What is the difference between Full-Service Design and Virtual Design?

Bergen county interior design

Bergen County, NJ Interior Design - Designed by AMA Designs & Interiors. Photography by Mariah Texidor

What is the Difference Between Full-Service Design and Virtual Design?

If you have been researching an Interior Designer for your project, you may have seen the terms Full-service, Turn-key Design, E-Design, or Virtual Design. These industry terms are different tiers of service and appeal to Clients at two different price points. If you are confused what is the difference between Full-Service Design and Virtual Design, this post is for you.

Before we dive into the difference between full-service design and virtual design, let’s define each service.

What is Full-Service Design?

Full-Service Design (or turn-key design) allows the interior design firm to manage your project from the initial concept all the way through to completion. This includes sourcing all the necessary furnishings and materials, procuring merchandise on your behalf, tracking open orders, reporting status updates to you weekly, coordinating installations and deliveries, overseeing installations/deliveries, and managing trades to execute the final design. The designer handles all the design work so you can enjoy the finer things in life. At AMA Designs, we deliver turn-key designs, which means that we execute the final design all the way from inside-home delivery to having your room accessorized. We include professional styling in our service as it’s the last and most important layer to make your home feel complete. We know how your bookcase and coffee table should be styled, so we do it for you! When we’re done transforming your space, all you have to do is turn the key to your home and enjoy!

What is Virtual Design?

Virtual Design (also known as E-Design or Online Design) allows the interior design firm to design your space virtually but you are responsible for executing the design. At AMA Designs, we develop an individualized conceptual design, renderings, layout, source all the furnishings, provide the source links to purchase and give the step-by-step plan to implement your design. Since you are managing and executing your project, you can dictate the pace at which you want to go.

VISUAL COMPARISON: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FULL-SERVICE AND VIRTUAL DESIGN

what is the difference between full-service and virtual design

The key difference between full-service interior design and virtual design is that we manage your project from the initial concept and execute the project through to completion, whereas in virtual design the execution is your responsibility. The graphic above visually outlines the deliverables that we take care of for you and what is included in our full-service design.

WHO IS A GOOD FIT FOR EACH SERVICE?

FULL-SERVICE DESIGN

  • You are a busy professional who wants a beautifully designed space but doesn't have the time or bandwidth to do it yourself

  • You want to elevate your home and would rather put trust into the professionals to get the job done instead of attempting on your own

  • You would like to renovate your space and would like a professional to manage the entire project from the initial design concept through to completion

VIRTUAL DESIGN

  • You enjoy the convenience of online shopping but want professional guidance to prevent mistakes, multiple returns, and ensure that you are buying the right size furniture

  • You value having a professional designer guide and provide the steps to effectively implement the design on your own

  • You would like a room professionally designed by AMA Designs but favor the affordability of E-Design

  • You live outside of the New Jersey area and would like a space designed by AMA Designs

Ready to elevate your space?