Bringing life to a living room is no small feat; I found this out recently after we bought a condo in Kauai. The color, the schemes, the large pieces of furniture that companies wouldn’t ship to Hawaii – I needed professional help.

Thankfully, I was able to find an awesome designer—Maria Castillero—who works with a great company called Spacejoy. She helped transform our living room, turning the bare into the brilliant. Now, it fits right in with the Garden Island. 

I’ll be honest: There were times when I probably came close to driving her crazy. Let’s just say, she had to be flexible.

In several instances, Maria created a beautiful Concept design only to have to change the coffee table or the sofas or the media console because of shipping restrictions. In the end, she worked with what she could – Amazon, Target, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and the local luxury furniture store. There was a decent range of choices, but still a lot of picking, choosing, and swapping to do.

Thanks to technology, this design – from start to finish – was easier than you might think.

I initially hired Spacejoy in the middle of February, back when I was still in Chicago. I uploaded a floorplan and images of my living room (generated from different units with the same layout). 

Designers at Spacejoy are experts in online interior design. They use a 3D app, which lets them pop in furnishings and other items like wall decor. They can even change the look of the floor or the colors of the paint. All of this is done thanks to Augmented Reality, an amazing new type of technology. 

You might feel unsure about working with a designer remotely (though a lot of stuff is getting done remotely these days). But check out the Spacejoy Reviews to see the before and after photos of previous client homes. Their impressive interior design services offer proof: Their remote work is remarkable. 

Let me explain a little more and take you through my experience in working with Maria; this will give you a better sense of the ingenuity of designers, the power of 3D, and how both make all the difference in any room design. It will also explain why Spacejoy reviews are so positive. 

Initially, Spacejoy’s designers submitted two concepts. 

In concept One, you will see that neutral tones with light blue accents were incorporated to create a coastal vibe. A sea-side scenery was tied into with touches like a potted palm in the corner, a horizontal picture of the beach, and a little accent of birds on the end table.

The second concept was modern with darker blue tones. The Spacejoy designer replaced the beach picture with a painting of palm trees reaching for the sky and she added dimension, the round shapes of curved lamps and mirrors juxtaposed against the square shapes of bookshelves and tables. We hit a speed bump too, as the Pottery Barn coffee and side tables were not available for shipping to Hawaii. 

To me, the first concept was more in sync with the island vibe. Maria brought in a black display table that contrasted against the lighter palette of the couches, walls, and rug. We replaced the long beach photo with one of a rainbow and umbrellas and blankets (adding flairs of color). So many shipping options were dead on delivery and Maria had to place a loveseat and a three-person couch from the local furniture store. 

I decided to circle back and keep the overall color scheme light (I told you I drove Maria crazy). She swapped out the black table for a softer wood one. We kept the poster that served as our motto: Relax & Unwind – after all, what else do you do in Kauai? 

Because I like abstract wall art, I decided the beach picture was too obvious for me. Maria found a triangular arrangement of contemporary pieces. One looked like waves crashing against the rocks, symbolic of our tropical location. 

Once again, we had trouble getting items shipped and delivered. Maria changed the coffee table, the side table, and the media console with new designs. We also moved the wave-looking wall art and stuck with a conventional arrangement.

After we arrived in Hawaii and went to the local furniture store ourselves, my husband and I found a different sofa and chair we liked better. We also bought a 8 x 10 Safavieh rug from Costco. The heavy concrete coffee table was a no-go as well – it was no longer available. Maria swapped the couches with those we preferred and she found a coffee table with faux concrete top on Amazon. She even replaced the wall decor with a one texture-centric print of blue and white from Etsy, a subtlety that summoned visions of the rolling tide. Her final touch was the addition of a large tree, placed in the corner by the window, full of foliage and visual essence. 

Aloha!

Wow…two concepts and five revisions; I asked Maria to work hard and she delivered (even when Pottery Barn wouldn’t!). She went above and beyond and earned the glowing Spacejoy reviews on the site. 

Interior design services certainly sound like the type of thing that requires an in-person collaboration. But with the available technology, you can sit in the middle of paradise and work with a designer, time zones away. 

Maria adapted to our unique situation – literally marooned on an island with limited shipping options. If she can work with that, she can work with anything and continue to buoy Spacejoy’s reputation as one of the best online interior design services available.

For that: Mahalo Nui Loa! 

Have you used Spacejoy? Let me know your experience in the comments below!

You can shop all the products listed in the Spacejoy concepts and their revisions below: