Real Estate Reimagined
Vray and Enscape are serious rendering for the 1%. But what about the rest of us who can only imagine and describe? That's Veras. Veras is for everybody else...including the 1%.
Suppose you have a room, apartment, house, etc. you'd like to renovate, redecorate, or reimagine? For example:
A real estate agent developing a new listing
Redecorating an executive or holiday rental
Recent graduates moving into a first apartment
Young professionals buying their first home
Empty nesters creating a new entertaining space for friends
Considering a kitchen or bath renovation
Many, many more…
You could spend days scouring the Internet for images and ideas - which is great! But eventually you'll need to see those ideas applied to your specific room or space. That's where Veras comes in. All you need is a photo and your imagination to get started!
TIP: This isn't about bypassing a professional! You'll still need to hire someone with experience and judgement who can turn your ideas into reality (and avoid costly mistakes)!
Never used Veras - not a problem! There's a 14-day trial of Veras available from https://www.chaos.com/veras. Select "Try for Free" and sign up for a trial account (fig 01).
Fig 01 - Veras 14 Day Trial
Once you've signed up for the trial, log into Veras at https://veras.evolvelab.io/. Don't worry about all those buttons - you don't need them for getting started. Just focus on the following 5 easy steps:
Select the COMPOSE tab
Drag and Drop your Image
Describe your idea
Select the little button to the far right (to render 4 images at a time)
Click RENDER to render. That's it!
Fig 02 - 5 Easy Steps to Get Started with Veras
Follow along with this step-by-step. As shown above in Step 2, drag and drop your image into the large central area. Or you can use the living room image below (Fig 03). If your image has a lot of furniture, finishes and other elements, no problem! Take the photo of your existing room as-is and ask Veras to empty the room for you. Ready? Let's go!
Fig 03 - Empty Room for Imagining New Ideas
How do you create a description of your idea as shown in Step 3? Forget about overly complicated technical terms like "Prompt Engineering". Simply speak or type like you're talking to a friend. Describe 1) who you are, 2) what you're trying to do, and 3) why you want to do it. That's it - it's really easy and straightforward. In my own experience, I find it's better to dictate ideas using Siri or other voice recognition that'll convert words to text (you probably have something similar on your phone or computer). But typing is okay!
Once you're done with Step 3, click the button as shown in Step 4. Now you're ready to render 4 images at a time by clicking the RENDER button in Step 5.
Here's what's going to happen. When you click the render button, Veras is going to take your description and give you 4 different ideas. Veras may do things you like, and will also do things that you didn't expect but that's OK. Those ideas that you didn't expect can turn into happy surprises! If there's some unwanted detail, you can always use Veras to remove or change it, rather than start over. Don't panic! You can edit your description in Step 3 and render again!
Ready, Set, Imagine!
As you can see from the series of examples and images below, we've created descriptions and renderings based on the different scenarios listed at the beginning of the article (real estate agent, holiday rental, etc.). If you'd like, feel free to copy, paste and edit our descriptions to create your own renderings with Veras. After rendering a few times, we picked our top three renderings for each scenario. You'll also notice after each rendering, we also took a moment to comment on little details.
Noticing little details in your the images is a really good idea! None of the images you create with Veras are going to be perfect or exactly right. But some are going to be very close to your vision. What's important is the concepts and ideas in the images that you like (and don't like) are great for communicating your preferences with a design or construction professional.
1) Savvy Real Estate Agent
Persona and Prompt: I'm a real estate agent working with special client. They're ready to purchase but just need to see a few real-world ideas of how one particular listing might work for them. The neighborhood is great, but they think the main living room is a little too symmetric and formal. They want something more relaxed and casual. It'd be great if they could better understand how the main living space might look based on our conversations about their lifestyle and design tastes. They don't have any children, but they do have a small dog. They like casual, modern furnishings that's easy to clean and comfortable. They also need to display some photos of friends and family. Overall, they don't want to use paint colors that are too dark. They prefer lighter neutral tones that creates a relaxed welcoming environment that's a compliment to existing room. Please render this space based on their tastes, style of living, and similar requirements. Thank you.
