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My Modsy Story: A New Marriage Deserves a New Design

Newlyweds Liza and Dave were ready to merge their styles into one new design, but they were nervous about making a big purchase that wouldn’t work out.

Homeowners: Liza and Dave

Location: San Francisco, CA

Room: A living/dining room combo in need of a refresh

Their Style: Atomic Industrial

The Backstory

After their marriage, these newlyweds were ready to embrace a mutual aesthetic

Although my husband Dave and I just got married about a year ago, we’ve actually lived together for several years. Luckily for us, we’re pretty accomplished at merging our styles and furniture into one space. After our wedding, we decided it was time to change things up and design a new space that reflected this huge step in our lives.

new design

Liza and Dave’s Space Before

The Design Dilemma

Too much of a good thing

Dave and I were in agreement about our design goals, and we decided to focus on giving our living/dining space a fresh look. I enjoy home design and wanted to be super hands-on with the process, but found it surprisingly difficult to envision how all the different pieces of furniture would look together in our space.

“I found it surprisingly difficult to envision how all the different pieces of furniture would look together in our space.”

We were also a bit nervous about buying new furniture only to discover our space might feel too cramped. What we really needed was to see the design before committing to any changes.

Liza and Dave’s Modsy Design 8

The Modsy Moment

The friend connection

Luckily, one of my good friends actually works at Modsy and raves about the company all the time. A few other friends had told me about their positive experiences as well, so I was confident this would be the perfect solution for us.

Going into the process I was super excited and had zero skepticism. I think the company brings a really valuable piece to the design equation, as it’s so important to see how new furniture will look before spending more than a month’s rent!

Liza and Dave’s Modsy Design 8

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Liza and Dave

Building their confidence to make a major purchase

I immediately loved our Modsy designs. Our first had a layout that matched our existing one and our second design showed us something totally new. It was nice to see these options, and we would never have thought of the alternative layout if Modsy hadn’t suggested it.

Additionally, I loved that I got the chance to express my creativity by creating multiple designs on my own. I wound up with eight designs total, and the final one was my favorite. It truly encapsulated everything Dave and I wanted in our new space.

“Modsy helped me, and especially my husband, feel confident about making major furniture purchases.”

Modsy helped me, and especially my husband, feel confident about making major furniture purchases. We knew that each piece they suggested would not only fit in our living/dining room, but that they would also capture the look and feel of what we wanted for that space.

new design

The Real Results

New design ideas, realized

In the end, we decided to go with the new layout Modsy suggested. It was totally different than the layout we’d been living with before and we would never have thought of it on our own.

The furniture our designer suggested was also right on target with the style we were going for. I wanted to buy a couch and a dining table, and we ended up purchasing both from our final Modsy design. We got a round dining table (thanks to our designer’s suggestion!) instead of a rectangular one, which is another idea I never would have considered!

All in all, we saved so much time using Modsy as we didn’t have to shop around and struggle to find the right furniture pieces. Thanks Modsy for bringing our vision to life!

Peek inside Liza and Dave’s space now!

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How 5 Bloggers Designed 5 Different Rooms With Modsy

November 20, 2018/0 Comments/in Real Stories, Style Inspiration anika's diy, anika's diy life, bedroom, being able to see, chris loves, chris loves julia, cute and cohesive, diy life, home, home office, living room, love renovations, loves julia, master bedroom, practically functional, reality daydream, room, shared bedroom, shop her look, space /by Modsy

Bloggers! They’re just like us. Even those who write about design, decor, and home trends all day long can still struggle with actually brining their ideas to life. While every Instagram post might be #homegoals, it’s almost guaranteed that they too have at least one room that’s been a “work in progress” for years.

Sound familiar? Continue reading to peek inside the homes of 5 bloggers and see how they used Modsy to transform these challenging spaces once and for all.

A Living Room Revamp with Anika’s DIY Life

The Blog: Anika’s DIY Life

The Room: An asymmetrical living room

Her Style: Chic Collector

The Challenge: Turning this space from awkward to totally chic

Anika from Anika’s DIY Life loves sharing her home projects on her blog. But there’s one room in her house that’s been a complete head-scratcher forever. The culprit? Her living room!

The long space has not been easy to decorate, especially with it’s asymmetrical fireplace, so she never really shared the room with her readers.

Anika came to Modsy with a few key pieces she knew wanted to keep in the space but was looking for ideas on how to make it feel a bit less awkward and more refined. With the addition of some warm colors and a dining area, the room finally came to life!

“I have made mood boards in the past but nothing compares to actually being able to see the design like it was real and knowing exactly what will work in a space.”

Shop Her Look

Master Bedroom Planning with Love & Renovations

The Blog: Love & Renovations

The Room: Master bedroom

Her Style: Modern Rustic

The Challenge: A cramped bedroom that needed a refresh

Amanda and her husband Corey have struggled with their Master Bedroom for years. While the room is big, it felt cramped and they weren’t sure how to refresh the space.

Amanda said, “we want to add more to it to turn it into more of a retreat, but we’re worried that adding anything would just make it feel even smaller than it already does.”

Modsy Examples

After seeing some refreshed wall art, a sleeker and slimmer mirror, wall sconces that take up no floor space and plant life to liven up the room, Amanda was inspired! It’s amazing what a few key changes can do in a space to make it feel brand new.

