Any interior design project feels daunting at the outset. Staring at a blank floor plan (or Pinterest board) can leave you feeling lost at sea. Getting a professional designer's advice can help clarify your vision and bring it to reality. But if you don't have the budget to accommodate a pro, or would prefer to save your money for the pieces themselves, there's a hack you should consider.Several luxe home retailers, including House Beautiful favorites like Article and Lulu and Georgia offer complimentary design services. Their in-house professional designers are adept at taking your home wishes and finding the perfect pieces. Not to mention, they often help with layout and sizing, all tailored to you. While, yes, these free design services are often offered to encourage purchasing their products, it's a great place to start if you have a specific aesthetic in mind.As design-obsessed writers, we wanted to see what the process was like for ourselves. Associate Shopping Editor Janae McKenzie and House Beautiful contributor Margaux Lushing put four HB-favorite brands to the test. We tried out their free design services, evaluating them on speed, communication, budget adherence, and how well we felt they suited our creative vision. Below, find our results on which services were best.Additional copy and research by Margaux Lushing.Related StoriesArticle ArticleArticle's design services were first on Lushing's list to try. The brand offers a Full Design Project service, and Lushing decided to use its modern taste for an outdoor bar area. It started with an email requesting style preferences, images, and measurements. Lushing was then connected with a designer who scheduled a 30-minute Zoom call, before which she sent through some mood boards to have a point of discussion.Following the Zoom, Lushing received a proposed design plan in the form of a deck. The recommendations were super thorough, including an inspiration slide, a recommended product slide, and product alternatives slides. At the very end was a quote slide with pricing for recommended items, and a next steps slide for purchasing."The delivered deck was the most thorough in terms of design recommendations of any of the services I tried," Lushing says. "While the pillows I purchased to pair with bar stools didn’t ultimately fit the stools, everything else I ordered worked so well for the space and achieved exactly what I was looking for."Try Out Article's Design ServicesRelated StoryMaiden Home Maiden HomeFor Lushing's living room, her main challenge was nailing down a versatile, cat-friendly sofa. With Maiden Home's focus on investment pieces, it was the perfect place to start. The brand's process began with a request for images and a floor plan, and in about a week, they delivered a proposed design plan via email. The design plan includes two directions with floor plans—drawn to scale—with material recommendations, some additional furniture recommendations for the room, and pricing. Lushing's favorite thing about Maiden Home's services? The quality of communication. As she tried to determine the best style and size for the space, the design team was incredibly patient."There is no limit to the amount of back and forth you can have over email or phone with their on-staff designers, which was really helpful as I hemmed and hawed over measurements to ensure it would fit exactly how I wanted," Lushing says. "Ultimately, I purchased a sofa and it fit just as I had hoped. The only drawback of using Maiden Home’s services is that their selection of furniture is so curated and focused that it could feel limited for anyone wanting to mix in more styles beyond the core collection."Try Out Maiden Home's Design ServicesRelated StoryLulu and GeorgiaLulu and GeorgiaWhen McKenzie set out to finally spruce up her landlord-decorated bathroom, she wanted it to be two things: airy and serene. The bathroom was windowless and completely gray, from the paint to the tiles. Because she loves Lulu and Georgia's ability to make a room feel like a soft place to land, she gave their complimentary design service a go. After filling out an incredibly thorough design form, she had a five-minute chat over the phone with a Lulu and Georgia designer. The conversation totally clarified her desire for a spa-like space, and it accomplished quite a bit in a short timeframe."The designer I worked with was incredibly thorough," McKenzie says. "She took into account my desire for renter-friendly wallpaper, organization, and storage, and even towel texture. She also kept it under $1,000, despite the lowest budget range being $1,000-$2,500, which I really appreciated."After the call, the designer worked on a mood board and communicated by text. McKenzie really appreciated the flexibility she had, as there was plenty of back-and-forth fine-tuning to create a look that felt seamless. "My main concern was choosing different pieces that would actually go together," McKenzie says. "When I suggested wanting a different wallpaper pattern or type of basket, she was quick to find alternatives that fit the warm vision for the room. The whole process only took 24 hours, and I felt taken care of the entire time."Try Out Lulu and Georgia's Design ServicesRelated StorySerena & LilySerena & LilyLushing tried Serena & Lily's complimentary and virtual design service to revitalize a covered outdoor entryway. The service began with a digital form that requests images and notes on style. Lushing was then scheduled for a 30-minute Zoom meeting with a designer at her local design shop. After some initial scheduling challenges that included a last-minute cancellation and reschedule, she virtually showed the designer around her space."Within a week, she shared a beautiful mood board that included items that might give me the perfect coastal-with-a-touch-of-MCM look I was going for," Lushing says. There was a follow-up Zoom chat to fine-tune the plan, which was also pushed due to a scheduling issue. But eventually, she was able to combine furniture, decor, and unique location in an easy-to-execute floor plan."With a little patience, the styling recommendations provided by Serena & Lily’s designer were really helpful for seeing the kind of seating, storage, and styling options that could completely elevate an area that felt way too confusing for this amateur to tackle on her own," Lushing says.Try Out Serena & Lily's Design Services Related StoryFollow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.