You’ve moved into that new space that’s perfect for you (for now), but do to it’s sizing all those ideas of design grandeur just won’t cut it. Or maybe you’re on the opposite spectrum. You’re moving and have tons of stuff that needs to be sold, but just can deal with Craigslist or word of mouth, as the process of moving is stressful enough. Of course there are hundreds, if not thousands, of online moodspiration sites that offer “How to Make Your Space Look Larger Than It Is”, and you could leave all the stuff you don’t want behind and suck up the association fine, but not many people have time for that.
Well, that’s what makes AptDeco and Designed for Me so unique. It offers free interior design services (yea, ZERO DOLLARS) to create a style perfect for you and your spacial dimensions, where AptDeco takes that mahogany china cabinet you received as a gift from your second divorce and sells it. You don’t even have to leave your home to have any of this happen! And it’s not that I’m promoting laziness, but, you know… you can’t beat it.
Recently we spoke with Founder Reham Fagiri to understand how it all got started.
How did the concept come about?
AptDeco came about after numerous attempts of buying and selling my furniture on Craigslist. The experience was pretty cumbersome given the sheer amount of strangers that visited my apartment. I eventually grew tired of it all and knew there had to be a way of simplifying the process. I was determined to create a reliable and more secure platform for people to buy and sell their furniture… AptDeco was soon born!
How are you able to scale the rooms and not provide too large furnishings by photos alone?
We created Designed For Me, a new service on AptDeco, that helps users figure out the best ways to place their newly purchased furniture. With Designed For Me, we collect information about favorite styles, color preference, brands, etc to put together a curated collection of furniture specially designed with a specific customer in mind. We avoid error by using numbers – the customer provides the dimensions of the room they want outfitted with furniture and we provide recommendations based on their preferences and dimensions. It’s a quick and easy process!
Is your background in Interior Architecture?
No, although I love design and all things pretty! Our curators who put together the rooms and concepts for Designed For Me have backgrounds in design.
Who have you noticed to be your largest clientele?
Our customers vary – from recent grads to the newly retired. Most customers buying furniture do seem to have one thing in common – they’ve recently moved into their space and are looking to decorate it. We also just expanded our coverage from New York to D.C so we’re hoping to grow our D.C audience as well!
Have you ever had to turn down any clients because their spaces just weren’t doable?
No! We’ll always find ways to help meet our customers’ needs.
You don’t design each room personally, how do you source the designers who do?
We actually design the rooms here at AptDeco. We review the customer’s style and color choices to put together room designs based on their preferences. The final product is a mood board with various product options and a layout plan to guide users on where to place the items they purchase.
And the furnishings? How are they sourced? Partnerships or personal preference.
All of the furniture selections offered through Designed For Me are available for purchase on AptDeco.com. The furniture listed on the website however is sold directly by sellers. Some of our sellers include designers, furniture stores, manufacturers and just individuals looking to sell their furniture to make money