e-decorators
Turquoise Design
We all occasionally need a little help, and when it comes to decor, sometimes getting a professional opinion can really make the difference. A full blown professional interior decorator’s fees is not always in the realm of reason for all. An in between solution is to seek an online consultation. There’s a new crop of decorators out there offering what is called e-decorating that could be the next big thing in design. People have busy schedules and a limited budget and need to connect to someone for decorating help via the web – fast and easy (sometimes as quick as two weeks). I think many would love to tap into the brains of decorators for their personal opinions about a space or for help in pulling together a complete room simply through email.
Betsy Burnham Design
Betsy Burnham offers a similar service called Instant Space. Hiring Burnham’s firm to design in real time would cost way more than her through-the-mail decorating service, so it is a great way to save money if you look at it from that perspective. Plus, it’s Betsy Burnham. The California-based designer has a flair for creating layered, livable spaces that feel like real people (though probably incredibly cool people) inhabit them. She is also a master of the high/low mix. Betsy’s rooms effortlessly combine eye-catching patterns with vintage pieces, ethnic prints with 1950s mod, and cheeky art with confident color. Send Betsy pics and measurements of a room, and for a flat fee, 6 weeks later you’ll receive a box with pictures and retail sources for everything you need to design that space.
Turquoise Design
Then there are other amazing designers out there like Vanessa De Vargas who runs the LA-based design firm Turquoise. She just launched an e-decorating service that is doing quite well. Her great style and ability to connect to ‘real’ people on budgets are her best qualities. She doesn’t refer her clients to $700 lamps, if they want something from IKEA. She will find them a $30 pendant and because she knows how to pull a room together, that $30 light will rock like it’s $700. E-Decorating clients are given everything they need to bring their ideal rooms to life: paint chip colors, wallpaper suggestions, ideas for items to reuse and/or revamp, rug, lighting and fabric suggestions, window treatment options, accessory and art suggestions, furniture placement and a resource.
Melanie Coddington Design
Melanie Coddingtons calls her e-decorating practice Room Service. In a nutshell, it means you stay in your jammies, e-mail her, and she sends the detailed design plans right to your inbox. There’s also the instant gratification factor since the turnaround for design plans is only two weeks. Send your room’s measurements and photos (they’ll send specific instructions), send links and photos of your favorite rooms, hotels, even fashion sites (they want to get to know your style). One of the fears of using an e-decorating service is often that the design plans will either be vague in detail or leave an overwhelming amount of legwork up to the client. Room Service’s e-decorating service provides specific action steps and the resources to complete the plan. It also includes a follow-up call with one of our designers to solve any obstacles or new questions. This is real design work and they want your new room to reflect a professional skill level.
Ada Interior Design
Dream Design Kit from Ada’s Interior Design is an emailed interior decorating plan where you email your room photos, measurements, and a ‘Getting to Know You Better’ form. They create plus email back a design plan reflecting their clients’ personality, style, comfort and budget including: a furniture placement layout, photos of furniture plus accessories recommended, wall paint color suggestions, and store info list on where you can buy the suggested items.
