The 7 Best Online Interior Design Services for Custom Style Advice

Best Overall

Decorilla

View on Decorilla.com

Decorilla stands out from the crowd for its full-service offerings and customized approach. We love that they work with you from start to finish, based on your specific needs. The option for an initial in-home consultation particularly stood out to us, as their team can get a sense of what your home is actually like beyond the photos you provide.

The process starts with receiving custom proposals from two designers based on your room preferences and style inspiration. Then, you choose your favorite concept. We love that you are in constant contact with your assigned designer after choosing your concept. They provide everything including mood boards, floor plans, color palettes, and a 3D rendering of the space that is reviewed and revised based on your needs.

One of Decorilla’s strengths is that they have relationships with over 350 vendors, and provide exclusive discounts of up to 45 percent. This does mean you’re limited to using these vendors; however, you can save hundreds to thousands of dollars on furniture because of the partnerships. 

We also like that everything can be ordered and tracked through the website. Decorilla offers white glove concierge service, which never expires, for all the items—so you don’t have to break a sweat setting up your final furnishings. 

The project happens entirely on your schedule, and you can purchase items at your own pace or consult the Decorilla team to help with shopping. Unlike others in this roundup, we like that Decorilla offers in-person services like more home visits and shopping trips based on the level of plan you decide to go with—whether you opt for the standard bronze option or want more bells and whistles with their gold or platinum plans.

Best Budget

Havenly

View on Havenly.com

Want pro-designer advice without breaking the bank? Havenly is a solid option with practical services and tools. We love that, unlike Decorilla, Havenly allows you to view their full roster of designers and choose one that most aligns with your style.

The process starts by selecting and connecting with a designer, who you can then communicate with one-on-one via online messaging, texts, or calls. We like that even with the most basic plan (which costs less than $100), you get a personalized shopping list and ordering team. Havenly is partnered with hundreds of home brands, so you can easily shop and select furnishings through their site.

You’ll want to opt for the full package if you’d like to receive a custom 3D rendering and floor plan—as the basic package doesn’t include them. This allows you to see how your furniture will look in your space and ensure everything will fit, which is often worth the extra change. 

We like that you can make multiple revisions to the rendering and floor plan before landing on a final look. Plus, through the “Havenly Happiness Guarantee,” the company provides you with a new designer or refund if you’re not satisfied with the work—as long as you notify them within the specified time frame (which is 24 hours to a month, depending on what stage of the process you’re at).

Best All-in-One

roomLift

View on Roomlift.com

If you want to be more hands-on with your home, roomLift is an interactive service that allows you to be involved. You can opt for a full room makeover, an “accessoryLift” package for surface-level decorative changes, or a simple call for design advice. 

After sharing the inspiration and goals for your space, roomLift matches you with a designer who then works with you to create a mood board, select furnishings, and establish a vision for your room or rooms.

What makes this company unique is that they send you a “roomLift box” with fabric samples, color swatches, and even tile and textile samples. We love that this allows you to see what the different hues and textures look like in person, and how they feel in your space. 

The box also includes a suggested floor plan and product cards that detail what products you can buy. While you can’t purchase the items through roomLift itself, they provide information and links to buy them directly from the retailer, which can be cheaper than buying them through a third party like Havenly or Decorilla. 

From there, it’s up to you to get everything set up—so this service works best for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty with maneuvering furniture, painting walls, or the occasional DIY. Aside from the services offered, we appreciate that roomLift contributes one percent of every purchase to organizations like the ACLU and No Kid Hungry.

Best Quick Turnaround

SwatchPop!

View on Swatchpop.com

Looking for quick, specific style points? SwatchPop delivers a full design plan within three to five business days of submitting your preferences. We like how simple the service is from start to finish. You just fill out a questionnaire with different “pops” you want design advice for, like furniture selection, art, shelf accessories, or window treatments. Then, you upload photos of your space and inspiration, dimensions, and budget details. 

From there, they match you with a designer who will send you renderings and tips based on your needs. Unlike services such as Havenly or roomLift, you cannot contact the designer or receive personal calls. Rather, because of the fast turnaround, they take what you give them and run with it to give you fast design advice. There’s also less wiggle room to revise suggested designs.

Therefore, this service works best for those looking for more specific pointers in designated room areas, like choosing a paint color or deciding on lighting. The services are similar to what most interior decorators offer, rather than all the services offered by a design team.

We like that the team provides you with a personalized shopping list for these pointers, with clickable links to make the ordering process easy. Plus, the price is fair for what the service provides.

Best 3D Room Designs

Stuccco

View on Stuccco.com

Not seeing how furniture will actually look in your space is a rightful fear for people who opt for online design services. However, with 3D renderings, you can get pretty close to the real thing. We especially like Stuccco for its realistic 3D designs that include shoppable links. 

You simply hover over a piece of furniture on the rendering and the retailer’s logo will appear, which you then click to lead you to the specific product. A clickable shopping list is included separately, plus a floor plan and design instructions.

The entire process takes up to 14 days to complete once you are assigned to a designer. You choose the designer from a selection of three that Stuccco picks out based on your needs, so you don’t get to see the full roster of portfolios beforehand. However, we like that you stay in contact with your designer throughout the process via Zoom or email to exchange feedback and inspiration. 

Another bonus is that there are unlimited free revisions offered. You’ll just want to note that revisions must be returned within three business days of receiving the design, otherwise the project will be marked as complete.

Best Online Consultations

The Expert

View on Theexpert.com

If you just have a few questions but don’t need a complete makeover, an online consultation call can be just what you need. We like The Expert, as you receive quality advice from a roster of award-winning designers. Most of the available designers specialize in higher-end homes, so an hour-long call typically rings in at a couple hundred dollars. However, because they have so much experience, you’re getting some of the best design advice in the field.

We like that with The Expert, you can choose a time length that best works for you. Most designers offer 25- or 55-minute-long calls. We also appreciate that you’re face-to-face, as the calls happen through Zoom. 

You’re not going to get a 3D rendering or mood board from this consultation call, which you receive from services like Havenly or SwatchPop. However, some designers will provide product recommendations and furniture placement advice based on your questions.

Best Free

Crate & Barrel Design Desk

View on Crate And Barrel

A free interior design service might sound too good to be true—but we can assure you, it exists! Crate & Barrel provides cost-free virtual offerings (and in-home and in-store consultations), where you can speak one-on-one with a design professional. 

You guide them through your space on a call, and they can provide you with custom mood boards and floor plans based on your vision. We love that they even offer realistic 3D renderings, so you can envision what your space will look like with new furnishings. 

The brand notes that there’s no pressure or purchase required for the appointment, although we imagine there is probably some encouragement—after all, the designer will likely recommend products and materials offered by Crate and Barrel. You also won’t have an ongoing relationship with the designer, unlike with paid services in the vein of Stuccco, since it’s a one-time appointment.