This content is part of a paid partnership with DesignShop; however the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own and reflect my personal experience.
When working on any renovation or new build project, the materials you use to finish your space are big considerations. You want everything to come together aesthetically, and within budget. Making these decisions can be tricky, and sometimes a little stressful; because unlike some home projects, they are difficult and expensive to change if you end up not loving the results.
That’s why I was super excited to learn about a new company called DesignShop, which helps make material sampling and selection so much easier! I had a chance to place an order with this company, and here’s how it went:
First of all - What is DesignShop?
If you’ve ever worked with me, shopped with me, or read any of my blog posts, you know how much I stress the importance of sampling materials, and you know I love and recommend Samplize; which is a company that offers large, peel-and-stick paint samples from all the paint brands I work with (and more). This type of sample is my preferred way to test colors because it’s easy, mess-free, and it delivers a more accurate read on how a color will really look for your project.
Well, DesignShop has been brought to you from the same company as Samplize, and offers material samples for building and renovation projects. Here, you can grab samples for countertops, flooring, wallpaper, tiles, stone, and more – I was surprised to see options for things like cabinets and fixtures too!
This is incredibly exciting, because as a designer, I know it can be challenging to find samples, and often you have to source directly from the manufacturer. This means a lot of time is spent shopping different brands, plus a lot of money being spent on samples and shipping. Sometimes, it can be even harder to access samples if you’re not an industry professional. DesignShop has removed barriers and brought thousands of high-quality samples from many brands to one, accessible and affordable platform.
In addition to samples, DesignShop also offers other tools to help with projects, like product visualizers and inspirational room images with shoppable samples. All of the products and services offered by DesignShop have been thoughtfully brought together to deliver a comprehensive, customizable experience for all design projects and skill levels.
Website Experience
The DesignShop website is clearly laid out and easy to navigate. It was extremely easy to shop specific categories, as well as inspirational room images that allowed me to choose a look I wanted and add any or all samples for that look to my cart. There are other tools, like room visualizers that allow you to choose various materials for certain surfaces, like walls, counters and floors, and see how they would look on a larger scale; as well as a chat feature to ask product questions. DesignShop also provides all the technical information for each product, as well as manufacturer and price information for products, with details on where to buy them.
For my order, I chose a selection of samples for tiles, flooring, wallpaper, and even a polished nickel cabinet knob. The knob was actually not technically a sample, it was a whole knob! I liked that I could really use this to see exactly how the style of knob would look and function on a cabinet, not just how the metal finish would look. It’s weird, but something as small as a cabinet knob can make or break your design style aesthetic, so I really loved being able to see the whole knob.
Order and Delivery
Placing my order with DesignShop was super easy, and pretty much how you would expect a shopping cart experience to be. I chose the overnight shipping option, and this is really where things became magical (which is crazy because I was already impressed). I placed my order late at night, and my box arrived the next day BEFORE NOON - twelve hours after I placed my order!
Now, once a package leaves the DesignShop warehouse, the shipping journey is obviously out of their hands, and that turnaround time may not be the same for every order. But, with overnight shipping, all orders should be delivered quickly. With building projects, a lot of decisions need to be made fast, and DesignShop clearly gets that with the overnight shipping option.
Unboxing My Order
When I opened my order from DesignShop, everything was carefully stowed in pillowy kraft paper bubble wrap. On top, was a curious-looking deck of cards. These cards turned out to be a really cute visual summary of my order, with an individual card for each sample that included a QR Code. Scanning the QR code took me directly to the product page for the item on DesignShop’s website, where I could instantly get product specs, price information and more - so cool.
Underneath the cards and protective bubble wrap, I found my fragile tile samples laid out in a neat arrangement on special heavy-duty cardboard trays, so the samples would stay safe and in their place during shipping. Other items that were not in danger of damage (flooring samples and wallpaper) were tucked neatly underneath. Having personally ordered material samples from many companies, I can assure you, samples are not always packed so carefully and efficiently. DesignShop has nailed packing and shipping for sure.
So…
Would I order from DesignShop again? Yes, absolutely! The entire experience, from browsing the website, selecting samples, and receiving my order was flawless. I love the selection of materials, which includes many quality brands, for all aspects of design projects, in one easy-to-shop platform. In addition, the price and purchasing details provided make it easy to source products and stay within budget.
Seeing and sampling materials in real life is one of the most important things to do for any design project. DesignShop makes it extremely easy and affordable to do that. I’m so happy I gave DesignShop a try, and would not hesitate to recommend it to you! If you find yourself in the process of planning a new project, or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed in the middle of one, I suggest checking them out!
All the best,
-Millie
