Decorilla Review: Sometimes Your House Needs Fresh Eyes

My Experience using online interior design for a room that never felt finished

When I was designing my home, there were two things I knew I wanted. The first was to do something different from what I had always done, which was Texas-style regularness. Farmhouse. Ranch. Rustic. I was over it. I wanted something fun. Something I had always liked but never got to dive into. Hence, the mid-century modern-inspired design.

The second thing I wanted was for it not to be an open floor plan…but also not NOT to be an open floor plan. Something that had some division, but was still connected. And I wanted to accomplish that by putting a fireplace between the living and dining room. 

So that’s what I did. 

Honestly, the fireplace is great. I think it’s beautiful, adds interest, and serves its main purpose well… which is less about being a fireplace and more about being a teal-tiled room divider.

And then there are the shelves.

I was so excited about those shelves. In my head they were going to be open and airy, with plants and pretty accessories and little glimpses between the two rooms.

I can kinda make them look like that for staged photos…but in reality, they’re not working. They’re actually kind of the bane of my existence. They’re impossible to decorate. They’re too close together and deep to get that light, airy feeling I was after. There’s nowhere to hide cords. And because they’re right by the back door, they’ve slowly evolved into the world’s most decorative junk drawer.

Which is exactly why, when Decorilla reached out about trying their online interior design service, these shelves were the first thing that came to mind. 

Luckily, the living room itself feels finished (besides the eyesore shelves).

The dining room on the other side though, thats where I get stuck.

It’s definitely cozy, because it was designed for a family of five, and now we’re a family of ten. We’re making it work though, and between the six chairs at the table and the four kitchen chairs, we can seat all 10 people in our family for dinner. It’s totally fine. It’s functional. It’s…boring. It somehow manages to feel completely empty and completely full at the same time.

That’s the funny thing about fine and functional though. Life goes on, and spaces that annoy you just keep annoying you because they’re not annoying enough to be a priority.

So when it came time to choose a space to go through the Decorilla design process, I didn’t pick one of the multiple blank rooms that need attention, but my “fine” dining room and my junk drawer shelves.

This post is sponsored by Decorilla.

What is Decorilla?

Decorilla is an online interior design service where you work with a real, honest-to-goodness, flesh-and-blood, professional human designer. You send them photos, measurements, your budget, your inspiration photos, dump all your problems and ideas (or lack of ideas) on them, etc. Then they create designs specifically for your room. From there, you give feedback, and eventually end up with 3D renderings, floor plans, shopping lists, and a plan you can actually execute. Plus, you get to see ideas in your actual room before making any expensive decisions.

The Design Process

Here’s how the whole process worked. It starts off with a simple quiz so they can get a feel for your style. Then you enter all the info about your room…your hopes and dreams, your pain points, your budget. You put in all the dimensions, upload some photos (messy house is fine, don’t overthink it), and send it off.

You will then get assigned two designers who will create design concepts for your space. You can chat with them via the Decorilla platform, you can do video calls, you can completely brain dump all your ideas and problems. Or give them free rein. Then they each come up with an initial design plan.

I told my designers that I wanted to keep my wall color (BM Wickham Gray), and that I likely wouldn’t actually change anything in my living room, so just have fun with it. I explained the situation with the fireplace shelves. And I said that I needed help with my dining room….it is a boring drywall box, and I am completely uninspired. I also said I would most likely be keeping my table and definitely keeping my chairs, so they needed to incorporate that into the design. Oh, and I liked my color scheme and the casual, earthy, mid-century/boho vibe. I just needed fresh eyes.

Then a few days later I received a preliminary concept from each of the designers.

Mood Board 1

Mood Board 2

I was so excited when I opened these up. Not because they’re perfect, but because it’s nice to have someone care about the thing that you care about. I hear this from my custom home clients all the time. They usually have a pretty good idea of what they want in their house, but still want someone to listen and be as invested in the details as they are. Should they extend this cabinet by two inches? Which one of the nearly identical paint colors should they choose for trim? Which direction should they run the wood flooring? Are black plumbing fixtures trendy or timeless? I enjoy the details, and it’s nice to have someone who knows what they’re doing also care about the details and give a fresh perspective.

Anyway, the concepts.

Casey’s Concept – I liked the completely different living room design. It’s fun. LOVED the fluted wall (honestly, I just want to live in a wooden box and never look at drywall ever again). Love the yellow curvy couch. Love that there is a light fixture instead of a fan. Love the shelving concepts. Didn’t love the teal stripe in the dining room. I felt like this design would be really fun to pursue and just go all out in a new, blank space.

Dragana’s Concept – This one was a little less fun, but felt…attainable. Like, I can actually make these changes. It was clean, warm, and more layered and interesting than what I currently have. Loved the different dining room fixture. Loved the creative, detailed shelf design. I never would have come up with that myself. Never. Loved the wood wall paneling and the idea of a round table.

After you get the two concept designs, you can go back to each designer, give feedback, and then get updated designs from each one before choosing a designer to work with exclusively. I didn’t do that, I just chose Dragana. It felt like we were on the same page enough that we could conquer the world. Or at least my dining room and shelf situation.

The Renderings – Let’s Make it 3D

After chatting with Dragana about what I liked about the concept design, what I wanted to change, and her recommendations and ideas, she sent over these renderings.

Ya’ll, I literally squealed. How cool is that? It’s my house, my design, but better. So much better. Warmer. Cozier. More layered and interesting. And the shelves! How cool is that solution? I never would have come up with that on my own. Never.

