The Best Online Interior Design Services Reviewed and Compared in 2023

Updated January 16, 2023 11:51 AM By Matt Langan

Not long ago, if you wanted your home designed you'd either have to do it yourself (DIY) or hire an interior designer who would come to your home and design it for you. Unfortunately, both options have a lot of challenges associated with them.

For example, designing a space on your own requires a lot of time, tools and a trained eye for quality interior design. Hiring an in-person interior designer typically results in a higher quality final design but it comes at a steep cost. On average, in-person interior design costs between $2,000 and $10,000 per room. It can also be invasive and time consuming because it requires multiple in-home visits.

The good news is that there is a faster, easier and more affordable way to have a space designed, which is called online interior design. Online interior design is the process of selecting, hiring and working with a professional interior designer to get any space professionally designed entirely online - typically through the use of a website or a mobile app.

Since the advent of online interior design, many companies have formed to offer this service. In this article, you will learn more about what online interior design is, how it works and how it compares to traditional in-person interior design services. You will also find a summary and reviews of today's most popular online interior design services so that you can figure out which service may be right for you.

Table of Contents

• The best online interior design services in 2023 (summarized list)
• How does online interior design work?
• Online interior design vs. traditional interior design vs. DIY
• The 9 best online interior design services
• Which online interior design service is best for you?

   

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How Does Online Interior Design Work?

When you use an online interior design service, you'll communicate with your designer by phone, online chat, email and/or video. Every company's design experience is slightly different; however, they generally consist of 1) gathering your design requirements 2) preparing and sending you initial designs 3) getting your feedback on your designs 4) updating your designs based on your feedback until you're satisfied.

For example, Stuccco's online interior design service begins with a free design call. This call is used to discuss the space or spaces that you're interested in having designed and your vision for them (if you're not sure what that is, that's very normal and can be realized during the design phase of a project). At the end of the free design call, three designers will be recommended to you. You can then review and select one to work with. Once you select a designer, the design project is underway.

At Stuccco, the collaboration between you and the designer you select takes 14 days or less. At the end of the design process, you get:

• A floor plan of your newly designed space that showcases the final furniture layout to scale
• A 3D rendering that shows exactly how your space will look once the furniture and decor in your final design are purchased and installed
• A clickable shopping list of the items in your final design
• Detailed design instructions, which you can follow to turn your design into reality - or easily share with someone else who will be responsible for installing your items ;)

Online Interior Design vs. Traditional Interior Design vs. DIY Design

Online interior design is very similar to in-person design. In fact, the result of online and in-person interior design should be just as beautiful and custom. However, online interior design is significantly more affordable. In terms of time and communication, it's much more efficient and convenient.

In comparison to DIY design, results can vary. For the rare homeowner who is naturally gifted in design, results may be similar. However, it's extremely unlikely that the average DIY project will result in the same design quality. Plus, the process of online interior design is undeniably easier and more efficient.

If you're open to spending hours scouring Pinterest boards and doing online shopping, doing it yourself might end up being your most ideal choice.

Here's a more in-depth comparison of DIY vs. online interior design vs. traditional interior design:
 

Top 9 Best Online Interior Design Services

Now that we've covered what online interior design is and who it's a good fit for, let's review the most popular online interior design platforms and how they compare so you can make the right decision for your needs.

Let's start with the elephant in the room - you're reading this review on Stuccco.com.

This article is as honest and as complete as possible - we gathered information and feedback from designers, homeowners and renters who have used all of the online interior design services that are reviewed in this article.

We also thoroughly reviewed all of the content available on the platforms' websites to make sure our summaries are complete and accurate.

Our goal is to help you. While we're confident that Stuccco provides the highest level of quality and service, this article is intended to help you identify the online interior design service that you believe would be the best for you.

All nine online interior design platforms offer a satisfaction guarantee, have been in business since 2015 or earlier and are based in the USA.

 

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The nine best online interior design services are:

Stuccco

Stuccco's Services

• Dedicated room design (e.g. a living room): $999 per room
• Open concept room design (e.g. an open concept living and dining room): $1,499
• Turnaround time: 14 days or less
• You get: Room design, floor plans, shopping list, design instructions

Pros to Stuccco's Online Interior Design Services

• High-touch service
• Unlimited revisions until you are completely satisfied
• Designers who are highly vetted, formally educated interior design professionals
• Designers are located in the USA, speak fluent English and are paid a fair wage
• One flat, transparent design fee
• Designers do not work on commission (no sales pressure)
• Designers are not limited by what products they can recommend - they are free to recommend the very best products to you from any retailer in the world
• Designers can work around existing furniture pieces
• Designers can recommend furniture, decor, wall color, wallpaper, window treatments, hardware and/or light fixtures depending on your needs
• Built-in photo gallery and social network makes it easy to get inspired and get feedback from the Stuccco community during the design process
• Includes installation instructions so you know how to implement your design or hire a professional
• Homeowners can buy recommended items at once or at a pace that suits them
• No negative customer reviews
• Every prospective online interior design project starts with a free design call to learn more about the Stuccco online interior design process and to get personalized designer recommendations without pressure to pay.

