The New Way To Decorate: Why Virtual Interior Design Works
The options within the world of interior decorating and design have become like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Remember those? I used to love those books! You’d start the story and just when it was time for the main character to start making some real decisions, there would be a note at the bottom of the page:
“If you decide to become the leader for the HR team-building exercises, turn to page 42.
If you choose to be part of the team and not risk the more severe punishment, turn to page 116.”
There isn’t necessarily a wrong decision but each path has it’s own pros and cons. In decorating and designing your home, you get to decide which path to take -- DIY, virtual interior design, or traditional, full-service design. For people who are ready to invest in their home and are willing and able to get their hands a little dirty (or at very least, click “add to cart” and do some project management), virtual interior design is a great way to go.
Here’s why I suggest you turn to the year 2021 and choose virtual design:
Virtual interior design allows you to...
...Expand your designer options.
With virtual interior design, you don’t have to rely on who can make it to your house or budget for your designer’s travel expenses. Maybe you live somewhere that doesn’t have many designers doing the kind of work you want to see in your home. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with someone’s style on Instagram but they’re based out of Austin, TX and you live in Toronto. Whatever the case may be, turning to virtual design expands your options so you can find some that are the right fit for you, your style, and your home goals.
When you choose the virtual option, you and your designer can be virtually anywhere. Pun intended. 🙃
...Elevate your DIY game.
Who doesn’t love a good HGTV binge sesh? But the expectations set by reality home shows make it look much easier than it actually is to create the home you want.
You know what I’ve never seen on Renovation Realities? A design plan. What I have seen are countless disasters that could have been avoided with proper space planning, a cohesive design, and realistic expectations about what you can do yourself and what’s worth outsourcing to someone else. Hope is not a design plan.
A designer can give you the master plan you need to truly elevate your space, not just try to copy what you’ve seen on TV or Pinterest. They can provide expert guidance about what to buy, what to outsource, and what you can actually do yourself.
...Get the expert guidance of an interior designer + save on fees for actually getting it done.
Just like you’d be better off hiring a lawyer than defending yourself if you have to go to court, hiring an interior designer is making an investment in a better outcome for your home. And I firmly believe that investing in your home is investing in yourself. From where I’m sitting, it’s worth it to invest in a designer who will help you create a plan for your home that expresses your unique style AND ensures the items you bring in fit properly and work together cohesively.
Traditionally, when you hire an interior designer, their service would include creating a design plan (mood and concept boards, space plans, color palettes, furniture, decor and fixture selection, drawings and renderings, etc.) and then providing purchasing, project management and installation services. The hours billed for that second part (purchasing through installation) are easily the same as if not more than the hours billed for the design work. With interior designers charging anywhere from $75 - $275+ per hour, that can add up really quickly and doesn’t even include the actual cost of the furnishings, finishes, decor and any trades doing work in your house.
Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with paying for that service. For some people, it’s absolutely worth every penny. But for a lot of people, it’s not. I, for instance, actually enjoy working on my home and I’m not so strapped for time that I can’t do it. I mean, I’ll leave the plumbing and electrical work to the professionals but there’s a lot I can do -- hang curtains, paint a wall (or 7), order furniture and put it together. I’d rather save my budget for higher quality pieces, even if that means I have to do some of the legwork.
People that would be priced out of traditional, full-service interior design, can tap into the expert guidance of a virtual designer while saving on project management and installation so you can go ahead and splurge on that pink velvet Chesterfield sofa with the money you save on fees.
...Implement the design as your time and budget allows.
When you’re not engaging a designer for project management and installation, you are freed up to implement the design plan you’ve created together as your time and budget allows. If you want (or need, based on real world constraints) to take more time to actually make the changes in your home, you can absolutely do that with a design-only option like what is provided by virtual interior designers.
On the flip side, if you have a timeframe you’re trying to work within, having a set plan for what to buy, where to put it and what work needs to be done can be infinitely more helpful than winging it Renovation Realities style. With my full room design packages, I offer support even after your design work is completed to help you navigate the installation process, which gives you the best of both worlds -- professional guidance for your sweat equity.
...Put your own energy into your home.
Just like home-cooked food satisfies you differently than restaurant food, so does a space you put your love and energy into. Everything has energy. Even your home. And I believe that being hands-on in creating and molding that energy so that it supports you will have lasting effects.
When the atmosphere you create in your home is supportive, loving, and nurturing, you can be your best self in all areas of your life. So build that solid, stylish energetic foundation at home.
Plus when your bestie is admiring your fab new space and is like “girl, you did this?!” You can be like “YASSSS!!” and sit back in that perfectly chosen mid-century dining chair that is now your throne. Take that credit, honey!
Whatever path you choose, the good news is that there are no wrong paths. One may work better than another at different times in your life. I’m launching my signature virtual interior design service next month and if you’re considering taking the virtual interior design path, I would love to share with you about it. I’m super excited to be offering a special Identity Design Package to help you discover your style and get a master plan to transform your home during the launch! To stay in loop, just sign up below!