Choosing an online interior design service can be overwhelming, but Decorist and Modsy simplify the choice by offering two distinct approaches. Decorist focuses on a personalized, collaborative process connecting you with a professional designer for custom mood boards and shopping lists. Modsy, on the other hand, centers its experience on advanced 3D visualization technology, allowing you to see a photorealistic rendering of your redesigned space before you buy anything.
Let's examine everything you need to know to choose the right online design service for your home.
Decorist: The Personalized Online Design Service
Decorist is an online interior design service that connects clients with professional designers to create custom room designs on a flexible budget. It’s ideal for homeowners and renters who want direct access to a designer's expertise for creating mood boards, floor plans, and curated shopping lists without the cost of a traditional consultation.
- Product mix: Personalized digital interior design services for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and home offices. Packages range from simple consultations to full-room makeovers.
- Style/vibe: Extremely versatile, catering to a wide range of tastes from modern and minimalist to bohemian and traditional. The process is tailored to your specific style and preferences.
- Price point: Packages typically begin around $169 for smaller projects and can range from $250 to $600 for more comprehensive room designs.
- Design process: The experience is collaborative. You provide photos, measurements, and style inspiration, and your assigned designer creates initial concepts and mood boards for your approval before finalizing a design and shopping list.
- Key feature: The direct collaboration with a professional interior designer ensures a tailored and personal touch, complete with a satisfaction guarantee and revision options.
- Shopping Experience: You receive a finalized shopping list with direct links to purchase furniture and decor from well-known retailers, simplifying the entire buying process.
Decorist is a great fit for anyone who wants professional, one-on-one design guidance and values a personal, iterative creative process.
Learn about Decorist: decorist.com
Modsy: The 3D Visualization Expert
Modsy stands out in the online interior design world with its powerful 3D visualization technology. The service transforms photos of your actual room into a realistic 3D model, allowing you to "try on" furniture and see exactly how your redesigned space will look before making any commitments. This visual-first approach builds shopper confidence and helps prevent costly mistakes.
- Product mix: Online interior design services featuring high-realism 3D renderings. Services are tailored for various rooms and style preferences.
- Style/vibe: Highly adaptable across numerous styles, including contemporary, mid-century modern, coastal, and eclectic. The 3D view helps clients better grasp how different styles will translate into their home.
- Price point: Design packages start around $159 for basic concepts, with premium options that include more detailed designs costing up to $299 or more.
- Design process: You start with a style quiz and submit photos of your room. Your designer then creates a 3D rendering of your space filled with shoppable furniture and decor, allowing you to swap items and see changes in real time.
- Key feature: The immersive 3D walkthrough is Modsy's main selling point. It removes guesswork, especially regarding scale and layout.
- Shopping Experience: The entire shopping experience is integrated into the 3D model. You can click on any item in your virtual room to purchase it directly from the retailer.
Modsy is built for visual people who want the security of seeing a lifelike preview of their designed space, ensuring every piece fits perfectly.
Learn about Modsy: modsy.com
Decorist vs. Modsy Comparison
Price Comparison
Both Decorist and Modsy are competitively priced and offer significant value compared to traditional interior design. Decorist starts at $169 for its most basic packages, with more comprehensive plans costing between $250-$600. Modsy is slightly more affordable to start, with packages beginning at $159 and premium options running up to $299.
The "better" value depends on your priorities. If you value a more hands-on, collaborative process with potential for multiple revisions, Decorist may justify its slightly higher package costs. If your primary goal is to visualize the outcome and avoid measurement mistakes, the powerful 3D tech from Modsy provides immense value for its price point.
Style & Aesthetic
Both platforms can accommodate virtually any interior design style you prefer. Their initial processes involve questionnaires or style quizzes to pinpoint your taste, whether it's eclectic, traditional, minimalist, or something in between.