Cons to Stuccco's Online Interior Design Services

• Stuccco is not the most affordable option
• Not as well-known as other online interior design services on this list

Stuccco Takeaways

Stuccco offers a high-touch, personalized, done-for-you service from experienced professional designers. Although the prices are higher than many other options, the service is much more comprehensive and prevents you from having to do any shopping or designing of your own. In addition, Stuccco designers provide only the best recommendations for you because they are not influenced by commission prices or retail partners.

Example of Stuccco's Online Interior Design

Click here to see more examples of Stuccco's Online Interior Design work.

How to Get Started with Stuccco

Click below to learn more about Stuccco's Online Interior Design services.

Learn More

 

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Decorilla

Decorilla's Services

• Bronze: $549-$799 per room
• Silver: $649-$1,049 per room
• Gold: $849-$1,849 per room
• Custom package: $75-500 per hour
• Turnaround time: 3-4 weeks
• You receive: Final 3D rendering, shopping list, and floor plans

Pros to Decorilla Online Interior Design

• Designers are vetted, based in the U.S. and Canada and speak fluent English
• High-quality 3D renderings with an emphasis on virtual reality
• Two designers compete by providing initial design concepts and you choose one designer to work with
• Access to furniture discounts
• Designers are paid a fair wage
• One flat, transparent design fee
• High-quality 3D renderings

Cons to Decorilla's Online Interior Design Services

• Long turnaround time
• Not one of the most affordable options
• You're unable to choose a certain designer - you must choose one of two designers assigned to you
• Designers work on commission (sales pressure)
• Designers only recommend products from retail partners (limited selection)

Decorilla Takeaways

Decorilla is one of the only design services to provide you with multiple design concepts for you to choose from. While most services allow you to make revisions, many homeowners aren't always sure what kind of revisions to ask for. Decorilla removes that obstacle by giving you two design options to start with.

However, Decorilla acts as a middleman between you and the products in your design. They offer product discounts, but you depend entirely on Decorilla to receive your products and handle returns if it doesn't work. And as with the other design services above (Havenly), designers give biased recommendations from retail partners where they'll earn a commission.

Decorilla Design Example

 

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Decorist

Decorist was acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond. On September 26, 2022, it was announced that Decorist was shutting down.

 

 

 

 

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roomLift

roomLift's Pricing and Services

• roomLift: $1,250
• AccessoryLift: $650
• Custom proposals: $100 per call
• Turnaround time: Approximately three weeks
• You receive: roomLift box or design board (accessoryLift)

Pros to roomLift's Online Interior Design Services

• Two package options
• Designers do not work on commission
• Purchase products on your own (no sales pressure)
• Ability to see samples in person
• Contributes 1% of proceeds to select charities

Cons to roomLift's Online Interior Design Services

• No opportunity for revisions or adjustments
• No one-on-one consultations with designers
• Long turnaround time
• Lower-touch service, no one-on-one conversations
• Individual consultation costs additional fee
• roomLift box takes 14 days to ship
• roomLift box is not the most environmentally-friendly option

roomLift Takeaways

roomLift stands out from other online interior design companies by sending a physical box with physical samples of paint chips, wallpaper samples, and fabric samples. This could be a significant benefit for homeowners who want a tactile experience with pieces before they spend a large amount of money implementing the design.

However, roomLift's primary plans don't provide opportunities to meet with your designer. Their recommendations are based only on your answers to their questionnaire, so it's up to you to be extremely clear and thorough about your expectations. This wouldn't be much of a hassle if you could see your designer's concepts and ask for adjustments, but the physical nature of the roomLift box prevents that from happening. Combine these two challenges with the high prices of roomLift, and it's the least flexible option on our list.

roomLift Design Example

 

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Collov

Collov's Pricing and Services

• Kick-start: $79 per design (one 3D render)
• Classic: $119 per design
• Luxe: $159 per design
• Turnaround time: 6-9 days for the first mood board plus 5-7 days for 3D render
• You receive: One 3D rendering of your room design and a shopping list

Pros to Collov's Online Interior Design Services

• Affordable prices
• Multiple package options
• Two revisions included
• One meeting with your designer with Classic or Luxe plan
• Can buy all pieces through Collov

Cons to Collov's Online Interior Design Services

• Confusing pricing structure and process
• Minimum furniture and decor budget of $1,000
• Company is built on commission (biased recommendations, sales pressure)
• Designers recommend products from a limited pool of big box retail partners (you're limited)
• Pressure to purchase items through Collov

Collov Takeaways

The services from Collov are not as customized or high-touch as Stuccco, but could be helpful for homeowners who simply want a few ideas to help plan their room. If you're okay with primarily DIYing your space, Collov could be a great source of support while you do this.

