Havenly or Spacejoy for small apartment interior design

For a small apartment, Havenly is generally the better choice if you want a lower-cost, straightforward room design process, while Spacejoy may be a better fit if realistic 3D visuals and more detailed design collaboration matter more to you. The best option depends on your budget, room size, and how much help you need.

Small apartments are harder to design than they look. A wrong-size sofa can overwhelm the living area. A poorly placed desk can make a studio apartment feel crowded. Even good-looking furniture can become a problem when it does not leave enough room to move around.

That is where online interior design services can help. Both Havenly and Spacejoy offer personalized design plans, professional guidance, and visual tools, but they approach the process differently.

Havenly vs. Spacejoy at a Glance

Factor	Havenly	Spacejoy
Best for	Budget-conscious apartment renters and homeowners	People who want highly realistic visualizations
Starting online design cost	From about $159 per room	Packages starting around $299
Designer collaboration	One-on-one design process with live calls and revisions	One-on-one collaboration with designers
3D visualization	Yes	Yes, with a strong focus on photorealistic images
Shopping help	Curated shoppable product selections	Curated, shoppable product lists
Small-space planning	Good for individual rooms and apartments	Good for visualizing layouts before buying
Best overall advantage	Lower entry cost	Detailed visual presentation

Current pricing and package details can change, so it is worth checking each service before starting a project. Havenly’s current online design offering lists pricing from $159 per room, while Spacejoy lists packages starting around $299.

Why Small Apartments Need a Different Design Approach

The biggest challenge in a small apartment is not simply choosing attractive furniture. It is making several functions work in limited square footage.

A single area may need to serve as:

A living room
A dining area
A home office
A storage space
A guest sleeping area

That means the designer needs to think about furniture scale, walking paths, storage, lighting, and visual clutter.

For example, a 500-square-foot apartment does not automatically need tiny furniture. It needs furniture with the right proportions. A narrow sofa with exposed legs may work better than an oversized sectional, while a round dining table may improve movement in a tight area.

This is one reason a personalized floor plan and realistic visualization can be more useful for small apartments than simply browsing furniture online.

When Havenly Is the Better Choice

Havenly makes the most sense for people who want professional guidance without spending a large amount on the design service itself.

Its online design process focuses on working with a designer to develop a room plan, product selections, and a visual representation of the finished space. The service also separates the design fee from the actual cost of furniture, which can make it easier to control spending.

Havenly is a good fit if you have a tight design budget

If you are furnishing a first apartment or trying to improve one room without a major renovation, the lower entry price can be important.

The current Havenly Full package covers one space and includes collaboration with a designer, design development, revisions, and a 3D rendering. The service is especially practical when you already know your general style but need help making everything fit together.

It works well for one-room apartment problems

Imagine you have a small apartment living room with an awkward corner and one wall that must hold both a TV and storage.

A Havenly designer can help you create a layout around those limitations instead of choosing furniture first and hoping it fits later.

That can be especially helpful for:

Small living rooms
Bedrooms with limited storage
Studio apartments
Rental apartments that cannot be structurally changed
Home offices placed inside another room

Havenly may be better if you want a simpler decision process

Small-space design can quickly become overwhelming when you compare dozens of furniture options.

Havenly is useful for someone who wants professional recommendations and a clear plan rather than spending weeks building mood boards and measuring furniture.

When Spacejoy Is the Better Choice

Spacejoy is especially appealing if you want to see a highly detailed visual version of your room before committing to furniture.

The company emphasizes personalized, photorealistic 3D room designs, designer collaboration, and curated shopping options. Completed concepts are generally presented after the designer receives your room information and requirements.

Spacejoy can be better for people who need strong visual confirmation

Some people can look at a floor plan and immediately understand how a room will work. Others cannot.

If you are worried about buying furniture that looks too large, too small, or awkward once it arrives, realistic 3D visualization can make the decision easier.

This is particularly valuable in a small apartment because there is less room for mistakes.

For example, imagine you are deciding between:

A loveseat and two chairs
A compact sectional
A sofa with a storage ottoman

Seeing each option in a visual room concept may help you understand which arrangement leaves the best walking space.

It may suit a more detailed design project

Spacejoy can also make sense when your apartment project involves more than choosing a sofa and rug.

Its service highlights design elements such as:

Furniture and décor
Lighting
Flooring recommendations
Paint selections
Window treatments
Other room details, depending on the package

That broader design approach may be useful if you are redesigning an apartment from top to bottom rather than refreshing one corner.

The Biggest Difference: Cost vs. Visual Detail

For many small-apartment shoppers, the decision comes down to one simple question:

Do you want the more affordable design service, or are you willing to pay more for a more visual and potentially more detailed design experience?

Havenly’s online design option currently starts at a lower price point. Spacejoy’s packages start higher, but its service strongly emphasizes photorealistic visualization and different levels of designer collaboration.

That does not mean Spacejoy is automatically better for every apartment.

A $300 design service can be unnecessary if your real problem is simply arranging furniture in one small bedroom. On the other hand, paying more for visualization may be worthwhile if you are furnishing an entire studio and cannot afford expensive furniture mistakes.

How the Two Services Handle Small-Space Planning

Havenly: Practical room-by-room design

Havenly is a strong option when you want help solving a specific room problem.

You provide information about your space, needs, style, and budget. The design process then focuses on creating a workable plan and recommending products that fit the project. Havenly’s current Full process includes live video calls, a design concept, revisions, and a 3D rendering after the concept is finalized.

This can work well for apartment renters who are asking questions such as:

How can I fit a sofa and dining table?
What size bed should I buy?
Where should I place my desk?
How can I make the room feel less crowded?
Which existing furniture should I keep?

Spacejoy: Strong emphasis on seeing the finished room

Spacejoy’s process focuses heavily on helping users visualize the final space.