The main difference is in the presentation. Decorist communicates style through curated mood boards, fabric swatches, and inspirational photos, giving you a creative vision board. Modsy translates that style into an interactive 3D model, showing you exactly how a "coastal" or "mid-century modern" aesthetic will render in your specific room with your lighting and architecture.
Design Process & Quality
Both services connect you with professionally trained interior designers who act as your guide. The quality of furnishings recommendations is comparable, as both pull products from popular and reputable retailers like West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel.
Where they diverge is the core deliverable. The Decorist process feels more traditional and relationship-based, focused on feedback loops and perfecting mood boards. The quality of the outcome depends heavily on the synergy between you and your designer. Modsy’s process is centered on technology. The output is a stunningly realistic digital twin of your room, focusing on visual accuracy and removing ambiguity about fit and feel.
Fit & Sizing
This is where Modsy has a clear advantage. Its 3D renderings are built to scale based on your room's measurements, providing an accurate preview of how every piece of furniture will fit. This is exceptionally helpful for tricky layouts, small spaces, or when deciding between a sofa and a sectional. You can see clearances and traffic flow before you spend a dime.
Decorist designers are trained in space planning and provide professional 2D layout suggestions to optimize your room. While effective, it still requires you to visualize the space from a top-down diagram, leaving more room for interpretation.
Shopping Experience
Both platforms offer a streamlined shopping journey. Decorist delivers a final design with a curated shopping list that includes direct links to each retailer. It’s an easy and organized way to make your purchases on your own time.
Modsy offers a highly interactive shopping platform. You can click on items you like directly within your 3D design to get details or add them to your cart. This integration makes the transition from design to purchase feel instantaneous and intuitive.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends entirely on how you prefer to visualize and execute a project. Both services offer excellent access to professional design at an accessible price point.
Choose Decorist if:
- You value a structured, collaborative relationship with an interior designer.
- You feel creatively inspired by mood boards and curated style guides.
- You are confident in reading 2D floor plans and visualizing space on your own.
- You want professional guidance but prefer managing the final purchasing yourself.
Choose Modsy if:
- You are a visual person who needs to "see it to believe it."
- You're worried about furniture not fitting or looking right in your room.
- You enjoy a tech-forward, interactive experience, like a styling video game for your home.
- You want to experiment with different layouts and products in a virtual environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Decorist or Modsy cheaper?
Modsy has a slightly lower starting price point at around $159, while Decorist starts around $169. However, more comprehensive packages from Decorist can extend higher than Modsy's premium offerings. Overall, they are very competitively priced with each other.
Which service has a better design process?
Neither is "better" - they simply cater to different preferences. Decorist offers a more classic, collaborative process with personalized mood boards. Modsy offers a tech-driven process centered on realistic 3D renderings of your actual room.
Can I use my existing furniture?
Yes, both services allow you to incorporate your existing furniture into the new design. Modsy especially excels here, as it can create 3D models of your current pieces to show how they'll work alongside new items.
How long does the design process take?
Typically, the initial design concepts from either service arrive within 1-2 weeks. The total timeline depends on how many revisions you request and how quickly you provide feedback to a designer.
Do I have to buy the furniture they recommend?
No. Both services provide a shoppable list of recommendations, but you are never obligated to purchase anything. You can use their designs purely for inspiration or buy items over time as your budget allows.
Which service is better for small or awkwardly shaped rooms?
While designers from both services are skilled at space planning, Modsy has a distinct edge for tricky spaces. Its ability to create a scaled 3D model allows you to virtually test furniture arrangements and guarantee a perfect fit before buying.
Who actually designs my room?
Both Decorist and Modsy employ professionally trained interior designers and stylists. You are matched with a real person who reviews your questionnaire and photos to create a personalized design for your space.
Is there a satisfaction guarantee?
Yes, both services ensure you are happy with the end result. Decorist highlights its satisfaction guarantee and offers revisions. Modsy's iterative design process allows you to request changes and see them updated in your 3D model until it feels right.
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