What I Noticed (Fig 4-6): Providing Veras a little more context turned out to be really useful. In this scenario I imagined showing a nervous client the unseen potential of an unfurnished space by finishing the space based on the clients preferences. Suggesting slightly lighter colors tones created a calm and comforting atmosphere.A bit of color created casual compliments that IMO elevates everything. I was also quite fond of the furniture, it didn't look too casual or homey. The backpack at the base of the stair in second picture was a subtle touch implying family friendly.
Fig 4
Fig 5
Fig 6
2) Coastal Getaway and Rental
Persona and Prompt: We recently purchased some beachfront property on the southern coast of North Carolina. We plan to stay as much we can, but there will be a few weeks or more each year that we're not at the house. Rather than let it sit empty, we're thinking about renting by the week and listing it with a local manager. The home gets an amazing view of the beach, and we want to redecorate so that it fits the theme of a formal yet fun beachfront property. The previous owners used a lot of white, off-white and neutral colors. Considering the close proximity to the beach we'd like to avoid beige and white colors. It's okay to be bold and visualize options that's fun and colorful that show off the sunny outdoors. Overall, the home should feel rustic but comfortable. It's okay relax, read a book and take a nap on overstuffed furniture. Please show me some fully furnished ideas that are colorful and playful which celebrate a summer holiday spirit. And no TVs - we're not coming to the beach to watch TV :) Thanks!
What I Noticed (Fig 7-9): Considering the big shift to bold, bright color so dissimilar from the original image, I wasn't sure how these renders were going turn out. Veras blew my expectations out of the water! Completely re-imagining the space to fit the prompt and keeping a consistent theme always surprises me. As each rendering is created, I think I'm going to like that one and there's no need for rendering more images. But then the next image completes and I like that one even more! The coastal painting in the third image was such a good touch. I think that this shows where Veras can really shine as it created so many good individual ideas that come together really well. Not sure about how Veras would add another hanging light to the scene. Maybe it's better to remove ceiling fans or hanging fixtures from the existing space with Veras before rendering new ideas.
Fig 7
Fig 8
Fig 9
3) Recent College Graduate
Persona and Prompt: Me and three friends and have recently graduated college. We're sick of living in dorms and apartments and are interested in renting this four bedroom house. It is not too expensive and the area is close to light rail and public transportation.. We're almost ready to sign the lease. However we would like to see what the place would look like furnished. As recent graduates, we're on a budget but we still want to decorate the place and make it look and feel less college cluttered and more considered. Something that feels fun and homey. The living room is going to be where we're likely to socialize after work. Please show us some renders so we can see how the place could look fully furnished and decide if the place is a fit. Used, vintage and mismatched furniture (in good condition) is fine. Thanks!
What I Noticed (Fig 10-12): Admittedly I'm a bit biased to this space. I’m young, starting out in New Zealand and still not too “mature” in my decorating tastes. Veras used the prompted narrative to fully furnish the space while not overstepping the prompt. The fairy lights draped over the mantle with the TV above, allow the space to feel more social and welcoming. I liked the hint to movie nights and game nights with the TV and games under the coffee table repurposed from wooden crates resting on their side. Nothing in the space feels particularly expensive or fragile.
Fig 10
Fig 11
Fig 12
4) First Time Home Buyer
Persona and Prompt: My partner and I are finally ready to purchase our first house. We've been using Zillow and found quite few places. This one particular home seems to be perfect. The only thing is that it will not be furnished when we move in so we would like to see what it could look like once we've moved in. My partner feels that the front room is a bit too plain and doesn't seem very welcoming. We're only a two person household and might start a family in the near future. We've got some used furniture in good condition from our previous apartment, but we don't want the living room to look like we're college students. Contemporary and comfortable - not too modern. Feel free to show us a mixture of new and used furnishings - a little eclectic is fine. It's important for the living room room to feel welcoming with seating for at least four adults as we're planning to entertain. Please show us some iterations of the living room that fits this description. Thanks!
