Working with an Interior Designer Virtually

If you’ve ever started searching for the perfect paint color, moved into a new home with a tricky layout, went for a gut-remodel or new build, you’re familiar with the difficulty of making design decisions. There are thousands of options, endless choices and seemingly no wrong answers. Often we end up pursuing Pinterest and finding a room that gives off the look that we’re going for, but may not necessarily be a good reflection of your style and how you live in your home. Or perhaps scour our favorite Instagram accounts and ideas and attempt to recreate the captivating spaces of the designers we admire. However, often when trying to emulate these beautiful spaces we fall short, but can’t quite put our finger on what’s missing.

Interior Designers are experts in knowing the best white paint color, sourcing unique furniture, reimagining a space from the ground up, avoiding common mistakes and taking a space from pretty to scroll-stopping. But the spaces we see on Pinterest and Instagram are often entirely designed by a team of expert architects, builders + interior designers with budgets we only see in our dreams. Good design can seem like a luxury, but it doesn’t have to be.

With the pandemic changing the way we work in the past few years, there are now a large number of virtual design services available to anyone. There are larger platforms (like The Expert or Havenly) that offer hourly consultations or flat-fee designs, as well as a number of interior designers who offer their expertise with virtual or distance design services when a full-time designer isn’t in the budget. Consultations and virtual design services are an affordable way to get designer input, acting as a springboard for creating the home you’ve dreamed of.

COMMON WAYS TO WORK VIRTUALLY WITH A DESIGNER

Consultations

• Often happening virtually over video, Interior Designer Consultations allow you to buy an hour (or more) of a designers time. This allows you to pick their brain and receive their expertise in real-time whether you’re just getting started on your project or are knee-deep in renovations. They can provide changes to layouts, building plans, links to products, their tried-and-true paint colors, and can provide guidance on avoiding costly mistakes.
• If you don’t cover everything in an hour, or need help again down the line, you can always book another consultation to tap into their knowledge.
• This is typically the most affordable avenue of hiring an interior designer. Pricing will be based on years of experience, client demand and expertise in the field.

Virtual Design

• Virtual or Distance Design is a great way to have your space designed by your favorite interior designer on a smaller scale. This often is a limited contact relationship, where the client provides the designer with all necessary information about their project / space and the designer then creates a one-of-a-kind, fully sourced design specifically for you.
• Designers will provide basic layout drawings + renderings and to-the-trade sources along with a road map on how to implement the design in your space. Occasionally virtual design services will also include paint, furniture, hardware, textile + drapery samples.
• Virtual Design typically has a quick turnaround time, which is perfect if you’re already in the thick of a project. Edits to the final design are at the discretion of the designer and may or may not be included in the initial price. Always be sure to ask if about the process if it isn’t explicit; some designers deliver one final design, while other allow for some communication back and forth on changes you would like to see.
• Pricing will be determined by the space and size of project. This will either be a flat fee up front or billed by the hour.

SPRING DESIGN SALE

You can work with me through virtual design services with what I call Single Room Design. This is my most popular service where I work with clients all over the country as well as locally. I’ve found that most often clients need a jumping off point just to get their project rolling. I show clients how a room can be reimagined, providing unique sources and multiple layout options that tailors their space to their specific style and lifestyle. And for the month of March I’m offering $50 off your Single Room Design! So if you’ve been on the fence about trying out hiring a designer, this is a great opportunity.

If you’re embarking on a home project, I think it’s absolutely worthwhile to budget for designer services. Even scheduling a single consultation will provide you insight and direction that can be invaluable when making decisions for your home.

If you have questions about Virtual Design Services or working with an Interior Designer, feel free to drop them in the comments on this post!

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