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We’ve already seen an iPad app that lets consumers seek guidance from the masses on design plans for their homes. Now taking that crowdsourcing premise a step further, Italian CoContest is a site through which homeowners can set their own design competitions, getting architects to challenge others for the chance to work on their renovation projects. Homeowners with renovation to be done begin by launching a contest on CoContest, specifying not just the work to be done but also the specifications, deadline and any cash award. Architects around the world can then compete by submitting their proposals. “This is a worldwide solution,” CoContest says. “Why not obtain a Scandinavian design for your house in New York directly from a Swedish architect, or a Japanese touch in your London apartment from an architect based in Tokyo? With CoContest, you can.” In any case, at the end of the contest, homeowners can view all potential solutions and choose a winner, ranking the best projects by marking them with stars. From that point on, the contest becomes public and is viewable by all users. The video below explains the premise in more detail. CoContest can be particularly useful for real estate firms seeking a new outsourcing channel for low-cost projects, as well as for “junior architects who want to emerge,” the company notes. Architect and interior design entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?