However, another essential factor to remember is that Collov gets a commission from the products you purchase for your space. Just like Havenly, this means that their suggestions aren't going to be 100% objective and that the inventory they suggest is limited.

Collov Design Example

 

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Havenly

Havenly's Services

• Mini: $99 per room
• Full: $179 per room; includes floor plan
• Havenly at home: $699 (most comparable to Stuccco service)
• Turnaround time: Not listed
• You receive: final design board and shopping list

Pros to Havenly's Online Interior Design Services

• Designers are vetted
• Designers are located in the USA and speak fluent English
• You can buy items on Havenly.com

Cons to Havenly Online Interior Design Services

• Limited contact with the designer
• Homeowners must do designer research, choose and hire the designer on their own
• Designers are severely underpaid and over-worked
• Many negative customer reviews
• Designers only recommend products from a list of retail partners (Limited inventory)
• Designers work on commission (biased recommendations and sales pressure)

Havenly Takeaways

Havenly is one of the most popular online design services, but that does not mean it's one of the best. The low-priced services inevitably result in lower quality and results. In addition, all Havenly designers work on commission, which means your recommendations are limited and most likely biased.

It's also extremely important to note Havenly's company problems. Many of Stuccco's designers are previous Havenly designers, and they unanimously tell us that Havenly paid them less than minimum wage. In addition, they were constantly overloaded with work, and speed was prioritized over quality. For more details, read the full Havenly review.

Havenly Design Example

 

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Spacejoy

Spacejoy's Pricing and Services

• Delight: $199
• Bliss: $299
• Euphoria: $349
• Turnaround time: 7-10 days
• You receive: Room design 3D render, shopping list

Pros to Spacejoy's Online Interior Design Services

• Affordable prices
• One-one-consultation with designer
• 3D renders of your design
• Includes interactive 3D app to view design
• Choose your own designer

Cons to Spacejoy's Online Interior Design Services

• Limited design revisions
• Designers work on commission (biased recommendations, sales pressure)
• Products recommended from a limited pool of retail partners

Spacejoy Takeaways

Spacejoy is one of the few online interior design services that allows you to meet with your designer in all packages. They also uniquely provide a 3D render of your design, allowing you to virtually move around the space before ordering the products.

Although these features help Spacejoy stand out from other online design companies, it is similar to others by being dependent on commission from products. Just like Havenly, and Decorilla, Spacejoy will consistently prompt you to order products through their website. This limits your design choices to Spacejoy's retail partners and your recommendations will be biased.

Spacejoy Design Example

 

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The Expert

The Expert's Pricing and Services

• Services and prices range by designer

Pros to The Expert's Online Interior Design Services

• Choose your own designer
• Hundreds of design experts available
• View designer's experience, previous work, and design styles
• Filter designers by price and style
• Most designers provide video consultations

Cons to The Expert's Online Interior Design Services

• Prices can be as expensive as in-person design, up to $2,000 for 55-minute consultation
• Lower-touch services
• Quality can be hit or miss, dependent on the designer you choose

The Expert Takeaways

Unlike the other options on this list, The Expert is not an online interior design service. It is a platform that helps you search through hundreds of professional online interior designers available for hire. Most of the prices are higher than you'd pay for an online service, but you also have the ability to work with some of the most famous and accomplished designers in the industry. The Expert is a great choice if you want to hand pick your designer and service.

 

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Modsy

Modsy's Services

Effective July, 2022, Modsy no longer offers online interior design services of any kind.

 

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Which Online Interior Design Service is Best For You?

 

Choosing the best online interior design service will look different for every homeowner - it depends on your style, budget, and time constraints.

If you're super strapped for cash, but you're handy and have time on your hands, then tackling a project on your own (DIY) is likely your best bet.

If money is no object and you have extra time on your hands, then hiring an in-person interior designer is likely going to be of most value to you. You'll be satisfied with the end result and can have everything taken care of for you. Use a site like Houzz to find a quality local in-person designer.

But if you're like most people and you're somewhere in between these two poles, online interior design will be your best choice.

Stuccco Online Interior Design offers the best blend of affordability, design quality, turnaround time, and customer service. Start the process by taking the design style quiz, or book your online interior design call today!

If you have any suggested changes for this article, please email us at [email protected] so that we can make any necessary updates to this review.