A home refresh is a great way to maximize the design potential of your space, but if you’re stuck on where to begin, e-design could help you achieve the upgrades you’ve envisioned. With the added convenience of designing on your own schedule, you can skip countless visits to a studio or flipping through dozens of color swatches to visualize the end result – everything can be designed right from the comfort of your couch. If you’re considering giving the virtual design route a go, we spoke to experts from Sarasota, FL, all the way to Brantford, ON, to get their top tips for using e-design for your next home refresh.
1) You’ll still be working one-on-one with a professional
It’s not difficult to work with a designer on your home refresh through e-design. In fact, many are familiar with working virtually and can get an aesthetic understanding of the style of a space through pictures along with a Facetime walk-through. Through Covid, e-design has been a beacon of light for our industry and shows how designers don’t need to be on location to style a space and work our magic. –Authentic Interior Décor
One common misconception with e-design is that, unlike traditional design services, it’s not a collaborative process. However, working with an e-designer gets you an equal high-level designer direction and expertise without the designer cost. –Rehome Interior
2) Each design is uniquely created for you
As a designer, it’s important for me to help each space feel unique and personal. Transparency with your designer tends to be the key to doing that well. So, don’t hide your quirks because being your whole self during the design process will give your designer the best shot at creating not only a beautiful space but a personal one. –C+E Interiors
Even if your interior designer doesn’t see your space in person, you can still achieve the space you envisioned. We have a very comprehensive process that starts with an in-depth questionnaire to tell me your vision for your project, styles, and colors you like. You also include photos and measurements of the room along with images that you feel inspired by for your space. From this information, I can start drawing a floor plan and create both a 2D and 3D concept board. –Far&Away Interior Design
3) You’ll be able to visualize different decor elements before committing
E-design is conveniently sustainable. When going through the e-design process, you’re maximizing your investment by virtually seeing and mapping out your project so you can include sustainability in both the products and planning, which is a new luxury. E-design allows you to do this with a few clicks of a button before you make an investment purchase. – Abigail-Elise Design Studio
4) Your e-designer will walk you through the design process
With so many options to purchase furniture and accessories online today, it can be overwhelming for most people and eventually confuse them, which can cause them to give up. Additionally, many people don’t fully understand design elements, such as scale and color theory, and end up with a mismatched, unsightly room. An e-designer provides you with a design style that works and keeps you from making costly design mistakes. While you can either do it yourself or hire a professional, you wouldn’t buy a Chevy if you wanted a Cadillac. –Strategic Pro Staging
E-design plans include easy tips, exact placements of decor and decor accessories, as well as options. And, if you’re stuck on choosing a paint color, color suggestions are also included, which helps eliminate one of the most stressful parts for a homeowner. –The Birchwood Blog
5) You’ll have the help of a professional when sourcing materials
For e-design services, you’ll receive all of the direction and resources needed to complete your space. From there, you’ll be able to purchase everything in the design package, where we provide you with a clickable shopping list. –Jenny Chohan Interiors
Time is of the essence when sourcing materials for your design plan. E-design is a quick and efficient way of decorating one’s living space as it relies upon off-the-shelf retail furnishings. However, with today’s climate, I encourage homeowners to make decisions quickly because of varying stock levels and ever-escalating prices for such furnishings.-Sorell Interiors
6) You’ll be able to easily flip a space using an adaptable design plan
Life changes quickly, and your home should adapt right along with you. Following a discussion with your e-designer, converting the guest room to a home office or a nursery to a kid’s bedroom is a painless process with your design plan in hand. Direct communication, fast turnaround times, and thoughtful solutions for every budget make e-design the best option to create fresh spaces you love and are designed for the way you live. –Kristen Dena Design
7) E-design can give insight to a space’s potential
Homebuyers often want homes that are move-in-ready with no renovations, which can limit their home search options. However, e-designers can help homebuyers understand what type of projects to take on that won’t break the bank. Not only does this increase the number of homes in their home search, but renovations may also be used as a negotiation opportunity when placing an offer to purchase the home. –Livable Luxe Home
8) You’re able to take charge and make quick decisions
The best thing about e-design services is that you get to extract the talent, expertise, and knowledge of an interior designer, and still be very much in control of how to implement it. You get to wait for all the right sales, decide when to purchase all the pieces, and when to have those pieces delivered to your home. –Clickable Curations
E-design is perfect for someone who is on a budget or loves the process of choosing and placing orders for things like furniture and decor, but just needs a designer’s perspective on what will look good or how things should be put together. Also, the process is more personal than using Pinterest or any magazine, and the results will be tailored to your personality. –Bonsai Design Atelier
9) You can work with a designer anywhere
E-design removes the geographical boundaries to design, which means that we can work with clients based worldwide. Since the design process is done virtually, we request floor plans, elevations, or images from the room(s) at the beginning of any e-design project. We also submit a client questionnaire that will detail things like the client’s budget, style preferences, wants, needs, etc. This ensures that we have a comprehensive overview of the project before any design work starts. The entire process is fully interactive, and we liaise with the client throughout, ensuring the design is exactly what they were imagining. –CR Interiors
10) You’re willing to put in the groundwork to achieve your dream space
It’s essential to get correct measurements so your designer can get you furniture that will fit perfectly. E-design is unique because the designer isn’t actually in your space with you when the plan is made, so making sure you’re putting in the time to take accurate measurements is crucial. Nothing is worse than finding the perfect piece only to realize it’s 3/4″ too big for your space. –Vanessa Wolf Design
Take detailed measurements, pictures, and answer the questionnaire honestly. Don’t skip a step, since the more information we have, the better the result. We organize all our design ideas, tools, and tips into a comprehensive e-design package that will serve as a do-it-yourself guide to implementing the design yourself. An e-designer can help you maximize every square inch of your space, turn awkward and challenging obstacles into features, realize hidden potentials, and help you achieve high-quality results. –TOC Design
11) You’re self-motivated to complete your project
E-design works well for clients who are self-motivated, for smaller projects, and for those able to implement the selections provided by the interior designer despite the scope of work. Clients can be more involved in their own project since they’ll be receiving and then implementing the steps with my guidance. Because I’m not directly installing or managing as much in person, this can be great for specific budgets. –Sara Brandon Designs
12) Design plans for your home refresh are based on your ideas and inspirations
Even if you’re not sure about the proper terminology or the name of a certain design style, e-designers can easily use the pictures from the Pinterest Board and other details to help curate a clear aesthetic and plan of action to bring it to life. It’s beneficial for homeowners to create a vision board on Pinterest that’s full of pictures reflecting how they want their home to look, feel, and function, as well as having a list of non-negotiables (like a dream couch or a space that’s safe for their dogs to play in). With the heart of the homeowner and the designer’s expertise, e-designers can create a beautiful, personalized, and timeless home for the client. –Anchor Home Styling
13) You want to try a little DIY
E-design is perfect for people who don’t want to spend on a full-service interior design but still need help creating a cohesive design that they can implement on their own. This makes e-design a great choice for DIY-ers. The e-designer will work with you to design the space to your unique needs and provide you with detailed drawings, implementation instructions, and a shopping list so that you can do the purchasing, installation, and project management all on your own. –Hues & Scapes
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