Shop Her Look

Creative Kids Room Design with Reality DayDream

The Blog: Reality DayDream

The Room: A shared bedroom for their two daughters

Her Style: Mid-Century Chic

The Challenge: Designing a cute and cohesive space for two girls

Bethany and her husband recently purchased a phenomenal historic home in Iowa (seriously, check this house out). And while it has been a whirlwind of renovations and planning, one room they really wanted to finish was a shared bedroom for two of their daughters.

Two girls…easy right? Not so fast. Bethany explained that she was “really struggling with layout and how to fit ALL THE THINGS in this room with it still looking cute and cohesive.”

Modsy Examples She teamed up with Modsy to come up with a game plan. Bethany had a few things she knew they were keeping (like the bunk bed, rug and the bright orange chair) but outside of that needed cute and functional pieces and layout ideas!

The result? Colorful designs with ample space to play, study, and lounge. We can’t wait to see the final reveal.

Shop Her Look

Moody Home Office Makeover with 17Apart

The Blog: 17Apart

The Room: A bedroom turned home office

Her Style: Atomic Industrial

The Challenge: Reimagining their son’s old bedroom into a functional office

A well designed home office should bring peace, productivity and inspiration – right?

Unfortunately, that couldn’t be said about Tim and Mary’s office, which had been a “holding ground and storage space over the last several months.”

Modsy Examples

The space, which was originally a bedroom for their son, hadn’t evolved since he moved out.

Tim and Mary were huge fans of Chris Loves Julia, so when they heard about Modsy’s exclusive collection, they knew they had to sign up. They were most excited about seeing the office in a completely new way, and designed in a style they loved.

Shop the Chris Loves Julia x Modsy Collection

Bringing a Nursery to life with Practically Functional

The Blog: Practically Functional

The Room: A nursery for her second baby

Her Style: Rustic Warmth

The Challenge: Incorporating a hand-made crib and vintage dresser into a new nursery design.

With a baby on the way, Jessi was looking forward to creating a beautiful nursery but needed help putting all of her ideas together. She knew she wanted to keep the crib her father had made and a gorgeous old dresser, but otherwise she had no clue where to begin.

Modsy Examples

Being able to see those two pieces in her exact room (in 3D of course), alongside decor and other nursery staples recommended by Modsy was a total game-changer. Jessi loved the pastel color palette and open layout, making going to-and-from the crib as simple as possible.

Shop Her Look

You don’t have to be a blogger to have a beautiful home!

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My Modsy Story: How I Designed a Space Under Construction into a Cozy Home for Mom

November 16, 2018/0 Comments/in Real Stories brittany's modsy, brittany's modsy design, brittany's modsy design 2, carriage house, design 2, designing a space under construction, fun to see the possibilities, furniture without knowing, helpful and fun to see, identical to my actual space, invest in furniture, invest in furniture without knowing, look in the space, modsy, modsy design, modsy design 2, reluctant to invest, reluctant to invest in furniture, space, space under construction /by Modsy

Brittany was designing a space under construction into a home for her mom. See how she transformed the empty room into a gorgeous living area.

Homeowner: Brittany G, Interior & Architectural Photographer

Location: Florida

Room: An under-construction carriage house for mom

Her Style: Mod Visionary

The Backstory

Designing a space under construction into a comfortable home for mom

My design struggles began when my family took on the task of constructing a carriage house in our backyard. This was going to be for my mother to live in, so we wanted to make sure she had a space that felt homey and beautiful from day one.

designing a space under construction

Brittany’s Space Before

The Design Dilemma

Needing a design solution for an unfinished space, and needing it fast

The space I was designing was under construction, which made it so difficult to visualize as it only had subfloor and sheetrock. I didn’t know how to get started!

Mostly, I needed help figuring out the right layout for the living area, as it’s a fairly small room. I knew it could be an amazing space but I didn’t want it to feel overcrowded or too sparse.

Brittany’s Modsy Design 2

The Modsy Moment

Envisioning a bare space transformed into an inviting and elegant apartment for mom

I actually found out about Modsy through Instagram – I was scrolling through my feed and saw an ad that looked amazing!

I had some vague ideas about how to fill the room but was reluctant to invest in furniture without knowing how it would look in the space. So when I saw the ad, I knew the ability to design in 3D was exactly what I needed.

“I was reluctant to invest in furniture without knowing how it would look in the space… When I got my Modsy designs back, I was shocked! The renderings were identical to my actual space!”

Of course when I first started with Modsy, I was skeptical of liking the results and being able to implement them. But when I got my designs back, I was shocked! I didn’t expect to love the designs to much and had no idea the renderings would look so real – they were identical to my actual space!

Brittany’s Modsy Design 2 Top Down View

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Brittany

Figuring out how to outfit a small, empty space while it was under construction

The carriage house still had subfloor and no paint or cabinets when I sent the photos to Modsy. I couldn’t begin to imagine how it would look as a finished space. It was so helpful and fun to see the possibilities of how it could turn out!

From the start I knew that I wanted to have more seating than just a single couch, but I had no idea what we could fit without making it feel too cramped. Modsy helped us “try out” four different layouts in the space so we could see all of the options.

