Take a Tour of Real Simple's 2023 Get It Done Virtual Home

Home is where the heart and the never-ending to-do list is. It’s where all our favorite things (and people!) live. It’s also where our nagging projects nag at us! The powder room that’s needed an upgrade for ages. The kitchen counters that are begging for a bit of love. The back burner stuff that just never gets done. Well, we want to help you get it done. All of it. Or at least most of it! Hence, the 2023 Get It Done Virtual Home, which is packed with step-by-step instructions, useful tips, and bite-sized guides to inspire you to cross off some of those lingering to-dos.

In collaboration with YouSee Studio and interior designer Molly Torres Portnof, we "built" a sun-drenched, single-story contemporary home. The folks at YouSee Studio converted a floor plan (a stunner from architecture firm Ike Baker Velten) into a digital rendering. Meanwhile, Molly picked out every single decorative element (the seating in the living room, the wallpaper in the bathroom, the dresser in the primary bedroom, the drawer pulls on the kitchen cabinets...you get the point). Always striving for spaces that feature form and function, she made sure her designs had lots of color, texture, pattern, storage, and real-life practicality. When Molly was done designing the home, the renderings got the final touches—YouSee Studio artists filled the space, the couch got centered just so, flowers were nudged a little to the left. The finished product: a beautiful virtual home that you can tour without ever leaving your sofa. 

To “walk” through the space, click the "Click to Enter Tour" button above. When you get to the front door, click on the opening door icon to step inside. For a 360-degree spin around the entryway, click and drag. In each room, you'll notice lightbulb icons, highlighting all the bright ideas within the space—click on the lightbulb for tips and how-tos. You’ll also notice price tags, which will pull up a list of shoppable links for all the furnishings in that room. Like that lighting fixture? We’ve included the link so you can buy it! (If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.) When you're done exploring a room, click the door icon to walk into the next one. You can also navigate throughout the house by clicking "Floor Plan" on the bottom left side of the screen and selecting the room you'd like to visit.

After your tour, we hope you’ll feel inspired to take on some of these tasks IRL—even if it’s just one. Cross something off that list, though, and we’re willing to bet your momentum keeps going. 

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Meet the Designers

Molly Torres Portnof is the founder of DATE Interiors, a full-service interior design firm based in the New York metropolitan area. Her speciality? Creating comfortable, curated spaces that make people say, “This is so YOU!” 

Ike Baker Velten is an architecture and design firm rooted in tradition, inspired by the West Coast, and infused with whimsy and irreverence. Based in Oakland, Calif., Ike Baker Velten is led by partners John Ike, Carl Baker, and Tyler Velten.

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