Whether you live in a flat in the city or a spacious home in the burbs, everyone wants a beautifully designed and decorated home. Unfortunately, not everyone has the budget for it. I used to admire the homes of friends who hired famous interior designers for $10,000+ per room, not including the furnishings. Their homes are absolute perfection. The rest of us are frantically scrolling through hundreds of Pinterest boards trying to put some semblance of an interior design plan together for our homes. We need professional design help, but it has always been too expensive- so we head out to Target and Home Goods and try to piece together something decent.
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When I learned about Modsy, I was thrilled!
What is Modsy?
Modsy offers online interior design. Their team of expert designers works with you through chat, video, and photos to help you create the spaces you have dreamed about. Modsy is an affordable way to work with a professional design expert to reimagine each room in your home. And, there is zero risk because if you don't find a design that you love, they will refund your money. Here are a few things they provide:
- Show you how new paint colors will look in each room
- Visualizations of your planned changes, like new flooring, adding built-ins, new countertops, etc
- Furniture reconfigurations
- Design recommendations including product lists
What Modsy Isn't
Since Modsy is 100% virtual and completely affordable, there are some limitations.
- Renovations. If you are planning to renovate your space, you can communicate any structural or finishes changes to Modsy and they can include it as part of their 3D renderings. However, with their traditional packages, their designers were unable to recommend structural changes or material recommendations. They have just released an early access Renovation package on a limited basis. If you want in, request access now because they aren't approving everyone who applies.
- Commercial Use. If you are a real estate agent, you may want to use Modsy to stage your new listing. However, at this time, Modsy isn't available for commercial use.
- Outside of the US. Currently, Modsy is only available in the 48 contiguous United States. I would love to see this service available in Canada, so hopefully they will expand.
If your design project falls under these three categories, Modsy may not be a good fit for you, sadly.
Is Modsy Online Interior Design Service Right for Me?
If you are looking for an affordable way to design your home, Modsy may be the perfect option for you. However, it's not the right choice for everyone. Some homeowners may have more success working with an in-home interior designer or a realtor that does staging services. Modsy works well in the following situations:
- You just moved into your new home and need help with paint colors and furniture placement.
- There are a couple of rooms in your home that are dated and need to be reimagined.
- Your home is being listed for sale and you need to spruce it up for showings.
- You need help with interior design, but you have a tight budget.
When I decided to list my home for sale, I bought the Modsy Luxe Package and my fantastic designer helped me rearrange my existing furniture and place a few new pieces of furniture to make the home look warm and inviting to prospective buyers. It was a great investment and paid off, because my real estate photos looked great and I received multiple offers on my home.
How Does Modsy Work?
The Modsy service allows you to customize your home virtually using augmented reality technology and virtual rooms. The premise is to make interior design accessible to everyone. So, how does it actually work?
Scan Your Room
Using the Modsy app, use your mobile device to scan your room. Your room can be filled with furniture, boxes, clutter, whatever. Modsy can remove all that stuff when they create the 3D version of your space. Scanning can be tricky because you will have to walk the perimeter of the room while holding your mobile device towards the center of the room.
Take the Style Quiz
If you haven't already taken this cool quiz, you will during this step. The quiz will provide information to your designer about your interior design preferences, color palettes, etc. Although your designs will be loosely based on the quiz results, you can communicate directly with your designer about your preferences, as well.
Review Your First Draft Design
You will be so excited to open that email with your first draft 3D renderings. It is so thrilling to see your boring space transformed into a magazine worthy image. The 3D version of your rooms will include floor coverings, furnishings, and paint colors (if requested). You will have multiple angles to view so that you can truly conceptualize what the changes will look like in real life.
Here are a few examples of what you can expect.
Work on Revisions
Consider the first version a rough draft. Now you will work with your designer to perfect the room. Move things around, switch out furniture, change the wall color or floor covering- make as many changes as necessary until you are 100% happy with the result.
Go Shopping
Now that the 3D rendering is perfect, it is time for the best part- shopping! All of the furnishings shown in the rendering will be loaded up into a cart for purchase. You can buy what you want and remove what you don't want. If you prefer to shop on your own for similar furnishings, you can do that. You are not obligated to purchase any furnishings from Modsy. But, they make it easy if you decide to shop with them.
Here are some of the brands Modsy will recommend.
Everyone deserves to have a home with functional and stylish spaces. With Modsy, professional interior design isn't just for the rich and famous anymore.