Interior designers move into cyberspace

on Tuesday,February 09,2010 20:02

To keep potential clients from relying on the advice of reality shows and decorating websites, some interior designers are fighting back by harnessing technology to reach their clients.

For example, Chicago-based decorators Courtney Davis and Lauren Paradise have created a fully virtual service called Kelly + Olive, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Named after the designers'' favorite shades of green, the one-year-old company has already provided decorating advice via e-mail, text and photo sharing to clients in areas such as New York and Southeast Asia.

For a $250 fee, the decorators will create a personalized mood board for their clients by analyzing a questionnaire and examining photographs of their space. The five- to seven-page virtual presentations provide suggestions for furniture, accessories, layouts and hyperlinks that show customers where they can purchase each product.

In addition, the designers provide instantaneous advice via text for $30 per hour while clients shop at some of the women''s preferred retailers, which include Urban Outfitters, Athrolpologie and Garnet Hill.

Similar services are offered by Design Service Online, which creates virtual packages that include furniture layouts, paint colors and decorating tips in a virtual format. The cost of these profiles begins at $250 per room.