Brittany’s Modsy Design 2

“It was so helpful and fun to see the possibilities of how it could turn out… I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

Overall my second design was my favorite. Modsy suggested a couch plus two comfy chairs, which worked perfectly! We also needed to hang the TV on a specific wall so the layout and design direction turned out to be exactly what we were looking for! I couldn’t have done it on my own.

Brittany’s Modsy Design 2

The Real Results

Finding the ideal furniture layout for a small space

I loved being able to visualize and shop for the finished living room before construction was complete. My Modsy designs helped me get a head start on ordering furniture, which I loved because some items had a long lead-time.

Modsy definitely helped us turn our dreams of having a comfortable and beautiful space for my mom into reality. We set up the house almost identical to Design 2 and we are so happy with it! The 3D renderings definitely helped us settle on furniture, decor and layout and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

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My Modsy Story: New Apartment, New Furniture, and How it All Fit Together

October 11, 2018/0 Comments/in Real Stories alec's apartment, alec's modsy, alec's modsy design, alec's modsy design 2, apartment, apartment design, bed into my design, coffee table, design, design 2, dog bed, dog bed into my design, furniture, incorporated a dog, incorporated a dog bed, modsy, modsy design, modsy design 2, side chair, space /by Modsy

When he moved into his new apartment, Alec wanted to make sure all his furniture would fit before he made the commitment.

Homeowner: Alec O, Software Engineer

Location: Boston, MA

Room: Brand New High-Rise Apartment

His Style: Mod Visionary

The Backstory

A brand new apartment called for brand new furniture

When I moved into my new apartment I had a single sofa, a coffee table, and a lot of empty space to fill. I knew wanted to create a space to entertain friends and relax in. Having a small dining area as well as a space for a group to gather and watch TV was part of the plan. I was also planning to adopt a dog soon, so furniture that was pet-friendly was top-of-mind for me.

So with all that in mind, I knew I needed some more seating, a dining table, and functional lighting, but I wanted to figure out what the furniture looked like in the room before I bought anything.

Apartment design

Alec’s Apartment Before

The Design Dilemma

Struggling to imagine the possibilities without seeing it all together

Finding the right layout for my room and coordinating the colors of my furniture were super important to me. Since I was planning to purchase some quality foundational pieces, I wanted to make sure they all worked together before I bought anything.

The problem was I had a really difficult time visualizing how everything would look together. The art of pairing things, like a rug and artwork in the same room, totally escaped me – I just couldn’t imagine how it would look.

Alec’s Modsy Design 1

The Modsy Moment

When a word-of-mouth recommendation came at just the right time

A coworker of mine mentioned that he’d recently used Modsy to design his living room. He told me that it really helped him figure out whether or not everything would fit in his existing space.

At the time, I was set to move into my new place in a matter months, so I was eager to get a head-start on the apartment design process. I decided to give Modsy a go in the hopes that the service could help me plan a layout as well as figure out which new pieces to get.

I’ll admit I was a little unsure about the whole thing – I wasn’t convinced they could really recreate my room virtually, and I wasn’t quite sure how much furniture they’d have available for me to choose from.

Alec’s Modsy Design 2

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Alec

Discovering new layout, color, and accent ideas to create his own apartment design

It turned out that Modsy was able to recreate a perfect 3D version of my room, and I was impressed by how lifelike the renderings were. I loved the colors in my first design and I how my designer took my suggestions into consideration when creating the space.

For example, I mentioned that I was getting a puppy and I thought it was cute that they incorporated a dog bed into my design.

Alec’s Modsy Design featuring a “Wouf” dog bed

There were layout ideas in both designs that I would not have thought of on my own which was incredibly helpful.

“I mentioned that I was getting a dog and I thought it was cute that [my Modsy designer] incorporated a dog bed into my design.”

The 3D renders allowed me to see that I could fit an extra side chair in my living space, so I’d have more seating when I had people over. They also showed me I could fit entire dining set, which I hadn’t thought I’d have space for.

I also didn’t realize that I liked more of a blue color scheme with mid-century furniture, but my Modsy designs totally sold me on the look!

Alec’s Modsy Design 2

The Real Results

Welcoming new furniture – and a new puppy – into the mix

The first design worked best for me. I liked that it was functional but still had some style to it. I loved the layout and the use of brass and natural textures.

And while my initial set of designs didn’t 100% fit my style (I’d expected that I would need to make some tweaks), I ended up combining the two together to create my final design. I liked the organic textures from the first design so I kept the jute pouf, bird of paradise plant, and swapped in a side chair with a more natural weave.

Alec’s final Modsy Design

I also kept a lot of the brass accents from my second design, and I ended up getting the artwork from the that design as well. I also really liked the look of white ceramic accents so I pulled that into my final look too.

The visualization of the final space was super helpful when deciding what pieces to purchase. I bought most of the furniture in my final renderings, and was able to see how they looked with the sofa and coffee table I already owned (which, I found, were available in the Modsy 3D catalog).

Arthur, my new corgi pup, and I are enjoying breaking in the space together.

See Alec’s Apartment Design In Real Life!

