult. “Curved armchair upholstered in bouclé with light wood legs” can yield a thousand results, and none of them will be the one you're looking at. That's why visual search—searching with an image instead of text—has become one of the most natural ways to buy home decor.
What is AI visual search?
Visual search uses computer vision models to identify objects in a photo and compare them to millions of products. The result: the same product, if it's in a catalog, or similar alternatives in shape, color, and material.
The scale is already enormous. According to Google, Lens is used for approximately 20 billion visual searches per month and is supported by a Shopping Graph of over 45 billion products. The company itself cites furniture shopping as "a very popular use" of Lens.
The main tools, one by one
Google Lens
You point your camera or upload a photo from your gallery, and Lens shows visual matches and, when it identifies the product, information such as price in different stores, offers, reviews, and where to buy. Its main advantage is the combined searchYou take a photo of a sofa whose silhouette you love and add text like "coffee" or "velvet" to refine the result, as in the example of Google.
In August 2026, Google published Five ways to use the search engine to decorateVisualize a piece of furniture in a photo of your room with AI Mode, use Lens to find similar vintage pieces within your budget, Circle to Search to identify decor seen in videos or on social media, Search Live to guide you through DIY projects, and track prices. Google also noted that searches for “home decor inspo” increased by 300% in the previous month, and that “vintage braided rugs” and “vintage wood coffee table” were the most trending furniture items of the year.
Pinterest Lens and Shop the Look
Pinterest is, for many, the first stop for inspiration. According to its Spring Trend Report 2026, Shop the Look It allows you to tap on products tagged in a decoration photo (sofa, vase, rug) to access those products or similar ones, and Pinterest Lens It allows you to photograph an object or upload a screenshot to find visually similar products.
Amazon Lens and Lens Live
Amazon has its own visual search: Amazon Lens lets you take a photo, upload an image, or scan a barcode. In September 2025, it added Lens Live, which scans in real time what the camera is pointing at and displays matches in a carousel, with its integrated shopping assistant to answer questions, according to Amazon. Its reported availability is for customers in the United States.
IKEA: from product to room
IKEA tackles the problem from a different angle. Its tool IKEA Kreativ It's a free virtual designer that lets you see IKEA furniture and decor in your own space before you buy, and even "erase" your current furniture from the photo, according to the IKEA help center. It's the other half of the equation: finding the piece of furniture and then seeing it at home.
How to find a better piece of furniture using a photo
- Frame only the object. Cut out or tap the piece you're interested in; if the photo has ten objects, the result will be scattered.
- Look for a front or three-quarter angle In good light. Silhouettes are more easily recognized than details.
- It combines image and text. Add material, color, or size: “smaller”, “oak”, “two-seater”.
- Try several platforms. Google covers many stores; Pinterest is strong in inspiration; each retailer knows their own catalog best.
- Use the visual search for vintage. It is ideal for identifying the style or era of a second-hand item and finding similar ones.
- Check measurements before buying. A visual resemblance doesn't guarantee a fit. Check our carpet and sofa size guide.
What does it mean for the buyer?
- Less friction in finding: You no longer need to know that that armchair is called a "club chair" or "lounge chair".
- Further comparison: The same photo returns options in different price ranges.
- A new risk: Finding something "similar" is easy; knowing if it will work in your home, not so much. The on-screen color, the scale, and how well it will match what you already have remain the big question.
That's why visual search and contextual visualization go hand in hand. First you find something; then you need to see the piece in your living room. Google already integrates this with AI Mode, and IKEA with Kreativ: the market is converging towards "photo of what I want + photo of my space.".
What does this mean for furniture stores?
If a customer searches using a photo and your product doesn't appear, it doesn't exist for them. Some key points:
1. Images that algorithms understand
Clear product photos from various angles, as well as lifestyle images in different settings. The product must accurately reflect its color and finish: if the image distorts it, the visual match will be compromised and returns will be more likely. We delve deeper into this in AI-powered product photography without "changing" the product.
2. Complete product details
Material, color, dimensions, style. When the customer combines image and text, these attributes are what connect their search to your listing.
3. Daily product feeds
To appear in search engine results like Google, the store needs its catalog to be available and up-to-date on those systems, with correct pricing and stock.
4. Visual search within the site itself
More and more stores are allowing users to upload photos to their e-commerce sites to find similar products in their catalogs. It's a way to capture customers who arrive via a referral from Instagram or Pinterest.
5. Close the circle with visualization
The customer who found your sofa through a photo is still unsure if it will fit. Showing it in their own space is the most direct way to go from "I like it" to "I'll buy it." We explain this in detail in How to reduce returns with contextual visualization.
Privacy: what to keep in mind
Searching with a photo involves sharing an image, and sometimes that image is the inside of your home. Before uploading photos of your spaces, review the privacy policy of each tool and your phone's camera and gallery permissions. A good practice is to crop the photo to show only the item you're looking for, without documents, people, or details that identify your address. For stores, clearly explaining what happens to the photos customers upload is also a way to build trust.
Where does DekorAI come in?
DekorAI works precisely on the second half of the journey: after finding the furniture, seeing it at home. With Home Try-On?, A store can allow its customers to upload a photo of their living room, bedroom, or dining room and try out real products from the catalog in that space. And if you're still in the inspiration phase, HomeStyle Studio Transform your environment photo into different styles to help you define what to look for.
Conclusion
Visual search has changed the buyer's question: it's no longer "What's this called?" but "Where can I find it and how will it look in my home?" Google, Pinterest, Amazon, and IKEA are building both pieces of the puzzle. For the buyer, it's a tool for finding and comparing products more effectively. For stores, it's a new showcase where only catalogs with high-quality images, accurate information, and a way to visualize the product in context are displayed.
If you own a furniture store, know Home Try-On? y Request a demo. And find more ideas about visual commerce in the DekorAI blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search for a piece of furniture from a photo?
Open Google Lens, Pinterest Lens, or a store's visual search, take or upload the photo, select the furniture, and if you want, add text such as color, material, or size to refine your search.
Can Google Lens be used to find furniture?
Yes. Google mentions buying furniture as one of the popular uses of Lens, which shows visual matches and, when it identifies the product, prices, reviews, and where to buy it.
What do I do if the visual search doesn't find the same piece of furniture?
Look for similar alternatives, crop the photo better, change the angle, and combine the image with keywords like "walnut," "bouclé," or "curved.".
Is it possible to search for vintage furniture using a photo?
Yes. Google recommends using Lens to find vintage pieces similar to one you saw, within your budget.
How do I know if the piece of furniture I found will look good in my house?
Check the measurements and visualize it in a photo of your space using tools like Google's AI Mode, IKEA Kreativ, or the visualization offered by the store.
What does a furniture store need to appear in visual search results?
Accurate images from multiple angles, product descriptions with complete attributes (material, color, measurements, style) and an updated catalog on search engine shopping channels.
Sources
- Google — Google Lens now offers shopping product details — https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/shopping/visual-search-lens-shopping/
- Google — 5 ways to use Google Search for home decor inspiration and projects (August 2026) — https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/home-decor-tips/
- Pinterest Newsroom — Spring Trend Report 2026 — https://newsroom.pinterest.com/news/spring-trend-report-2026/
- Amazon — Introducing Amazon Lens Live — https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-image-amazon-lens-live-shopping-rufus
- TechCrunch — Amazon launches Lens Live (Sep 2, 2025) — https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/amazon-launches-lens-live-an-ai-powered-shopping-tool-for-use-in-the-real-world/
- IKEA — What is IKEA Kreativ? — https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/knowledge/articles/43460e1e-dd01-4fe8-86ac-74efecd7743f.html
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