6 Best Online Interior Design Services

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This technologically-advanced option is ideal if you’re looking to play around with layouts yourself. It gives you a true-to-scale floor plan and you can swap items on your own to see what fits. Compared to Havenly, there isn’t as much direct communication with your designer and our panel didn’t think the designs matched their styles as well. We did find their 3D renderings to be impressive.

How it works and what it costs: You fill out the style quiz, take measurements, and upload photos onto the site. You can also use the app to scan your room, which easily takes the measurements for you. Modsy’s designers then create two layouts, including floor plans and 3D renderings with shoppable products. You typically get the layouts within eight days, and you can ask your designer to make changes from there. You can also make edits yourself based on products that are available from a variety of brands.

Modsy’s packages include Premium ($159), Multi-Room ($299) and Luxe ($499), with the main difference being the designer’s experience. The Premium package gets you unlimited design updates. There’s also the Multi-Room package, which gives you two rooms at the Premium level for $299. Finally, the Luxe package includes wall paint and window treatment recommendations, and you can use it for up to eight rooms.

What we like:

Take note:

• Need to provide a significant number of photos in order for Modsy to deliver a design concept
• You have to rely on Modsy’s messaging tool to communicate with your interior designer

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RoomLift’s process is less computerized for people who like to see things in person when they’re designing their spaces. It’s more expensive than others, but it also feels more personal (i.e. less automated), with a small team instead of a large network of designers.

How it works and what it costs: First, you answer questions about yourself and what you’re looking for. Unlike most of the others that are more like a quiz (i.e. you select options from multiple choices), this one has open-ended questions for you to write out. You also send in dimensions and several photos of your space.

The pricing depends on how many rooms you’d like to be addressed. One room starts at $1,500 and includes a customized box sent to you with design options, which you’ll receive in about two to three weeks. You receive a floor plan, paint or wallpaper samples, and suggested items to purchase. You also participate in a 15-minute call to discuss your designs. A more cost-friendly alternative is the accessoryLift for $750. With this package, you’ll get a design board that highlights accessories and design ideas.

Any items of interest can be purchased directly from the retailer. This might sound like more work, but it’s often easier to cut out the middleman when scheduling deliveries and making any necessary returns. It also means that the recommendations aren’t based on commission.

What we like:

• You receive your RoomLift box in just 2 – 3 weeks
• Purchase furnishings directly from retailers, which streamlines the design process
• RoomLift gives back by planting a tree for every box ordered

Take note:

• Calls with your designer are limited to 15 minutes

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Pottery Barn offers one-on-one design services that will help you create your space at no cost. You’ll only get product recommendations from the company, but it includes sister brands like Pottery Barn Kids and Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma, Mark & Graham and Rejuvenation.

How it works and what it costs: Instead of submitting surveys, you set up an appointment to speak directly with a design consultant. The company offers free virtual design services, or it can be done in person when the stores are open.

After you chat about what you’re looking for, the designer creates a floor plan with product suggestions. You get access to its Room Planner technology, which has realistic images of the furniture and accents. They’re all shown to scale so you can see how everything looks together. There’s no set timeframe for this process, but it typically takes about a week.

If you just have quick design questions and don’t want to go through the whole process, you can instantly chat with a designer through the Pottery Barn site (similar to how you would with customer service).

What we like:

• It’s free!
• Ability to book an appointment with a Pottery Barn design expert, whether it’s virtually, in a Pottery Barn store or right in the comfort of your home

Take note:

• You might feel pressure to buy Pottery Barn products

Many online interior design services work in a similar way: you answer questions about things like your budget and style preferences, then an interior designer creates a virtual room with furniture and decor that you can purchase. Beyond that, the services vary in how closely you work with the designer, product offerings, tech features and pricing.

With most sites, you can decorate any room in your home, from your living room, dining room and bedroom to more uniques spaces like home offices, nurseries and entryways. They’re all ideal for starting from scratch or just updating your space. One thing to keep in mind: Some online interior design services let you purchase the products directly through them. This may be convenient if you are buying many items from a variety of retailers, but you can certainly purchase products on your own as well. Some users on our panel found the process of ordering, setting up deliveries and handling returns through the design service to be a bigger headache than buying directly from the stores and retail websites.

The good news about online interior design services is that you can likely find the right option for your budget. You can take advantage of the complimentary interior design services that retailers, like Pottery Barn, offer or, on the other hand, you can consult with a company that has a range of virtual interior design packages (think Havenly). Once you have a sense of which path is right for you, keep in mind that you can expect to pay as low as $50 up to $1,500, depending on the project.