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My Modsy Story: How I Balanced Raising My Baby and Designing My Living Room

October 10, 2018/0 Comments/in Real Stories design, designing, furniture, heavy lifting, home, know, living, living room, modsy, modsy design, monica's, monica's modsy, monica's modsy design, new home, new living, new living room, room, see, space, stop playing /by Modsy

When designing her new living room and caring for a newborn became overwhelming, Monica let Modsy step in to help with the heavy lifting.

Homeowner: Monica F, Editorial Director

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Room: Awkward Living Room in a New Home

Her Style: Atomic Industrial

The Backstory

Moving all her furniture from an apartment to a new home

When I first moved from my old apartment into a new home, I assumed that all of my old furniture would easily make the move with me. After all, we had more space, why wouldn’t it work?

Boy was I wrong. So wrong, in fact, that I had to replace almost everything.

Monica’s Living Room Before

The Design Dilemma

Trying to design her new living room and care for a newborn

What I really wanted was to turn our new living room into a family-friendly space that still looked like an adult home. But most importantly, I just didn’t know how to do all that while taking care of our first baby.

As a brand new mom, I found designing a home to be incredibly overwhelming. Just finding the time to browse furniture online was a challenge, let alone making sure it would all fit in our space.

What I really needed was someone to do the heavy lifting for me.

Monica’s Modsy Design 1

The Modsy Moment

When it all seemed too good to be true…

I saw Modsy in a subway ad and decided to look it up. I was shocked by how affordable it was. So affordable that I wondered if the designs would be really bad and cheap looking.

But holy cow, it was totally way better than I expected!

Monica’s Modsy Design 2

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Monica

Sometimes the best design solution is having someone else to do the heavy lifting

The most challenging thing about Modsy for me was trying to get myself to stop playing around with it for hours. It was really addicting!

I had planned on getting a neutral couch and had been looking for some comfortable chairs to go across from it. I didn’t think a couch facing our fireplace would work originally, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it did in one of my Modsy designs.

For me, seeing our space designed virtually just really showed me that there’s always a way to make a difficult layout work.

The most challenging thing about Modsy for me was trying to get myself to stop playing around with it for hours. It was really addicting!

Monica’s Final Modsy Design

The Real Results

Putting all the pieces together with ease

The ability to visualize everything in my exact room made me feel so much more confident about making large purchases. Instead of spending time measuring, researching, and stressing, I was able to just see if it would fit and know right away if I liked it.

This really took the stress out of designing our home and let me focus on more important things, like caring for my new baby.

I know I’ll be following the layout to the T, but I’m planning to purchase a combination of pieces from my two favorite designs. You can bet I’m planning on using Modsy for my bedroom next when I’m ready.

See Monica’s Favorite Design in 360!

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My Modsy Story: How I Fell In Love With My Bedroom Again

September 28, 2018/0 Comments/in Real Stories bedroom, design, design 3, exactly, favorite, favorite design, master, master bedroom, modsy, modsy design, modsy design 3, room, space, stephanie, stephanie's, stephanie's modsy, stephanie's modsy design, stephanie's modsy design 3, style, wanted /by Modsy

Nothing was working in Stephanie M’s master bedroom and there was no clear path forward. See how Modsy gave her a bedroom redesign that changed everything.

Homeowner: Stephanie M, Education Professional

Location: Arizona

Room: A Spacious Master Bedroom

Her Style: Elegant Connoisseur

The Design Dilemma

The furniture didn’t feel right, neither did the space, and she was stuck with no solution

My spouse and I live in a big family house with an Italian rustic style. The decor scheme is largely transitional and clean, but when it came to designing our master bedroom, I wanted it to feel like a resort.

Our bedroom is spacious, but up until this point it has existed mainly as a lot of empty space that has been a struggle to style. My greatest challenge has simply been a lack vision for the space. But I wanted to finally create a place with intention and vision that was as sophisticated as our home and representative of our lives.

Stephanie’s Bedroom Before

The Modsy Moment

When all other ideas failed her

It was actually my daughter who recommended that I try Modsy. I wasn’t skeptical at all, especially since everything I’d tried prior to Modsy missed the mark. Once I got started, it was very easy to understand and use.

Stephanie’s Modsy Design 2

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Stephanie

Finally seeing clearly (and being reminded of) the possibilities and beauty of her space

The first Modsy designs I got back took my breath away. They showed such masterful uses of our bedroom and the designers really hit everything on my wish list. I wanted to keep my bed in the same spot but upgrade to a king size that goes with my style, and they found the perfect option.

Stephanie’s Modsy Design 3

Another request was that I wanted the other half of our room to be a relaxing gathering space. I never imagined a full sofa, two chairs, a table, and a side table would go in my master bedroom. But when I saw them in my Modsy design I knew that was exactly what needed to be in the space.

The Real Results

Bringing her designs to life

My favorite part of the design, though, is the beauty of light, space, and purpose it brought to our bedroom. So I bought all the pieces, exactly as designed in my favorite design.

The whole design experience gave me a sense of really being in my room, but totally reimagined into my perfect space.

Stephanie’s Modsy Design 3

See Stephanie’s Favorite Design in 360!

