We Try out the App That Digitally Arranges Your Furniture With Just a Picture

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Category: Home Decorating

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As DIY’ers and decorators, there’s nothing we love more than an empty room just begging to be styled and filled with beautiful pieces. But some rooms can be a little tricky. Do you put the couch over here? Or maybe you need a small table over there? It can be hard to visualize how pieces will work in a space, especially when you’re starting with a blank canvas. Plus, if you’re buying a few new pieces of furniture, it can be difficult to tell if they’ll really fit and work well in the space. No one wants to purchase a dresser only to find out that it’s actually way too big or small.

An Online Tool to Help You Arrange Furniture

Luckily, there’s a new tool out there that takes all of the guesswork out of the arranging furniture process. It’s called Modsy, and this growing service is changing the game for decorators… but also for new homeowners trying to decide on new furniture or anyone else who has a room that needs some TLC.

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Essentially, you can “try on” certain layouts in your specific space in order to visualize how it will work in that room before you move things around, or before you buy anything new. The service costs about $70 (which isn’t exactly free), but in the long run, it may help you avoid design regret (like when you buy a piece that simply doesn’t work for the room), leaving you with a space that is much more functional for your home.

Here’s how it works: You send over photos of your space, some measurements and details on both your vision and style. They then send over a professional 3D rendering with a 360-degree visualization tool.

Real Life Spaces Using Modsy

When we first heard of Modsy, we weren’t quite sold. How could it actually work? But then we saw that a few of our friends in the blogosphere used this service when working on room makeovers. We could hardly believe these photos…

Photo by Bower Power Blog; 3D Rendering of Bedroom via Modsy

Above is the 3D rendering of our friend Katie Bower’s bedroom. She used Modsy to visualize the furniture setup in her bedroom before buying all of the pieces.

Here’s what that space now looks like in real life…

Photo by Bower Power Blog

Pretty crazy, right?! Here’s another one.

Photo by Chris Loves Julia; 3D Rendering of Room via Modsy

Above is the 3D rendering from Chris Loves Julia’s nursery. Below is how the actual room turned out.

Photo by Chris Loves Julia

Let’s Give It a Try

We’re currently working on a living room makeover for a friend, and their tricky living room layout had us questioning where exactly we should place all of the furniture in the space. So we figured this was the perfect time to give Modsy a try and find the most functional livingroom layout. Here is how the website lays out their service:

After setting up an account on our phones, we sent in photos and measurements and they then gave us a blank room to review. 

Because we weren’t totally sure on the style we wanted for the space, we had them give us two design options. One was a bit more glam and feminine, the other a bit more contemporary. This was their interpretations:

We ended up loving the second design, and realized how easily a sectional could fit in the space! We also didn’t realize we would have enough room to add a bookshelf next to the couch, and this helped us view the space in a whole new light. 

This was another rendering from a different angle. We were able to plug-in a few pieces that the homeowners already own to make sure they could continue to work in the room. 

In the end, we were left with a functional layout that we’re confident will work as we help to design this room. It actually worked! While we still have a-ways to go with their space, we are both so excited to get to work and bring this vision board to life.

You Too Can Master the Art of Arranging Furniture

As two gals who can’t seem to get enough of home design and decor, we were incredibly impressed with this visualization tool. Here are our takeaways:

Pros:

  • Surprisingly easy to use
  • Slick, modern app design
  • 3D renderings are professionally done and easy to grasp (and amazing to look at!)

Cons:

  • It ain’t cheap. $70 per rendering (and $199 to include an adviser!)
  • It takes a little over a week to get renders and operates within business hours, so plan ahead
  • Recommended furniture through Modsy store can be great, but also a bit sales-y

If you’re struggling to decorate your new home, we hope you’ll give this tool a try. Hopefully, it will help you determine the best layout for the rooms throughout your home while providing you with design inspiration that is specific to your taste. Plus, you may even gain some confidence when it comes time to buy new pieces of furniture in your space, because you can try before you buy! Happy decorating!

DIY Tricks to Make Sure You Have the Best Dorm Room

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Category: College Moves

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We recently shared a list of the essentials (and not so essential items) to bring with you to college. Today, we’re taking things up a notch with dorm room ideas that really personalize your room and make it one-of-a-kind.  When every dorm room looks almost identical, it may seem impossible to really put your personal touch on this space. But these DIY room decor ideas will make your dorm the best one in your hall!

Make a Bulletin Board Out of an Old Shutter

Dorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - Shutter Bulletin Board

Why buy a generic magnet or bulletin board from a big box store when you can create a unique piece instead? We found an old shutter from Habitat for Humanity Restore and spray painted half of it white, then the other half teal. Then we bought some clothes pins to tack up cute photographs and notes.

Hang this on your dorm room wall or simply lean it on top of a dresser for a one-of-a-kind picture board that is bound to stand out to anyone who walks by your door.

Cover the Ugly Beige Walls With a Tapestry
Dorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - Cover those Dorm Walls

So many dorm room walls are a yucky beigey-yellow color. Not the most flattering color in the world, and it’s certainly not something you can change (no painting allowed!). We suggest covering those lackluster walls with a giant wall tapestry. You can find some great ones online (we love this one!) and you can use command hooks to hang it from the ceiling. The best part is a large chunk of your wall will be covered and you won’t have to stare at anything boring all year-long.

Use Washi Tape to Jazz up Your Door

Dorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - Door Designs
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Washi Tape is the stuff of legend. The fact that it leaves minimal residue means it’s perfect for designs, lettering or anything else creative you can put your mind to. Geometric shapes like the one pictured are always attention grabbers, but sideways lettering or origami shapes look great too. For best results, grab a few different colors from the store.

You might have to ask your RA first before you start, or if you’re like us, ask for forgiveness instead – door designs are so cool and memorable once you see them that it’s hard to say no!

Marker Up a Personal Doormat for the HallwayDorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - DIY Personalized Doormat

This is a project we love for homes, apartments and yes.. .even dorm rooms! Take a plain doormat and carefully add a personalized message using a sharpie marker. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing: Write “Dorm Sweet Dorm”, write your room number or even write the initials for you and your roomie. Get creative with this simple DIY project and you’ll be proud to put this doormat in the hallway for all of your guests to marvel over!
Here’s the full tutorial for this one.

Play Scrabble on Your Mini FridgeDorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - Scrabble on the Mini Fridge

This DIY room decor project is one of our favorite dorm room ideas because it’s so budget-friendly. Simply take some small ceramic tiles (you can find them at a Habitat for Humanity Restore or your local home improvement store) and turn them into Scrabble tiles. Use a ceramic paint pen to write the letters and numbers directly onto the tile, and then glue a magnet on the back. Create a bunch of these for your mini fridge and you’ll have fun all semester playing large games of Scrabble right in your dorm room. Here’s the full tutorial for this easy DIY project.

Fake It Til You Make It with a Succulent PlanterDorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor - Succulent Planter

We truly believe every room looks better with a little greenery in it. But we get it… there’s probably no way you can keep any real plants alive and thriving in your tiny dorm room. Instead, use the ultimate “plant-hack”: faux succulent planter! Pick up some fake succulents (which look pretty real these days), a clear vase and some pebbles so you can create this succulent planter in minutes! Check out the full, simple tutorial for this one.
Dorm Room Ideas: DIY Room Decor
It’s the personal touches that make a space extra special. Stand out at college this year with some of these DIY projects and crafty dorm room ideas!
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