Turnkey Interior Design

Turnkey interior design delivers the ultimate convenience — a completely finished home, every room designed and installed before you arrive.

Walk into your completed home on day one — every room furnished, every bed made, every shelf styled. Nothing left undone, nothing left to coordinate. The ultimate convenience in luxury design.

Move-In Ready. Zero Burden. Perfectly Appointed.

Turnkey interior design is about convenience at the highest level — the done-for-you luxury experience. When you open the door to your new or renovated home, every piece of furniture is in place, every lamp is lit, every shelf is styled, and every bed is made. There is nothing left to source, coordinate, or install. You turn the key and you are home.

This is distinct from full-service design (which describes our comprehensive process) or whole-home design (which describes the scale of rooms involved). Turnkey is about the result: a completely finished, move-in-ready home where the designer handles every last detail — from drawer organizers to dinner plates, from bath towels to botanicals.

For busy professionals, relocating families, second-home owners, and homeowners who simply want the highest level of service, our turnkey approach removes every friction point between design vision and daily life. No shopping, no coordinating deliveries, no assembling, no styling. You walk in and you are home — immediately, completely, and beautifully.

What Turnkey Means at Emerald & Oak

Our turnkey service extends beyond furnishings. We manage every detail of the home's interior completion, including elements most design firms leave to the homeowner. The word 'turnkey' means precisely what it suggests: you turn the key, walk in, and everything is done.

  • ● Complete furnishings — sofas, beds, dining tables, occasional pieces, and every chair
  • ● All textiles — bedding with hotel-quality linens, bath towels, window treatments, decorative pillows and throws
  • ● Lighting — table lamps, floor lamps, decorative fixtures, and bulbs at the correct color temperature
  • ● Art and mirrors — sourced, framed, and professionally installed at precise heights
  • ● Tabletop and entertaining collections — china, glassware, flatware, and serving pieces
  • ● Pantry and kitchen organizational systems — drawer organizers, cutting boards, and storage solutions
  • ● Bath accessories — soap dispensers, trays, wastebaskets, and spa-quality towel arrangements
  • ● Books, botanicals, and decorative objects — curated for your aesthetic and interests
  • ● Outdoor furnishings and styling for porches, patios, and terraces where applicable
  • ● Final walkthrough and homeowner orientation covering care instructions and vendor contacts

Who Turnkey Design Is For

Turnkey design is particularly valuable for three types of clients. First, busy professionals and executives who simply do not have the time to manage the dozens of vendors, deliveries, and installation appointments required to finish a home. Second, families relocating to Charlotte from another city or state who want to arrive to a completed home without months of shopping and coordinating from a distance. Third, homeowners building second homes or vacation properties who want the same level of completion they enjoy in their primary residence without being present for every delivery.

The Turnkey Experience: From Selection to Reveal

Throughout the process, you remain informed and involved at key decision points — approving concepts, reviewing selections, and refining direction. But the logistical complexity of procurement, delivery coordination, and installation management rests entirely with our team. We source from hundreds of trade vendors, manage lead times across dozens of manufacturers, and coordinate deliveries so that everything arrives in the correct sequence for a single, choreographed installation. On move-in day, our team arrives early. By the time you walk through the front door, every lamp is plugged in, every bed is made to hotel standards, every bathroom is stocked with fresh towels and curated accessories, and every shelf tells a story. The reveal is one of the most rewarding moments in our practice — the expression on a client's face when they realize they are truly, completely home.

The Turnkey Standard

Every element placed in a turnkey installation meets the same standard — from the sofa in the great room to the towels in the guest bath.

Hotel-Grade Linens & Down

European linens, Hungarian goose down duvets, and custom-sized bed skirts and shams — every bed made and styled to a standard that rivals the world's finest hotels. Thread counts and fabrics selected for comfort, not marketing.

Curated Entertaining Collections

China, glassware, flatware, and serving pieces selected to complement your dining aesthetic — ready for your first dinner party the night you move in. We coordinate formal and everyday collections.

Spa-Quality Towels & Accessories

Turkish cotton bath sheets, coordinated accessories, curated toiletry vessels, and artisan soap dishes — every bathroom styled as a personal sanctuary from day one.

Organizational Systems & Essentials

Custom drawer organizers, pantry storage solutions, quality cutting boards, and everyday essentials — so your kitchen functions beautifully from the first morning coffee.

Weather-Resistant Furnishings

Performance-fabric seating, outdoor rugs, planters, and all-weather accessories for porches, patios, and terraces — extending the turnkey experience to every livable outdoor space.

