Remote design gets dismissed as a cheaper version of the real thing. For some projects that is fair. For others it is the sensible answer, and it is worth knowing which is which.
What it involves
You supply measurements, photographs of every wall and a description of how the room is used. What comes back is a layout, a scheme, a shopping list with links and prices, and notes on what goes where. You buy the items and arrange the work yourself.
Where it works well
- A room that already works structurally and needs furnishing, colour and lighting
- A property you cannot easily get to, including a holiday let or a rental
- A project where you are happy to do the ordering and the chasing yourself
- Starting a room from nothing, where the hardest part is knowing what to buy first
Where it does not
- Anything structural. Walls, extensions and drainage need somebody in the building
- Kitchens and bathrooms. These are measured to the millimetre, and photographs hide the out-of-square wall that ruins the plan
- Period properties. The detail that matters is the detail a camera flattens
- Any project where you want somebody else running the trades
The measurement problem
Nearly every failed remote project fails on measurements. Rooms are not square, floors are not level, and the ceiling is often a different height at each end. If you are doing this, measure each wall at both ends, measure the diagonals, and photograph every corner including the boring ones.
What you are saving, honestly
You are saving the visits and the project management. You are not saving the design. The thinking is the same and it takes the same time. So remote is cheaper because there is less of the service, not because the design is worth less.
A reasonable middle
One visit at the start, then everything else remote. It solves the measurement problem and the feel of the house, and keeps the cost close to fully remote. For most people this is the better answer.
If you are interested in a remote or online project, ring and ask what is possible at the moment. It depends on the room and on the time of year.