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My Modsy Story: Taking the E-Design Leap of Faith For My Basement Turned Family Room

August 16, 2018/2 Comments/in Real Stories basement family, basement family room, blank slate, blank slate basement, chose for our space, design, designs and the furniture, family room, literally purchased every single, look in the space, modsy, modsy design, modsy design 1, modsy design 2, space, trusted our designer's intuitions, zack's modsy, zack's modsy design, zack's modsy design 1, zack's modsy design 2 /by Modsy

Zack S. was at a loss when it came to transforming his large empty basement into a functional family room. See how we helped him complete the space once and for all.

basement family room

Homeowner: Zack S, Computer Whiz

Location: North Salt Lake, Utah

Room: Blank Slate Basement Family Room

His Style: Discerning Collector

The Backstory

Finding the perfect family home with a blank slate basement, ready to be decorated

When we first toured our house, it was completely empty. It has a huge basement and we knew from the moment we saw it that it would be our family room. We also knew that we wanted to make it a beautiful space where our kids could play and we could relax — all with budget in mind, of course.

basement family room

Zack’s Basement Family Room Before

The Design Dilemma

Struggling to visualize how an unusually large space could be family and pet-friendly

Our basement was truly a blank slate and it proved to be a real design challenge. We simply had no sense of what furniture to purchase or how we would arrange it in such an enormous space.

Also, we have two young daughters and two insanely hyper dogs, so we wanted everything to be as functional and destruction-proof as possible.

Zack’s Modsy Design 1

The Modsy Moment

Trusting a friend’s word to take the e-design leap of faith

I told a friend we were renovating our basement family room and that I had no idea where to begin with decorating it. He recommended Modsy, so I looked into it. The more I learned about how it worked, the more intrigued I became!

So finally, I decide to give it a go.

A word of advice on getting started with Modsy: It’s super important that your Modsy designer has your exact room dimensions, so get ready to measure. If you can provide them with a floor plan (even a hand-drawn one), even better!

Zack’s Modsy Design 2

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Zack

Seeing the multipurpose potential of his large basement family room– with furniture he loved!

We were totally blown away when we got our designs back. The attention to detail was crazy. I had no idea the 3D renderings would be so accurate — they captured everything right down to the tiny motion detectors we have in our basement!

I’m so happy I trusted our designer’s intuitions because the designs and the furniture they chose for our space were perfect.

I’ll admit that at first I wasn’t sure if Modsy would be able to design a space that truly catered to my design preferences since it felt like there were so many unknowns that our Modsy designer was working with. But I’m so happy I trusted our designer’s intuitions because the designs and the furniture they chose for our space were perfect.

Zack’s Modsy Design 1

In particular, Modsy’s designs really helped us envision how a large room like ours could have multiple entertainment spaces. Our designer did a great job separating the TV area from the kids activities area while still keeping the room flowing in a way that made sense.

Our second Modsy design was awesome, and ultimately it was the design we went with. Modsy really hit the nail on the head with it.

We loved how there was a sit-down space for our kids to create beautiful art and finish homework. We also really enjoyed the seating area setup with a comfy sectional that will allow us to watch TV and play games as a family.

The Real Results

Shopping has never been this easy

Since we got our Modsy designs back, we’ve literally purchased every single piece of furniture suggested in our second design. Seeing exactly how things would look in the space was a game-changer for us. It made all of our purchasing decisions so incredibly easy.

We’ve literally purchased every single piece of furniture suggested … Seeing exactly how things would look in the space [made] all of our purchasing decisions so incredibly easy.

Zack’s Modsy Design 2

Designing our basement family room from scratch felt like such an immense undertaking. We were at such a loss in the beginning. I feel like Modsy truly helped us make the best use of the space we had. And I love how our designer introduced us to some new ways to use the space that we hadn’t considered before.

Going forward, I couldn’t imagine decorating another room without Modsy’s 3D renderings.

See Zack’s Favorite Design in 360!

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My Modsy Story: How I Designed My First Home From Scratch – and Did It Right

August 7, 2018/1 Comment/in Real Stories 3000 sq ft, 3000 sq ft home, color scheme that our designer, considered the color scheme, crazy to see a digital, digital image of our exact, ever considered the color, ever considered the color scheme, exact space designed, grown-up living, grown-up living room, image of our exact, image of our exact space, living room, modsy design, modsy design 2, nicole's modsy design, nicole's modsy design 2, see a digital image, sq ft home /by Modsy

When she moved from a small city apartment to a 3000 sq ft home, Nicole was ready for a grown-up living room. Here’s how she made it happen and made it look easy.

Homeowner: Nicole T, Sales and Development

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Room: Open “Grown Up” Living Room

Her Style: Modern Rustic

The Backstory

Scrapping all the old furniture from their 650 sq. foot apartment and designing their grown-up living room from scratch

My family and I had just moved from a very tiny apartment in the Mission District of San Francisco to a new home in Phoenix, AZ. As such, NONE of our furniture was suitable for our new 3000 sq ft home.

Additionally, after 7 years of apartment living, we were ready to finally have a grown-up living room. We were over buying small, cheap furniture and were ready to take the plunge and invest in some more substantial pieces for our new place. We were starting from scratch and wanted to do it right.