Books, Botanicals & Art Objects

The final styling layer — curated coffee table books, sculptural objects, live plants, and seasonal botanicals that make a new home feel immediately inhabited, warm, and personal.

Typical Turnkey Commission

What a complete turnkey engagement looks like — from concept to keys in hand.

On installation day, our team arrives with every item — from dining tables to drawer organizers — and transforms an empty house into a fully realized home. By evening, every light is on, every bed is made, and every shelf tells a story. The reveal is one of the most rewarding moments in our practice.

"Miriam is an artist. Our Eastover renovation required sensitivity to the home's original character while updating everything for modern living. She nailed it — the result is timeless."

"The attention to detail is next level. Custom millwork, hand-selected stone slabs, lighting that transforms the mood of every room. Emerald & Oak operates at a completely different standard."

Arrive to a Finished Home

Turnkey design is the ultimate expression of service — every detail resolved so you can simply begin living.

  • Turnkey vs Traditional Interior Design

Frequently asked questions

What does turnkey interior design mean?
Turnkey interior design means every element of your home's interior is complete on move-in day. All furniture is placed, beds are made with hotel-quality linens, towels are folded, lamps are lit, art is hung, shelves are styled, and the kitchen is organized. You literally turn the key and walk into a finished, fully appointed home with nothing left to do but live.
What does turnkey interior design include?
Our turnkey service includes all furnishings, bedding and linens, bath towels and accessories, window treatments, lighting, art and mirrors, tabletop and entertaining collections, kitchen organization, pantry essentials, outdoor furnishings, decorative objects, books, botanicals, and the complete installation and styling of every element. We also provide a homeowner orientation covering care instructions for all materials and furnishings.
How much does turnkey interior design cost?
Turnkey design fees include the standard full-service design fee plus additional procurement management for the finishing details. Total project investment — including design fees, furnishings, and all finishing elements — typically ranges from $200,000 to $1,500,000+ depending on the home's scale and quality expectations. We provide detailed, transparent proposals before any commitment.
Is turnkey design more expensive than standard full-service?
Turnkey encompasses a broader scope than standard full-service design because it includes items many homeowners typically source themselves — linens, tabletop, pantry organization, bathroom accessories, and final styling details. The additional investment typically represents 15 to 25 percent beyond a standard furnishing budget, but the time saved and the quality of the coordinated result far exceed what most homeowners achieve independently.
How long does the turnkey process take?
For a new construction home, the turnkey process typically runs parallel to the final construction phase — 4 to 8 months of procurement and planning, with a coordinated installation in the final weeks before move-in. For existing homes, the timeline is typically 6 to 10 months from design approval through installation.
Can I be involved in selections or is everything decided for me?
You are involved at every key decision point — approving design concepts, reviewing furniture selections, confirming material palettes, and providing feedback on direction. Turnkey doesn't mean we design without you; it means we handle every logistical detail — vendor coordination, delivery scheduling, quality inspection, and installation management — so your involvement is purely creative and enjoyable.
Is turnkey available for out-of-state clients?
Yes — turnkey is particularly valuable for clients relocating to Charlotte or furnishing second homes. Our process is designed for remote collaboration, with virtual design presentations, digital approval tools, and regular progress updates. You don't need to be present for any deliveries or installation. The final reveal happens when you arrive to your completed home.
What is the difference between turnkey and move-in ready?
In real estate, 'move-in ready' typically means the home is structurally complete and functional — but often lacks furnishings, window treatments, art, and the personal details that make a house feel like home. Turnkey design goes far beyond structural readiness: it means every decorative and functional element is in place, every surface is styled, and the home is genuinely ready to live in from the moment you walk through the door.
Do you offer turnkey design for vacation homes?
Yes — vacation and second homes are among our most popular turnkey commissions. Lake Norman lakefront properties, mountain retreats in Highlands, and coastal homes along the Carolina coast are all settings where turnkey design adds exceptional value. We manage the entire process remotely and install everything in a coordinated event, so the homeowner arrives to a fully realized retreat.
How do you handle turnkey installation logistics?
We manage every logistical detail: coordinating deliveries from 30 to 60 vendors, staging furniture in a warehouse before installation day, deploying a team of 6 to 12 installers, and executing a choreographed room-by-room setup over 2 to 5 days. Every item has a designated placement documented in our installation plans. The result is a seamless, stress-free experience for the homeowner.