What I Noticed (Fig 13-15): Something that Veras did that I didn't expect was adding family photos to the shelving in the back while leaving room for more photos - rather than over crowd the shelves. Seems to suggest that there's room for more memories. The furnishing fits the theme of the space and gives ideas on how to further decorate. Veras uses the WHOLE space to its advantage and uses it in creative ways. The frequent addition of plants gives a sense of activity. It was only later that I realized all of the renderings except for the rental property have plants in them. In a way that makes sense. The rental property might see infrequent use and needs to be a little more low maintenance.
Fig 13
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Fig 15
5) Empty Nester Entertainment Space
Persona and Prompt: Our kids are have finally moved out after finishing college and for the first time in a long time I seem to have a bit free time. To keep busy I'd like to start a renovation project of the lower level den. I've been thinking about turning one of the rooms in our house into a "Man Cave" or entertainment space for poker night, watching sports etc. I have a decent budget for the remodeling. I sketched out a few floor plan ideas but really need to show my partner something more realistic to get final approval. The rough idea is remove the left and right shelves, with room on the left for a trophy case and a wet bar on the right. A long bar with high top seating along the right wall and window would be great for people watching. Maybe a pool table to center the room. Let's go with a darker, textured wallpaper instead of paint. But not too formal. Make sure all the casework matches. A TV above the fireplace would be great for watching sports. Thanks!
What I Noticed (Fig 16-18): This was an interesting exercise, creating a story and renovating a space purely for recreational means, I didn't know how well Veras would handle the descriptions. Seems like a challenging task for a program without a human in control. But once again I was pleasantly surprised. Getting rid of the shelves seemed obvious - but in one of the renderings, Veras got rid of the windows! Hanging the pool cues on the mantle or wall was a good idea I wouldn't have suggested. Overall, I really like coming up with a big idea and then getting surprised with a smaller detail details suggested by Veras.
Fig 16
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Fig 18
Bonus! Preliminary Budget with Grok™
Now that you've selected your finished design idea, try using Grok (https://grok.com/) to create an itemized budget of your renovation. For this example, we uploaded two images: 1) the empty starting image, and the 2) finished space with wet bar, television, trophy, case, etc (fig 18). In order to provide more specific context, we mentioned a specific city and suburb in North Carolina for budgeting purposes. Grok compared the two images and created a preliminary budget based on the required changes to make the renovation a reality!
Prompt: Please compare these two images. I’m budgeting the renovation of this living room into a den and entertainment space in Southpark, Charlotte, North Carolina. The first image illustrates the present empty space and the second image is the same space with proposed completed design. Please estimate the following and provide a cost breakdown for each phase in order to complete this renovation. Please prepare the estimate in spreadsheet format.
Professional Fees and Design Services
Labor (Demo and New Construction)
Materials and Finishes
Fixtures, Fixtures, and Equipment
Permits, Inspections, and Regulatory Compliance
Potential Contingencies
Total Time Estimate from Design to Completion
Please consider and report any factors you anticipate are important to the completion of this renovation that I’ve not explicitly requested. Thanks!
Here’s the link to the final result: https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5_21dda523-4746-44be-9d01-00d464cc5c97
Renovation Cost Estimate: Transformation of Living Room into Den/Entertainment Space (Man Cave Style), Southpark, Charlotte, North Carolina
The provided images depict the same approximately 400–600 square foot living room space. The first image shows the current empty condition: light neutral walls, open white built-in shelving flanking a central fireplace, dark hardwood flooring, crown molding, a ceiling fan, large windows, and an adjacent staircase. The second image illustrates the proposed completed design: dark gray painted walls, extensive custom dark wood built-in cabinetry (including glass-front display cases on the left and liquor shelving with integrated bar counter, sink, and base cabinets on the right), a large flat-screen TV mounted above the fireplace, a full-size pool table centrally placed, bar stools, pool cue rack, enhanced lighting, and coordinated furnishings creating a cohesive entertainment-focused environment.