Nicole’s Living Room Before

The Design Dilemma

Creating a space that was both beautiful and family-friendly, without spending a giant fortune

Our new home has a very large, beautiful family room. We weren’t bringing any furniture from our old apartment, so it was hard to know where to start with such a large space. Plus, despite the place being so spacious and comfortable, there were some odd features we just didn’t know how to design around.

We knew that we wanted to compliment the style of the house, which is a contemporary custom home with mid century modern features. And at the same time, we are expecting our second child in 2 months, so we needed furniture that could stand the test of a toddler and a newborn.

Ultimately, we wanted to create a thoughtful looking space that we’d be happy living in every day.

Nicole’s Modsy Design 2

The Modsy Moment

When a friend’s success story sealed the deal

A friend recommended I try Modsy after she used it to decorate her new home. I was skeptical at first – my friend had purchased “everything from West Elm,” so I was worried the items selected would all be fairly expensive.

However, I learned that Modsy works with a great mix of high and low cost retailers, so we definitely would have lots of choices.

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Nicole

Seeing the possibilities and embracing new ideas for her space

When we got our designs back we were very impressed with Modsy’s renderings! It was crazy to see a digital image of our exact space designed by someone that had never been there.

Nicole’s Modsy Design 2

I really liked the layout of design 2 – we hadn’t thought of facing our couch towards the fireplace, as we were afraid it would cut the space in half. But after seeing the designs, we went for it! Now we think it fits so much better than the design the previous owners had.

Modsy’s designs also showed us that we don’t have to be afraid to go bold with color. Neither my husband or I would have ever considered the color scheme that our designer first introduced us to, but after seeing the results, we were sold.

It was crazy to see a digital image of our exact space designed by someone that had never been there.

I also learned that you can design a space with a lot of color while still using mostly neutral furniture. We went with grays and whites for many of the chairs and tables, but also found that the design looked amazing with the bold green couch. We wouldn’t have thought of that ourselves and are very happy with it.

Nicole’s Modsy Design 6

The Real Results

Bringing her new, grown-up living room to life

Modsy definitely helped us envision the possibilities for our space in a way that we wouldn’t have been able to do on our own.

Neither my husband or I would have ever considered the color scheme that our designer first introduced us to, but after seeing the results, we were sold.

We loved the layout featured in our initial design and were very happy with all the views of our space and attention to detail in the renderings. We worked with the Modsy team to make a few tweaks to our original designs (we ended up with 6 in total) to get the colors just right. Now we are so happy with the overall design of our new house!

grown-up living room

We bought a lot of items from our final Modsy design. We ordered our furniture directly through Modsy and appreciated the Insider Rewards discounts!

Modsy’s designs helped us tremendously. Not only did it change our perception of how to lay out our furniture, but it helped us fill some odd spaces. Thanks Modsy!

See Nicole’s Favorite Design in 360!

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My Modsy Story: Making A Small Living Room Work For My Family Of Five

July 9, 2018/2 Comments/in Real Stories console table, design, designs, layout, living, living room, living room layout, modsy, modsy designer, movie nights, room, room layout, second design, see, small living, small living room, small living room layout, space, super comfortable, work /by Modsy

With a oddly shaped space, Christina craved a small living room layout that worked for her family of five. See how she found the perfect solution for her space.

Homeowner: Christina M, University Business Officer

Location: North Logan, Utah

Room: Small, Awkwardly Shaped Living Room

Her Style: Comfortably Chic

The Backstory

Living in a charming home where comfort and practicality are paramount

We are a family of five and we’ve lived in our current home for about a year. We love the all the natural light and the vaulted ceiling, but that was about it.

Our living room is the center of our house. We’re big on movie nights and use the space to watch TV throughout the day, and it’s also where we entertain guests. Unfortunately it’s become a sort of waiting room and a playroom. And while it’s the most-used space in our home, it’s also the least functional.

small living room layout

The Design Dilemma

Dealing with a small living room that needed to work for a big family

I wanted this room to be a comfortable and inviting space since it’s the center of our home. But it’s so long, skinny, and just plain awkward that it seemed impossible to make it work. After six months of hating this room, I decided we definitely needed some professional help to make it into a space we loved.

But when it came to designing the space, we really needed help with everything – A functional small living room layout, some storage for kids toys and games, an awesome couch for movie nights and afternoon Sunday naps, seating for guests, and not to mention a space that was pretty.

The Modsy Moment

How a Podcast led her to the ultimate living room solution

I heard about Modsy on the podcast, Young House Love. I was slightly skeptical at first — what Modsy could do sounded awesome, but I wasn’t ready to commit. That’s until I got desperate enough for a design solution for my strange and small living room. Once I got started, it was so easy to use and I was totally convinced this was worth it!

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Christina

Getting the exact furniture and small living room layout she asked for — and more!

We LOVED the first two designs Modsy sent us. They were spot on with everything we needed! The 3D renderings looked just like our living room and it was so helpful to see the space with all the furniture in place.

It was amazing how our Modsy Designer was able to incorporate pieces in our designs that fit our style while factoring in all our needs as a family. Altogether, the designs were so doable and the small living room layout ideas were just so much more functional.

“We LOVED the first two designs… they were so doable.”

