The new thing in home decorating and designing is taking it to the internet! That’s right, e-decorating, room-design online or virtual-room design, no matter the name, the results are the same. You can get your master bedroom or the whole house, redecorated online now!
Maybe because of the DIY spin on things from magazines and television shows, this new craze of online interior decorating has become the hot new trend. With the ability to order what you need online for that new swanky bedroom or handsome study, why not employ an online interior decorator too?
Doesn’t that lose some of its appeal though? Surely you’re lacking that one-on-one, personal touch? Perhaps; but this is the way the world has gone, with everything from buying groceries to changing your driver’s license. There are advantages to online interior decorating too:
Budget and Style
In person or online, the designer can still provide a consultation. It becomes less expensive for both the customer and the designer as the travel-cost and time is eliminated. The more costs you can eliminate, the easier on the budget.
Skype has brought a whole new visual element to us and interior designers now consider this and the web-cam as their tools-of-trade.
Inventory, Measuring and Photography
Gone are the days of the interior designer having to be there in person to take measurements and photos. Your advisor will guide you on how to measure for curtains, paint, wallpaper and more, again via the web-cam and Skype.
Customers can send photos of the room, along with the measurements via email, and the interior designer comes back with further questions and even orders the items needed for direct delivery to the customer.
Concept of Design
Nothing has changed here. Whether in person or online, your professional designer will still talk with you, look through the photos you send and pull together the concept you are looking for.
By guiding customers through the process of measuring rooms and space, they will share websites with the customer to view color palettes and product recommendations instead of doing so in person.
Buying and Installing
Where the on-site interior designer will implement and coordinate buying and installing the items needed for your remodeling or renovation, they are often using sources that aren’t available to the public.
The online designer has two options; firstly, they make all the purchases themselves, have it delivered direct and arrange any contractor needed for the installation, or secondly, they will guide the customer through the process of buying products more cheaply from online-retailers leaving the customer to employ their own contractors.
Time Whilst the online architect puts the job in motion by making the purchases and setting up the installation process, the time frame is left in the customer’s hands. They can set their own pace in setting up the installation schedule that best suits their budget and time-frame.
Pricing
Customers could expect to pay an upfront retainer fee if they employ the services of an on-site interior architect, plus either an hourly or flat rate and the total cost can be prohibitive.
An online interior designer normally has a flat rate fee and is much less expensive.
For the person who desires the designer feel and look in their home or office but doesn’t have an open-ended budget, the online interior designer is the way to go. The customer may have to do some of the legwork themselves, but they’ll be getting the same experienced guidance that they would with an on-site professional.
