Back in 2014, NELMA first opened their doors to consumers with a unique, first-of-its-kind, Virtual Tour, located at www.nelma.org, and changed the way the industry looked at project case studies. With simple copy and photos now replaced by interactive views and informational tags, it’s no wonder these Virtual Tours have remained popular over the years.
Seven years later, what started out as a purely consumer effort has quickly morphed into an easily accessible way for retailers to share visuals directly with their customers, whether they be homeowners or contractors.
The NELMA Virtual Tour
Taking the familiar realtor 360° home view and improving upon it with product specifications, the virtual tour showcases Eastern White Pine in beautiful interior applications designed to spark and ignite homeowner inspiration and imagination. High-res, 360°, digital photography technology, coupled with easy self-navigation in all directions, results in a fun, creative, beautiful tour through several rooms completely controlled by the user.
Green product icons scattered throughout each room inform the viewer of actual grade, pattern, and finish used in each focus area.
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps a virtual tour is worth at least a million!” said Jeff Easterling, president of NELMA. “Retailer and consumer reaction to this unique, engaging tour of projects has grown exponentially year over year. The Virtual Tour brings everything we do to life by showing retailers and their homeowner customers how each product actually looks within the home – and then providing the exact specs needed to make a purchase.”
Open One of 6 Doors to Inspiration
“Our goal is to expose the varied uses of Eastern White Pine to as many of our audiences as possible,” continued Easterling.
With that goal in mind, the NELMA Virtual Tour offers six “doors” to projects to inspire audiences across the building industry:
Modern Home: featuring clean lines, lots of light, and an airy ambiance, the Modern Home showcases how easily Eastern White Pine fits into the modern aesthetic. Be sure to check out the amazing beams in the family room!
Seaside Cottage: Blues and whites and a pop of yellow mingle effortlessly with the casual throw rugs and easy design of a beach home covered floor-to-ceiling in beautiful Eastern White Pine. Is there any spot not covered with this gorgeous wood? We don’t think so!
Modern Cabin: Nothing says “get outdoors” or “go camping” like real, authentic wood. The versatility of Eastern White Pine ensures that it’s a perfect match with any home, including this adorable cabin in the Maine woods.
Horse Barn: Yes, Eastern White Pine is perfect for commercial properties, too! Check out this horse barn in New England that’s used for therapy programs: the warm look of the real wood is a flawless match with the outdoor vibe of this barn. No matter where you look, there’s gorgeous wood. We bet the horses love it, too!
Country Bar: Order up a side of natural beauty at the incredible wood bar and you’re at this fun honky-tonk-esque entertainment venue in New Hampshire! Durable and strong: that’s the reason this builder chose Eastern White Pine to accent and add natural flavor to his bar.
Friends School: This one might be our favorite: a Friends school in Maine wanted to put to use the Eastern White Pine trees that had to come down to build their new building. The administration educated the children as to the role trees play in our lives, and the trees were not only milled on the property, but they also live on inside the building. Each time these students walk down the hall or attend an event in the Meeting room, they’re reminded of the true beauty and coexistence of nature.
“Each of these ‘doors’ represents a unique and different way Eastern White Pine can be used throughout projects,” concluded Easterling. “This is a slam-dunk for retailers: send your customer to check out the Virtual Tour for a real-world look at how Eastern White Pine can improve their next structure, no matter if it’s residential or commercial!”
Founded in 1933, NELMA (Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association) is the rules writing agency for Eastern White Pine lumber and the grading authority for other commercially important Northeastern and Great Lakes Softwood lumber species that includes Eastern Spruce, Norway Spruce, Balsam Fir, and Red Pine. In addition, NELMA is a leading agency for export wood packaging certification and the marketing voice for its lumber manufacturing members. For more information, please visit the NELMA website at www.nelma.org.
Find NELMA on Facebook at NELMA (Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association) and on Twitter @inelma.