I told her I loved them, but they were intimidating because they would be a DIY project. She said, “I got you,” and sent me this –

We then went through a few more rounds of minor revisions, and eventually landed on this –

It has lower paneling than the first design (which Dragana initially suggested, I fought her on, and then…she was right), different curtains, and I added back in my yarn art, because I just really like it. Also, I tried another shelf design, where it’s more like a built-in. It has a cabinet for hidden storage, and a center divider, which makes separate shelves on each side. Also, I love my current living room rug, but she said my room could really use a darker rug to ground the space, and she’s totally right.

After this design, I was like “hey…can I see one more, this time with wood ceilings? (and a different light, and my current shelves, but with a center divider…)

When she originally gave me these, I was like okay, nevermind…turns out, there IS such thing as too much wood. But now that I’m looking at them again…I’m kinda into it.

I’m not planning to make every change the renderings show, but a few of them are definitely now on the to-do list –

• Fireplace shelves, for sure
• wood wall paneling (living and dining)
• New light fixtures in living and dining
• Add curtains
• Something on the ceiling. Even if it’s just one wooden beam at the ceiling peak for now. It desperately needs some interest.

Shopping – More Than Just a List

Receiving your final renderings isn’t the end. Decorilla’s not over here like “May we suggest you take these renderings To-Go?” You still have to get the stuff. The goods. The things that will make your room look like the one in the photo. I mean…you don’t have to, but here’s why you might want to.

After you have approved your room design, you will receive a shopping list, which includes every single thing in your design on it. You will also have a phone call with one of their shopping helpers to assist you and see if you have any questions. And ya’ll…I HAD QUESTIONS. I straight-up interrogated this sweet woman.

Here’s how it works. Interior designers receive something called trade pricing, which is basically a professional discount. Sometimes designers pass those savings onto their clients, sometimes they don’t. Decorilla receives trade pricing at over 350 retailers, and they pass those discounts along to you…to the tune 5% to 45% off (discounts vary by vendor, item, availability, and current vendor terms). Here is a screenshot of some items in my project.

Personally, I’m a slow shopper. I’m not going to buy all the items for my space at once…which is why this next thing is music to my ears. These items on your list, you don’t have to buy them immediately. Let’s say you have a sofa on your list, it’s expensive, and you need some time to save up for it. A year later (or five years later, you get lifetime access), you can come back and purchase it through Decorilla and still receive the trade discount. You can even use their “My Picks” feature to buy items that weren’t part of your original design. Decorilla also has a shopping team that can help you with samples, quotes, vendor communication, placing orders, and all the little behind-the-scenes logistics.

As ya’ll know, I love getting the best deal possible, so being able to buy things on my own timeline while still getting trade pricing definitely caught my attention.

Let’s Talk Pricing

Alright, here’s the part you all want to know. How much does it cost?

Truth is, it depends on the room you’re designing and which package you choose. The design process is the same for each tier – the biggest difference is the experience level of the designers.

For the Living Room/Dining Room combo package I did, the current pricing is –

• Bronze – $969 (two experienced designers)
• Silver – $1,389 (two greatly experienced designers)
• Gold – $2,449 (two industry-leading designers)
• Platinum – custom quote. This one is white glove, project management, the whole nine yards.

I know that that’s not pocket change. It’s a splurge. I think whether it’s worth the money depends almost entirely on what problem you’re trying to solve.

Who is Decorilla For?

I don’t think Decorilla is for everyone. I think it’s for people who are making big design decisions where getting it wrong is expensive or frustrating.

If you’re remodeling, this makes a lot of sense. Tile. Flooring. Cabinetry. Built-ins. Those aren’t easy (or cheap) to change once they’re installed. Having a professional on your side and being able to see everything together before spending the money is a huge advantage.

If you’re moving into a new home, this is also a great fit. Staring at a completely blank room can be surprisingly overwhelming, and having someone help create a plan from the beginning can save a lot of second-guessing. They’re also really good at incorporating the things you already own, helping you make all those connected decisions like paint colors (which is probably the question I’m asked most often), wallpaper, lighting, furniture, DIY projects, and (maybe most importantly) helping you design around things that you can’t change.

If you have a room that’s driving you crazy, you’re my people. Sometimes you just need another experienced set of eyes to help you get unstuck. You can also hire them hourly, if you just have one small pain point or question.

On the other hand…

If you’re just trying to decide between two paint colors or see if a different sofa would look good in your living room, I wouldn’t spend the money. There are plenty of free (or at least much cheaper) tools that can help with that.

Which brings me to AI…

Decorilla vs. AI

I know what a lot of you are probably thinking, because I initially thought the exact same thing.

“Why would I pay for this when AI can design a room for free?”

After spending a lot of time using both, here’s my take:

They can do similar jobs, but they’re not actually competition for each other.

AI is great for inspiration. It’s really helpful when you’re trying to visualize a specific idea or see how different styles might look in a room. I use it all the time, and honestly, I think it’s an incredible tool.

A human designer does something different. They work with your exact room dimensions. They know your budget. They know which pieces you’re keeping because your grandpa built them. They can tell you that your dining table is huge and your light fixture tiny, and that’s why the room feels off balance. They can recommend real, in-stock products, create floor plans with actual measurements, help you plan built-ins or DIY projects, and make revisions without reinventing the entire room every time.

What I found is that AI is a tool for inspiration, and Decorilla is a tool for making decisions.

Final Thoughts

Going into this, I thought the renderings were the product.

They weren’t.

The decision-making process was.

The renderings are beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But what I really walked away with was a plan. My to-do list may have gotten longer, but now I actually know what belongs on it.

If you’ve got a room that’s been driving you crazy for years, if you’re moving into a new home and don’t know where to start, or if you are planning a remodel and want a little more confidence and direction before making expensive purchases…I think that’s where Decorilla really shines.

Not because it gives you a pretty picture. Because it helps you get unstuck.

If this feels like the right next step, you can get 10% off your first Decorilla design by clicking this link.