8 Virtual Interior Design Services You Have to Try

Virtual interior design is having a bit of a moment, and it's easy to see why. Confronted with significantly more time (and more time to contemplate) at home than we anticipated, many of us are coming to the realization that it's high time to make a home office happen, or give the living room some much-needed updates, or … you get the idea.

That's where this kaleidoscopic array of 21st-century design experts comes in. If you're interested in brainstorming with a pro, then setting off on your own with the details you'll need to DIY, we can suggest a service for that. If you'd prefer to book a consultation that leads to a one-and-done, shoppable rendering of your all-new space, we can suggest a service for that, too. If you're somewhere in between, well, read on to see what's on offer now and what'll best suit you.

Founded by Shanna Tellerman, a technology startup veteran who found herself climbing the walls when she couldn't make sense of how furniture purchases would look in her new home, Modsy is known for the ultrarealistic, 3D design renderings its team creates (based on photos and answers to a multiple-choice style quiz). Its $89-and-up packages include interactive, eye-level and bird's-eye-view room designs featuring products from more than 100 retailers. Users have the ability to rearrange layouts and swap in new pieces — and send their designs off for feedback from friends and family — in seconds. Once you've decided which pieces are must-have purchases, their concierge team will help with the logistics of ordering and shipping them to you.

Think of CB2's virtual room design offerings as Modsy's half-siblings: for a lower entry price of $49 (or $99 for a package that includes direct access to a stylist and personalized design tips), you'll upload photos of your space, answer a style quiz, and receive two Modsy-caliber, rearrangable-and-swappable 3D renderings of your space with CB2 products chosen by in-house stylists. If you've got a hunch that your next interior buy or buys will come from CB2, these design packages are the ideal way to shop from home: your design fee will be credited back toward merchandise you purchase once you've rearranged and swapped to your heart's content.

Celebrating its first birthday this June, newcomer Spacejoy is an attractive option for users who fancy both a budget-friendly starting price point (you'll pay $49 for their Bliss package, which includes one 3D-rendered concept that a designer will revise twice with revisions from you) and add-on bells and whistles (the $99 and $149 packages include perks like window treatments, pre-loaded and viewable Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paint recommendations and live design revisions via Spacejoy's app). Spacejoy's designers also pride themselves on a streamlined process: once they have your project details, you can expect a finalized design 7-12 days later, depending on which package you purchase.

Both high-tech and pleasingly old-school, RoomLift is the digital-then-analog love child of designer Megan Hersch's decade of experience running a traditional, full-service design firm. The "a la carte, mail-order design solution" she developed for online clients begins with a thorough questionnaire that gathers everything from photos of pieces you already own and would like to keep in your space to your decorating style (based on RoomLift's Pinterest inspiration pages — these packages are well-suited to design-savvy users who want know-how that builds on what they know they like). Once you purchase a package (beginning at two designs for one room for $695), the RoomLift team will compile a bespoke box containing everything from floor plans and paint and wallpaper samples to shopping lists; after it arrives and you've had a chance to mull over their suggestions, you'll have a 15-minute call to discuss them in detail.

Decorist offers the A-list access associated with traditional collaboration with an interior designer at rates that reflect the relative ease of virtual contact. Each of its three design packages includes two design concepts, a final design, floor plans, a shopping list and complimentary ordering service; its $299-per-room and $599-per-room levels each pair you with a designer you'll be able to message directly (those rates are for "rising stars" and "designers with extensive portfolios," respectively), and its $1,299-per-room Celebrity tier secures you the services of a "household name" designer with a signature look (and a personal liaison to coordinate with you throughout the design process). Want to dip your toe in Decorist's talent pool before committing to a package? Send the pros a question (or browse the advice) at the site's free Design Bar.

CEO and principal designer Amanda M. Amato specializes in full-service, in-person projects that draw upon her training in design psychology and as a feng shui specialist; AMA Designs & Interiors' Virtual Design tailors that expertise to your location and project size. At $250, the up-to-90-minute Virtual Design Consultation (based on photos of your space that you provide beforehand) is a good choice for DIYers in search of advice and initial guidance and clients who want to test the waters before diving into a design package (which starts at $500 per room).

If you're interested in a virtual design package that gives you the opportunity to audition multiple pros, consider Decorilla. For a flat fee (which starts at $449 per room), you'll submit pictures of your space and provide pointers via a design quiz, then choose between concepts from two experienced designers. The Decorilla team points out that those design fees have the potential to pay for themselves, since they pass the professional discounts they receive from more than 250 vendors on to their customers through the items they recommend in their finalized designs.