In See it before you build it I wrote about why seeing your project first matters so much. This post is the practical side: how a rendering project actually works with us, step by step, how long it takes, what you send, what you get back, and how pricing works.
We build your space in 3D, at true scale, from your plans and dimensions. Then we put in the furniture, the finishes, the materials and the light, and the computer turns that model into an image that looks like a photograph of a room that doesn't exist yet.
Along the way there are two very different kinds of pictures, and it helps to know which one you're looking at:
We work in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit and Lumion, and use AI where it gets a better result, mostly to settle the direction early. Nothing unreviewed ever reaches you. (I wrote a whole post about that: Is AI taking over design and architecture?)
One room, four stages · Author's Ice Cream
The plan says where things go. The draft says if it works. The rendering says what it will feel like. Only the last one is permanent.
Every project runs the same way, whether it's one bathroom or a whole building, and I'm involved in every single step, from your first email to the final renderings. All timelines are in working days.
| Step | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Send the project | Plans, dimensions, photos and inspiration. I read it myself and reply in writing with a fixed fee. | Before you pay anything |
| 2 · Scope in writing | What's included, every area and every view, confirmed before we start. NDA first if you need one. | Onboarding |
| 3 · Direction (optional) | If the look isn't settled yet, we settle it together first, so nobody models the wrong room. | Before modeling |
| 4 · Drafts 1 | 3D draft views of every area: layout, furniture, colors, finishes and materials, designed and checked by me. | 10 to 14 days |
| 5 · Round 1 → Drafts 2 | You send one complete list of changes, every room, every decision maker, and I go through every one with the team. | 3 to 4 days |
| 6 · Round 2 → Drafts 3 | The second list. Approval usually lands here. | 3 to 4 days |
| 7 · Final renderings | The high-definition images. I review every one before it goes out. | 5 to 7 days |
Every delivery comes in a Google Drive folder with a short Loom video walking you through it.
A typical project, in working days
The more we have, the faster the first drafts are right. A typical start looks like this:
We work remotely, and have since 2016, so all of this comes by email or a shared folder. No site visit needed.
Two rounds of changes are included in every project, and for most projects that's plenty: approval usually lands at Drafts 3. To keep things moving quickly, each round is one complete list, for every room, from everyone who has a say.
But people change their minds. They fall in love with one more idea, or want to see it one more way before they commit. And honestly? That's the beauty of it. The model is the best place to explore, so if you'd like another round or a few more options, you can have them any time, at a fixed price per round that we agree before we start it.
| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| Drafts 1, two rounds of changes, Drafts 2 and 3, final renderings | Included |
| If we missed the brief | We fix it, on us |
| An extra idea we think you'll love | Free |
| More rounds, or more options to explore | Any time, at a fixed price per round |
| A whole new direction | A fresh start on the design, and still the best moment to change course |
Rounds of drafts on four real projects
Author's Ice Cream went through four rounds of drafts in under four weeks. Every one of those frames was a chance to say "not quite" while it was still free to fix.
Most projects are still renderings. Some need more, and it all comes out of the same model, so adding it later doesn't mean starting over.
| Deliverable | What it is | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Still renderings | JPG images, 1920 x 1080 by default. Larger sizes for print: 2K prints about 8 inches wide, 4K about 13, 8K about 25. | 5 to 7 days after approval |
| Video walkthrough | An MP4 film moving through the space. | About 7 days |
| 360° VR walkthrough | A web link: look around at true scale on your phone, in the browser or in a headset. No app. | 7 to 10 days |
| Plans and elevations | PDF and DWG drawings to go with the renderings. Not construction documents. | About 10 days |
| Sourcing guide | 2 to 3 close options for each item, so the room in the picture can be bought. | About 5 days |
How big a still rendering prints
A few more, from a waterfront house to an apartment in France. Every one started the same way: plans, a list of wishes, and a first round of drafts.
Frames drawn per project, drafts and finals together
Waterfront Residence · from the permit set to the rendering
The model was built off the permit set and carried the project from May 2021 to July 2022, including exterior paint options side by side. The full story →
Apartment in France · 16 rooms, 141 square meters
Our one project outside America: five rounds and a hundred and forty six frames, including the kitchen in two colors so the decision was made on screen, not in the showroom. See the apartment →
Casa Saguaro · six bathrooms and a 360 of the exterior
Two hundred and twenty one frames over the whole project. Every round →
Ta'Da laundromat, Chicago · when the direction changes
Forty-eight AI concepts, then a pivot from dark Victorian to mint after modeling had started. That's why we now settle the direction first. The Ta'Da story →
One fixed price, agreed before we start. The price only changes if the scope does.
We don't publish a price list, because a 400 square foot café and a 6,000 square foot house aren't the same job. Send the project and I'll reply in writing with a fixed fee, or use the estimator for a ballpark bracket first. There are a few ways to work with us:
More on all of it on the pricing page.
The renderings show your contractor exactly what the finished space should look like, and the plans and elevations show where everything goes. They're for design and visualization, not construction documents. We don't verify structural, electrical, plumbing, permit or code requirements, so a local licensed professional must review the drawings before anything is built.
Plans help the most. For an existing room, dimensions and photos work too. Send what you have and we'll tell you if anything is missing before we quote.
Close by default, exact when it counts. We match the look, size and finish of what you've chosen, and when a specific piece really matters, we can model the exact item, priced per piece on top of the project fee.
First drafts take 10 to 14 working days, and each round after that 3 to 4. There's no generic "48-hour" promise, because quality takes the time it takes, but faster timelines are possible for a rush fee. Ask when you send the project.
Then we change them! That's exactly what drafts are for. Two rounds are included, and if we missed the brief, fixing it is on us. If you want to explore a whole new direction, we can do that too. It's still the best moment to change your mind, long before anything gets built.
Yes. White-label work is our main line of work: your templates, your brand, our name stays off. See how it works for designers and architects.
Send the space and the goal. Michelle replies with a fixed quote.
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