The renovation scope primarily encompasses cosmetic and custom millwork upgrades with targeted mechanical/electrical/plumbing interventions: minor demolition of existing shelving elements, wall painting, installation of custom cabinetry and bar features, electrical upgrades for the TV and lighting, minor plumbing for the bar sink, and acquisition/installation of fixtures, furniture, and equipment. No major structural modifications appear necessary.
The following cost estimate is prepared in a clear tabular (spreadsheet-style) format for the requested categories. It reflects mid-2026 market conditions in the Charlotte, NC metro area (moderately competitive labor market with costs aligned to regional averages). Figures are based on current industry data for similar custom interior renovations involving built-in cabinetry, wet/dry bar elements, and entertainment upgrades. All costs include materials and associated labor unless noted separately. These are professional estimates only—not fixed bids. Actual costs will vary based on final design specifications, material selections (e.g., wood species, stone countertops), contractor bids, and unforeseen site conditions. Multiple competitive bids from licensed Charlotte-area general contractors and millwork specialists are strongly recommended.
Total Time Estimate from Design to Completion:
4–6 months (typical for this scope in Charlotte).
Design and permitting phase: 4–8 weeks.
Procurement (custom cabinetry lead times: 8–12 weeks) and construction: 6–10 weeks.
Buffers for inspections, material delays, and finishing.
Key Assumptions and Important Factors Not Explicitly Requested
Quality Level: Mid-to-high-end finishes consistent with the proposed image (e.g., solid wood or high-grade veneer cabinetry, professional-grade pool table). Lower-cost stock cabinets or DIY elements could reduce totals by 20–30%; luxury upgrades (e.g., exotic woods, smart-home integration) could increase by 30–50%.
Site-Specific Considerations: Southpark location implies standard residential zoning; confirm any HOA guidelines or deed restrictions. Access via staircase may require careful scheduling for large-item delivery (pool table, cabinetry). Existing HVAC/electrical systems assumed adequate; older homes could trigger code upgrades.
Contractor and Procurement: Engage fully licensed and insured Charlotte contractors experienced in custom millwork and entertainment spaces. Supply chain delays for custom dark wood cabinetry and premium fixtures are common. Obtain at least three bids.
Additional Recommendations:
Acoustic treatments or soundproofing for entertainment use (not visible in images but advisable).
Post-renovation professional cleaning and debris removal (~$500–$1,000).
Potential property value uplift (entertainment spaces often enhance resale appeal in Southpark). Consult a local realtor or appraiser.
Environmental/sustainability options (low-VOC paints, energy-efficient lighting) for long-term cost savings and code compliance.
Insurance review: Notify homeowner’s insurer of renovations to ensure adequate coverage during and after construction.
This estimate provides a professional, structured foundation for budgeting. For precision, I recommend consulting local design-build firms in Charlotte for a site-specific walkthrough and detailed proposal. If you provide additional details (e.g., exact square footage, preferred material grades, or desired inclusions/exclusions), the estimate can be refined further. Please let me know how else I may assist with this renovation project.
What have we learned? Rendering isn't about complicated software or limited to people who know how to render! Using Veras, anyone with a bit of creativity and imagination can describe ideas and create beautiful and compelling renderings based on real-world photographs and to see their ideas come to life. Of course, rendering with Veras doesn't mean you should bypass hiring professionals when it's time to start designing and building (one expensive mistake can cost you more than the entire renovation budget). And ultimately, it's about being able to go beyond pictures to get some budget numbers in mind before hiring a professional. This will help you avoid the sticker shock of real world renovation costs! Welcome to the future...ahem...present!
We hope this tips and tricks article helps you and your team get the most out of Veras. Questions, suggestions or comments? Please add your feedback in the comments section below! :) And don't forget to Sign Up for Enscape Monthly Updates!
ReadThomas would love to help you succeed with Veras, Enscape and your entire Chaos portfolio! Email us for a private demo or best practices webinar for your team. And when you purchase from ReadThomas, we’ll provide your team with complimentary training, implementation and support! www.readthomas.com.
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