This Online Service Gets Designers to Compete to Revamp Your Space
That living room of yours is due for an upgrade. From the half-finished paint job to the garage sale coffee table, it might finally be time to get serious about your living space. But where do you start? Answer: With Laurel + Wolf, an online interior design service powered by a select group of top notch designers. For a flat fee, you’ll receive multiple designs for your sartorially slacking space along with all the information required to bring the plans to life.
Remember when we told you about Windsor Smith’s Room in a Box? Well this is kind of like that but with more options… and a contest! Yep, that’s right — a contest. The process starts with a style quiz where your taste is determined by marking whether you “love or leave” photographs of different rooms and furniture pieces. Next, you’ll fill out a design brief where you explain the details about your space, upload photographs and point out any pieces you want to keep.
Then you’ll pick a design package. For $199, three designers will review your information and recommend accessories. For $299, five designers compete to completely redo your space. And if you’re ready to go full Nate Berkus on this thing, for $499, the company’s top designers will compete, and the winning designer will purchase all of the items for you.
And voila! Your “contest” is launched. But don’t let the wording fool you. This isn’t like that time you tried to win a trip to Hawaii. You’ve already won. No matter what, you’re walking away with plans for a Pinterest-approved space. The contest aspect is more on the designers’ end. They submit style boards which show what your room will look like with their selection of products and accessories. Each board is made up of products available online and takes into account your taste and the information provided on your design survey.
But what’s stopping the designers from curating a room filled with a $5,000 couch and a handmade rug from Peru? Laurel and Wolf guarantee that each will stay under whatever budget you specify in the initial design brief (with the exclusion of taxes and shipping, which, keep in mind, can get pretty costly when it comes to furniture).
After you’ve received the initial boards, there is a week long revision period in which you communicate with the designers telling them what you like and don’t like. (If you let a couple Tim Gunn inspired, “Make it work, designers!” slip we don’t blame you). Maybe you’re sent a board and it’s love at first sight. In that case, go ahead and cut the contest short and declare a winner. If none of the designs strike your fancy, you can launch a new contest or even get your money back. Once the contest is over, you’ll receive the winning style board, a furniture plan, shopping list and instructions from your winning designer.
Laurel and Wolf’s service is like a digitally savvy way to finally get the chance to work with an interior designer without breaking the bank. And knowing we can do it all while in footie pajamas? We’re sold.
Would you trust Laurel and Wolf to revamp your space? Tell us below!