5 Ways that Online Shopping Leads to Disappointment

We’ve all seen the stories of someone who purchases a fabulous dress on Instagram, only to have a very cheap and poorly-fitting outfit show up at their door. It’s funny, but not when you’re the one that’s been burned. Online shopping can be a minefield, especially when it comes to your home. When I work with clients, I always talk with them from the very beginning about why finding things on Pinterest, Instagram, or retail sites isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. My team and I are experts at designing homes and finding the perfect furnishings, so my clients trust that we’re going to deliver exactly what they need and love. Of course I use online sites for inspiration, just like so many non-designers do. But here are 5 ways that shopping online for your home’s decor can really lead to disappointment.

Rug samples from trusted vendors

1. Inspiration and Reality Aren’t Always the Same

Scale, proportion, and color are all really difficult to judge online in a photo. Even when they give you dimensions for a something, it can be tough to find the products that fit perfectly into your home’s decor. There’s nothing worse than having a huge piece of furniture delivered only to find out it won’t fit through your door. Or that it’s the wrong color. Or that the scale is completely off of the other furnishings in the room. As a designer, I have the expertise to ensure that we avoid mistakes like that. I’m also able to get samples of fabrics and finishes ahead of time so we know exactly what each product should look like when it’s delivered.

Ensuring that everything is to scale on a project

2. It’s Much More than Shopping

There are always a few people who think that designers just shop all day. Lately with all of the supply chain issues, that’s began to feel more true than it ever has. But there is much more to getting the right furnishings for your home than just shopping around for them. We also deal with delivery and returns, following up, tracking, receiving, and dealing with damages, incorrect orders, and so many other details and issues. Just think about having to return a large and bulky piece of furniture once it arrives damaged. Do you even know what the first step would be? That’s something that my clients do not have time for. And that’s why they hire me.

Design by Kara Cox Interiors, using trusted trade-only sources

3. I Have Trusted Sources

I spend a lot of time developing relationships with vendors and artisans in the home world, so I have a list of trusted sources. Those are the companies that I know will stand behind the quality, who have proven products and solid warranties, and who offer great customer service. They’ll give me a heads-up on issues before they occur, and they let me know about special products and details. It takes years to develop those sorts of relationships, but that’s exactly how I know I can have confidence in what I order for a client’s home. In the online world, it’s much harder for shoppers to know who has quality products and who just has great photography. There are some very well-known online retailers who have the most beautiful sofas at a seemingly great price. But they also have unhappy customers when those sofas completely wear out after only one year.

Custom design by Kara Cox Interiors

4. Consider Custom Designs

Sometimes what you’re seeing on Pinterest is a fully custom product that an interior designer crafted just for that client and that room. The online site may even show you “similar” products that are available for purchase, but they are rarely even close to being the same. Depending on the budget of a project, interior designers like me will design custom seating, a gorgeous table, the perfect credenza, and more - like the shelves I designed in the photo above to hide the television. We have workrooms and sources that we know can bring our design visions to life. That allows us to bring in furnishings that are exactly right for the room, and that you can’t find anywhere else. So don’t be fooled by look-alikes.

Kara Cox Interiors

5. Don’t Lose the Overall Vision

There is another very important reason that interior designers discourage online shopping - there is always an overall vision for the design. Design is not about a single piece of furniture or art. It’s a holistic look that will be cohesive throughout the home. It’s a style that is not only beautiful, but functions perfectly for how you live in your home. Every detail is considered, from how the light will pool in the living room to where the rug will end in the dining room. We love to see ideas and inspiration from our clients, but it is my job to be sure that the overall vision is not only stunning, but that it’s executed perfectly. If you trust in the vision, and your designer, you’ll have the dream home you’ve always wanted.

Ready to get started on a transformation for your interiors? Give my team a call!

All the best,

Kara