At first, we liked the simplicity and open look of the first design because it would work with the sofa we already had. We immediately rearranged the room with our existing furniture the very next day, and it made such a HUGE difference in the feel and function of the space.

Then in the second design, our Modsy Designer incorporated a console table opposite the sectional. This was so great to see because I had a very similar console table that I hadn’t thought would work in the space. After seeing that it could work, I pulled it back out and I’m now using it in the room!

Modsy’s idea to put chairs by the window in our second design was genius; it’s the perfect place for them! The round side table was one of our favorite pieces, and we ended up bringing this element to life in our space.

small living room layout

We also loved the mirrors above the mantle in both our designs — it was just what we needed for that space. Everything was just perfect for us.

Ultimately we really wanted a super comfortable space where we could put our feet up, relax, and cuddle with our kids. I had specifically requested to see an option with a sectional, and our Modsy Designer made it happen! Seeing that the right-sized sectional could absolutely work in our space and still look great was a huge eye-opener.

We ended up purchasing a super comfortable small sectional in order to make the sectional layout design happen—and we are so happy with all of it!

See Christina’s Favorite Design in 360!

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New Home, New Living Room, No Idea Where to Start

September 14, 2017/65 Comments/in Real Stories christina's modsy, christina's modsy design, christina's modsy design 1, design, design services, first modsy designs, living room, living room furnished, modsy, modsy design, modsy design 1, modsy designs, online design services, reaction to our first modsy, room furnished, seeing my living, seeing my living room, seeing my living room furnished, sun mirror, too much work /by Modsy

New homeowners, Cristina and her husband, wanted all the right furniture—but they just couldn’t decide on anything.

Homeowner: Maria Cristina, global marketing director

Location: New Orleans, LA

Room: A bare living room in a new home

Her Style: Contemporary Collector

The Backstory

Graduating from a rental to her family-of-four’s first owned home

I live with my husband and our kids, and we purchased a home in New Orleans after renting for several years. The house is huge and when we moved in, we needed lots of help figuring out how to design the space.

The Design Dilemma

Designing one room was too much work and making decisions became impossible

Our living room was a blank canvas with just a wall-mounted TV. We knew we wanted it to be comfortable and practical, but style and budget were also very important to us.

To say we didn’t know where to start would be an understatement. Should we tackle the floor plan first? Or would it make more sense to start by finding a sofa? But then how do we arrange things and make the room look cohesive? We couldn’t decide.

Deciding where to buy the furniture was another hurdle. We kept going from store to store, taking pictures, trying to match pieces together. In the end, it was too much work and we could never make a decision.

In the end, [designing the space ourselves] was too much work and we could never make a decision.

Christina’s Modsy Design 1

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The Modsy Moment

After two failed runs with online design services, one happy Modsy review caught her eye

I’d tried two online interior design services before coming to Modsy. The experience was unsuccessful to say the least. We worked with designers but the renderings were poor-quality and didn’t help us with anything.

I’d seen Modsy on my Facebook feed, so I did a little research and read many positive reviews of the service. One in particular caught my eye, from a man who noted that the designs took 10 days to complete. This made me a little nervous at first, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the Modsy service. They took their time to create two very thoughtful concepts for my space, and that was a big differentiator for me.

Christina’s Modsy Design 1

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Maria

Discovering new ideas and having the confidence to know EXACTLY what to buy

My reaction to our first Modsy designs was a huge WOW! I had such a big happy smile on my face. I couldn’t believe that I was seeing my living room furnished in such a realistic way. Every detail of my room was there.

Christina’s Modsy Design 2

When I showed my husband that night, he couldn’t believe that we got such great work for $59. (Then he had to remind me how much money I wasted with the other online design services.) Modsy’s renders helped us think outside the box for our space.

My reaction to our first Modsy designs was a huge WOW! I couldn’t believe that I was seeing my living room furnished in such a realistic way.

We ended up combining a couple of our designs together for our final look. It was so great to know exactly where to go to get the furniture I wanted. We bought a lot of pieces from our design but we also added a few items we found ourselves.

living room design

The sofa Modsy suggested was great, but after our entire family of four sat on it, we decided we wanted a wider option. But we liked the one Modsy recommended, so we bought a sofa in that same color.

We also purchased the patterned area rug from our final design. I know we would not have been brave enough to choose something like that if we hadn’t seen how it would look in our space. Likewise, we wouldn’t have thought about putting the sun mirror on the wall or adding the artwork and plant.

I would never have thought of putting bookcases on each side of the french doors. But Modsy suggested it and we ended up loving it, so that was a huge surprise. We’re planning on purchasing those along with the lamps and the sun mirror Modsy suggested!

See Christina’s Favorite Modsy Design in 360!

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My Modsy Story: Overcoming Self-Doubt When Designing My New Home

August 30, 2017/5 Comments/in Real Stories /by Modsy

Like Erin Canova, we often talk ourselves out of ideas for our spaces—until we realize we had it right the whole time.

Homeowner: Erin Canova, mom extraordinaire

Location: Sacramento, CA

Room: A tall-ceilinged den and TV room

Her Style: Contemporary Minimalist

The Backstory

Balancing a new home’s great bones with not too much decor

In our new home, we are blessed with all these incredible rooms. We have very tall ceilings, which was one of the hardest things for me to try and design around. I just had no clue how to compensate for that with the decor.

