E-design -what it is and how to make it work for you

As we navigate through another lockdown, I’m again reminded of how out of control this whole situation feels, how it’s so important to have goals, to keep busy and to come out of this with something, however small, achieved.

Staying at home, the options are limited, right? Wrong! In reality, lots of us have never been busier; baking cakes, meditating, working-out, wine tasting, reading, podcasts etc etc. But maybe the biggest obsession has been with our homes. Not shocking, the obsession has always been real, but now we actually have time to do something about it. Being home more, we can’t escape that cupboard door that drops every time we open it, that peeling paintwork on the stair bannister and how painting those bathroom tiles pink, cos the one off the telly did, was all kinds of wrong!

Our homes have never been more important, how they make us feel, how durable they are, how flexible the space is, how practical the space is. We need our home to be our sanctuary!

So, after a deep clean and an exhausted DIY to-do list what more can you do yourself? This is the point at which a design professional can push you forward and help you to really nail that look you’re after. E-design, also known as virtual or online design, has been around for a while now and growing in popularity over the past few years. It may seem like pie in the sky for most people to have a designer work with them, but this is where e-design comes into its own. It makes interior design both affordable and unintimidating.

With prices starting at around £150 per room, depending on the level of help you need, it brings design to the masses. Of course, there are many price points and levels of service, but it generally works like this:

• Complete a questionnaire outlining your needs and your style
• Measure up the space as per the instructions
• Photograph the space as directed
• Have a call or video chat with a designer to pin down your design needs
• Wait patiently for a couple of weeks for your design to arrive
• Shop from the products suggested for you and follow the to-do list to bring your design to life
• Ask your designer questions along the way

Concept board with products to buy - Image - Ida May Interiors

If you’re exhausted just reading this, it’s probably not for you! But if you feel excited and ready to get stuck in, you may just be the perfect fit.

I won’t lie, you will need to be very hands on throughout the process. If you love the idea of having a designer home, but just struggle to put your ideas into motion or you just need that added security of having a professional at hand to bounce your ideas off of, e-design is the perfect solution. But even if you have absolutely no clue of where to start or what you want, you’ll be surprised by how having that support and following a process will unleash your creativity! I believe we all have our own specific style, some of us just don’t know it yet!

Already a mainstream service in the US, online design in the UK has seen a big uptake since the first lockdown. For some, there is just no replacement for having a real person come to your home and take charge of the whole design process, but for others e-design offers a way of achieving a designer look for a fraction of the cost.

If you do decide to go ahead and give e-design a go, find a designer who’s look you love and have a quick chat to check exactly what the design package includes. The service can vary a lot, with some being much more automated and less personalised, so it’s worth checking how much you’ll get to chat to an actual designer. Like many other designers, I offer three e-design packages to suit different needs and budgets, but whatever package you chose, the process is always collaborative and fun.

But my biggest piece of advice would be to give as much information as you can to the designer at the beginning of the process because you will be limited to how many times you can contact them and whats-apping at 2am to change your favourite colour probably won’t be an option.

So, set aside the time, decide on your budget, start collecting images online and from magazines that you love, and stay focused on the job because the more you put into the process, the more you’ll get out of it!

Thanks for reading!

Ida May