NEW YORK >> Lowe’s will launch an app early next month that makes it easier to envision what a piece of furniture will look like in your home or office using augmented reality.

Users will be able to use smartphones to view digital images of furnishings at scale in whichever room they wish, the company said today, with the ability to rotate the images, or duplicate them.

An online catalog produced by The Mine, a Lowe’s company, will feature goods that can be digitally placed in rooms and, if desired, bought. The furnishings can be moderated to the potential buyer’s tastes.

Lowe’s Cos. also announced an augmented reality app, available immediately, that could replace the tape measure with an iPhone for users.

The app lets customers measure walls, sofas or any other object they want with their iPhone. The app, called Measured by Lowe’s, uses the smartphone’s camera to measure items in a room.

Other retailers have also tapped into augmented reality. Online furniture seller Wayfair, for example, added a function in its app last week that lets shoppers see how Wayfair’s sofas, lamps or other items look in their room using an iPhone or iPad.