That said, I did not want to have too much decor in the space that I would have to dust or tidy up on a regular basis. I want a minimal home that feels welcoming and homey, but also functional and that enhances our daily lives rather than creating more roadblocks.

The Design Dilemma

Knowing what she loves but not what blends together in an empty room

My biggest challenge was room cohesion—if that’s even a term. I can pick separate pieces of furniture that I like, but picking the right items that all blend well together is next to impossible for me. I started with this den and TV room because I hadn’t purchased any new furniture for it yet. It was essentially a clean slate.

The Modsy Moment

Taking a risk that cost far less than hiring an interior designer

I first saw Modsy in a blog post, and I figured even if it was a total bust, $70 was such a reasonable price compared to what I was considering with an interior designer, which costs much much more.

Getting started was so incredibly simple that I was kind of blown away at how easy it was. I didn’t even have to clean up my space before hand!

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Erin

She thought her idea wouldn’t work; but seeing furniture in the space reassured her it would

I was through the roof with excitement when I first saw my Modsy renderings. It was so amazing to finally see the room transform into EXACTLY what I had envisioned. It’s currently covered in random kids toys, and I just had no idea where to start; now I know exactly what to do, how to lay out the space and what items to buy.

I was especially excited with the second Modsy layout design I was provided because I had actually thought about purchasing a sectional and placing it the same way but convinced myself it wouldn’t work and that the space would be too tight. Seeing it in the rendering showed me that with just the right size sectional I actually could divide the larger space into two zones to get the most use out of the room.

Modsy Design 1

Modsy Design 2

Modsy took an issue I had been stressing over for months and not only solved the issue but got me excited about tackling it going forward! I’ve felt bad about continuously changing things but my Modsy advisors assured me that it’s not a problem.

I’m still working on changing the renderings (I’m on my sixth design) to get the room just right. But I plan on buying most, if not all, the pieces detailed in the design. I also love that many of the items placed in my renderings are incredibly affordable and I can find them at my ultimate favorite retailer, Target!

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My Modsy Story: Finding a Solution for My Small, Awkward Living Room

July 22, 2017/7 Comments/in Real Stories /by Rachael Tellerman

We can all relate to Kevin Grieco’s “decorating paralysis” with his tiny living room. See how Modsy helped him move forward—and complete the space.

Homeowner: Kevin Grieco, systems engineer and IT whiz

Location: Medford, MA

Room: Tiny pass-through living room

His Style: Atomic Industrial

The Backstory

Turning 1300 Square Feet into a Home

My wife Toni (pictured above) and I live with our Corgi, Moose (also pictured above), in a small, single family house that we bought four years ago and never really ‘made a home’ due to decorating paralysis. It was gutted and refinished top to bottom so it looks fresh for a 100-year-old Colonial in Massachusetts, but at around 1300 square feet with six rooms spread across two floors, it’s a challenge to use the space efficiently. And our living room, in particular, was badly in need of some direction.

The Design Dilemma

Feeling overwhelmed (and paralyzed) by everything

Our big problem with the living room was a lack of vision. Despite the fact that we are both creative people in our own right, neither of us have ever had an eye for interior design. There is just something so challenging about conceptualizing what will be both beautiful and functional, especially in a small home where efficiency is at a premium. This “tetris” problem of figuring out the right furniture arrangement combined with our tendency to not look at decor holistically had left us feeling paralyzed and apathetic. So, our primary living space languished for years after we moved in. This was what we wanted to solve.

The Modsy Moment

When he finally had to google “interior design help oh god please help me i have no taste”

I first found out about Modsy through what I can only describe as digital flailings of desperation. I forget exactly what I googled to stumble upon Modsy, but it was something to the effect of “interior design help oh god please help me i have no taste.” Being an IT nerd and a visual person, the concept of a 3D rendering-based service immediately excited me and it was easy to convince my wife to give it a shot considering the low cost of entry compared to hiring a real-life designer.

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Kevin

Finding and seeing the exact furniture he needed to buy, once and for all

When I first got the Modsy renderings my response contained expletives that I won’t include here. But suffice it to say that I was extremely impressed. I took screenshots of a few angles of the renderings and sent them to all my friends who had been in my living room, and they were equally dazzled.

I couldn’t believe how accurate it was and the various arrangements immediately gave us so many ideas about how we could break up our space. Being able to visually see finished layouts like that completely broke through our ‘designer’s block.’

We bought a few big, structure-defining pieces straight from the suggested products pages that the Modsy team sent us, and then added a few of our own antique and furniture store finds—something that we were able to do with relative confidence now that we had such a secure ‘grounding’ thanks to the Modsy Style team.

I must have sent 20 pages worth of wordy emails to my Modsy Style Advisor over the course of my experience, and she was so receptive and supportive of all my input every time, being both professional and personal in perfect balance. She provided me with at least three additional renderings and a dozen different decor options. I genuinely don’t think I have had a better customer service experience in my entire life.

I would recommend Modsy to anyone looking for a premium-feeling, highly personalized interior design experience for a fraction of hiring a traditional professional.

From render to reality. Kevin's living room is coming together based off his favorite Modsy designs.

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