What is Online Residential Design + Is It Right For You?

Online residential design is a revolutionary new concept in today’s world.

It has the amazing potential to make architecture and design accessible to more people who are ready to transform their home.

It’s been almost seven years since we started offering online residential design, drafting, and 3D visualization services. Since then, we’ve gone from knowing almost nothing about how to provide design services online and collaborate remotely with homeowners to today being confident in helping families around the world get drawings ready for approval by their local council and new buildings constructed from the ground up.

When people ask us, “What do you do?”, we find it both easy and hard to share our work! We love what we do, but since it’s such a different approach in the world of residential design, we have found it valuable to look to other online-based industries for lessons and guidance.

If you’re interested in learning more about our design services, you can find our services page here.

Even our friends and family don’t exactly know what it means to offer online residential design services. So, in this post, I want to explain what it is, since anyone can potentially work with an online residential designer, no matter how small or big your home project is!

What exactly is an online residential designer?

When I look up the term “residential designer” on the internet, Google tells me that, “residential designers combine technical skill and creativity to develop plans for homes that improve the levels of functionality, efficiency, comfort, and appearance.”

This definition offers you a small glimpse of what we do. Yet, there is so much more to being a residential designer, not to forget the online aspect of it. 

Online residential design is a unique design service offered by DAESCI Design that gives you the opportunity to work with us for your new build, extension, or remodel, no matter where you live. This means that even if you live in a rural area and have limited access to local architects, as long as you have internet, we can help you envision the possibilities, find solutions, and anticipate your needs for your home project.

You get access to professional, high-quality designers and customized plans for your home through our in-depth, collaborative process. We will communicate via email or video/phone calls.

Online residential design is also known as e-design, virtual design, or online architectural design. It overlaps with the work of an architect, interior designer, or CAD technician. Deciding which professional to work with depends on the specifics and location of the residential project. Online residential design also has similarities to virtual interior design services, which are growing more popular as well.

While the internet makes it possible to work together online with a designer, keep in mind that architecture is a collaborative endeavor. Designing and building a home requires the expertise of many different professionals – from the designer/architect to the builders to the electricians to the landscape architect, interior designer, material suppliers, and many more experts. However, it all starts with YOU, the homeowner. And our job, as residential designers, is to help you create the big picture for your home.

If you want to know more about what it’s like, check out a few of our case studies:

Is online residential design right for you? Who should work with an online designer?

Online residential design is for you if…

• You’ve attempted to make DIY house plans, but can’t figure out how to get everything to work together.
• You’re a busy, intelligent, professional family or couple, but feel lost/overwhelmed when it comes to decisions about your home and interior space.
• You want to simplify the creative process of designing a home you love based on your lifestyle, your preferences, and your needs.
• You want an optimal residential layout that feels one-of-a-kind, welcoming, functional, and livable.
• You desire to live in a home where every day feels extraordinary– not uninspired, outdated, boring, or out of alignment with what makes you happy.
• You’re ready to invest time and money in creating a beautiful, functional home that gives you more fulfillment, less overwhelm, more space, and more value.

Online residential design services are not for you if…

• You require structural changes, significant electrical changes, or design for a complex difficult site. Go to your local pros. Licensed architects and engineers in your area will assure the protection of life and safety of you, your family, and the general public.
• You are not prepared or interested to take on some of the traditional roles of an architect or residential designer. This can include gathering inspiration for a design mood board, measuring and photographing your home, and coordinating with local professionals and your local building & planning department. In that case, this approach is not right for you.
• You would prefer someone to handle every step of the process from start to construction to move-in date. We will not be a good fit. Your best approach is to hire a locally registered architect, who will provide construction administration, oversee sub-contractors, and deliver end-to-end project management.

Examples of why you would hire an online residential designer

Here are a few examples of why you you would hire an online residential designer…

• You feel unsatisfied with your current home, but don’t know the best way to redesign it.
• You want help with designing a new home for a vacant land plot.
• You want to build an extension.
• You want to remodel or reconfigure the internal layout.
• You want to renovate an old home.
• You want to give a designer’s touch to a specific room or area of your home.
• You want more space.
• You want more natural lighting.
• You want to create a “wow” factor with a signature architectural look.
• You want to increase curb appeal.
• You want a bigger kitchen/bathroom/master suite.
• You want to convert your loft, basement, or garage to habitable space.
• You want a home office so you can pursue your side hustle or online business. 🙂
• You’re feeling overwhelmed with too many decisions, and you need creative vision and guidance to bounce ideas and get clarity.

A Final Note!

Every designer works differently. Hiring an online residential designer for your home project is a bit like finding a good doctor. You may need to search around for the right specialist for your needs.

For example, you may find that the designer works simply on an hourly basis via email or on site. This is similar to hiring a handyman or an interior designer on a popular website Homepolish. You can hire them for as many hours as you require.

Or, the designer may offer an initial paid consultation for a 90-minute session. They’ll identify your project’s needs and constraints and provides you a road map for the next steps to move forward.

Another approach is to work with a designer through specific design packages. This is how we run our design business when working with families, couples, and homeowners.

If you’re thinking of transforming a specific area of your residential space or your entire home, let’s start the conversation. You choose the package that fits your needs, we can customize it to fit precisely your project, and we will get to work designing until you have a space you truly love.

If you want to jump into a project, you can fill out our application here: daesci.com/go/project-inquiry.