You provide photos and information about the room, work with a designer, and receive a design with photorealistic visuals and shoppable products. The company says most clients receive a completed design concept within roughly 7 to 10 days, although individual project timing can vary.

For a small apartment, this can be helpful when layout mistakes would be expensive or difficult to fix.

Which One Is Better for Different Apartment Situations?

Choose Havenly if you are furnishing your first apartment

A first apartment often comes with a limited budget. You may need a designer to help prioritize what to buy first instead of redesigning every inch of the home.

For example, suppose you have $3,000 to furnish a living room and dining area. You may benefit more from a practical plan that tells you where to spend your money and which pieces can wait.

Havenly’s lower design entry price may leave more of your budget available for the actual furniture.

Choose Spacejoy if you are nervous about furniture size and layout

Suppose you are moving into a 650-square-foot apartment with an open living and dining area.

You cannot easily tell from a product photo whether a 90-inch sofa will overwhelm the room. A strong 3D visualization can help you see the relationship between the sofa, dining table, TV area, and walkways before making a purchase.

In that situation, Spacejoy’s visual approach may justify the higher design cost.

Choose Havenly if you want professional help without a complicated process

If your main goal is, “Help me make this room look good and function better,” Havenly is likely the easier starting point.

Its process is suited to people who want a designer to guide the major decisions without hiring a traditional interior designer for a full-service project.

Choose Spacejoy if the apartment needs a complete visual plan

If you are redesigning multiple areas and want a clearer picture of how each room could look, Spacejoy may be more appealing.

This can be especially useful for:

Studio apartments
Open-concept apartments
Apartments with unusual layouts
Living rooms that also serve as offices
Major furniture replacements

Don’t Choose Based on the Design Fee Alone

The design fee is only part of your total cost.

Before hiring either service, create a separate budget for:

The design package
Major furniture
Lighting and décor
Delivery fees
Assembly
Returns or replacement items

A low design fee does not help much if the final furniture recommendations exceed what you can comfortably spend.

For example, if your total apartment budget is $5,000, tell the designer that from the beginning. Also explain whether that amount includes the design fee or applies only to furniture.

The more specific you are about your budget, the more useful the recommendations are likely to be.

What to Prepare Before Working With Either Service

Online designers can do a better job when you provide accurate information.

Before starting, prepare:

Room length and width
Ceiling height
Door and window locations
Photos from multiple angles
Furniture you plan to keep
Your actual furniture budget
A list of activities the room needs to support
A few style references you genuinely like

Do not hide problems with the room.

If there is an awkward radiator, a large structural column, or a doorway that limits furniture placement, include it. Those limitations are exactly what the designer needs to solve.

Common Small-Apartment Mistakes to Avoid

The designer can create the plan, but your choices still affect the final result.

Buying furniture before approving the layout

A beautiful sofa is still a bad purchase if it blocks the main walking path.

Approve the layout first, then confirm the measurements of each major item.

Giving the designer an unrealistic budget

If you want to furnish a living room for $2,500, say so clearly. A designer cannot create a useful shopping plan if you describe your budget as “moderate.”

Forgetting about multifunctional needs

A small apartment often requires furniture to do more than one job.

Tell the designer if:

You work from home
Guests stay overnight
You need extra hidden storage
You eat at home every day
You need a pet-friendly layout

These details can completely change the recommended layout.

Measuring only the empty floor space

Furniture also needs clearance for doors, drawers, walking paths, and daily use.

This is one of the biggest reasons a room can look fine in a photo but feel cramped in real life.

Is Havenly or Spacejoy Better for a Studio Apartment?

For most studio apartments, Spacejoy may have an advantage when visualizing the entire layout is your biggest concern, because a studio often combines sleeping, living, dining, and working areas in one open space.

However, Havenly may offer better value if you mainly need professional guidance at a lower design cost.

The deciding factor is usually the complexity of the layout.

If your studio is a simple rectangle with clearly defined areas, Havenly may be enough. If the layout is awkward and you need to understand exactly how several functions will work together, Spacejoy’s visualization-focused approach may be more useful.

Is Havenly or Spacejoy Better for Renters?

Both can work well for renters, but Havenly may be the more practical choice for many.

Renters often want:

Flexible furniture
Budget-conscious recommendations
No permanent construction
Better use of existing space
A room plan they can take to the next apartment

The key is to tell the designer that you are renting. Ask for furniture and décor solutions that do not depend on permanent changes to the apartment.

If you expect to move soon, also consider choosing versatile pieces that can work in several future layouts.

FAQ

Is Havenly cheaper than Spacejoy for a small apartment?

Based on currently listed starting prices, Havenly’s online design service has a lower entry cost, starting around $159 per room, while Spacejoy’s packages start around $299. The total value depends on what level of visualization, collaboration, and design detail you need.

Do I need professional interior design help for a small apartment?

Not always, but it can be worthwhile if you are struggling with furniture scale, awkward layouts, or multiple functions in one room. The cost may be easier to justify when professional planning helps you avoid buying large items that do not fit or work together.

Can an online designer work with furniture I already own?

Yes. You can tell the designer which pieces you want to keep, and the design can be built around them. This is especially useful in apartments where replacing everything would be unnecessary or too expensive.

The Bottom Line

For most people comparing Havenly or Spacejoy for small apartment interior design, Havenly is the better value choice, especially if you want professional help at a lower starting cost. Spacejoy is the stronger choice for people who place a high value on detailed, photorealistic visualization before buying furniture.

The smartest next step is to measure your apartment, set a realistic all-in furnishing budget, and decide what problem you actually need the designer to solve. If the main issue is making better decisions on a budget, start with Havenly. If seeing the entire room clearly before buying is worth paying more for, Spacejoy may be the better fit.