Posts with «home decorating & interior design» label

IKEA's latest idea is an online design-a-room service

IKEA is launching a new interior design service that gives customers one-on-one assistance in decorating — and furnishing — their rooms. The product-centric company is moving further into service offerings, moving from putting the work in customer's hands with apps to letting "IKEA designers" take care of everything. IKEA says they’ll hold your hang through everything from picking out products to having them shipped over. It's also leveraging its ownership of TaskRabbit to link customers with DIY experts to put ordered furniture together when it arrives.

Clearly, IKEA thinks everyone has gotten comfortable enough with video calls over the last few years, as everything is done digitally, but the process does seem pretty straightforward: It starts with a questionnaire on the IKEA USA site and then three one-on-one video calls. Customers get a mood board and initial plans for the space to align the vision, followed by a meeting to approve ideas and products. They come out of it with 3D renderings, a mood board, floor plan, drawings, a list of products and material options.

IKEA already offers something similar for kitchens, with customers able to schedule an appointment for their kitchen to be measured and designed for free with an IKEA kitchen planner. Anyone living in the US can opt for an online meeting for this service, as well.

The new interior design service does come at a cost, with meetings with an IKEA interior designer cost $99 per room for an individual and $299 per room for businesses. The prices aren't bad considering the average interior designer will cost anywhere between $50 and $500 per hour, according to Forbes. Though IKEA also profits from any furniture chosen with the interior designer and, while their offerings aren't designer prices, they can still add up to a sizeable bill. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ikeas-latest-idea-is-an-online-design-a-room-service-104553216.html?src=rss

IKEA's Sonos-powered picture frame speaker is $65 off

If you're looking to take the first step toward improving your home audio setup beyond your devices' built-in speakers, IKEA and Sonos' Symfonisk lineup is a solid way to get started. The range of WiFi speakers includes several products designed to blend into your home, including one designed to look like artwork. Even better, the Symfonisk picture frame is currently on sale for $195, which is $65 off the regular price, until February 26th. It's available in black and white.

Buy Symfonisk picture frame with WiFi speaker at IKEA - $195

The Symfonisk picture frame is part of the Sonos ecosystem, so it should play nicely with any other speakers you have from the company. It's compatible with AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, and you can use it to play audio from a host of streaming services. Moreover, you can pair two of the speakers together for stereo sound.

In addition to having the option to wall hang the Symfonisk picture frame, you'll be able to flip out its feet and rest it against a wall or other surface. In truth, the "picture frame" descriptor is a little misleading, since you can't simply drop in your favorite photo of your loved ones. However, you can swap the front panel for a different look or use third-party services to print custom covers.