How much does an interior designer cost? and do I really need one?
Have you contemplated hiring an interior designer for your renovation or home redecoration project and wonder what their costs might be? Apprehensive about whether it will be worth it? Not sure if you need one or not? Do you like the idea of having full control and not sure if they’ll really ‘get you’?
Well, you’ve come to the right website because a) I’m an interior designer and b) I’ve supported hundreds of homeowners (mainly renovators) through the transformation of their homes nationally. I set up my business with my partner Neil to give people the transparency and advice they need to make confident decisions as you renovate or decorate your home.
I offer lots of different home design services at different costs and have a good understanding of costs in the industry with lots of friends who are interior designers like me. So I can definitely help you to understand an interior designer’s costs if you’re curious or need to budget for their fees.
How much do interior designers cost?
For anyone looking for a straight up answer to “how much does an interior designer cost?”, you might be surprised to hear that interior designers can be more affordable than people think. For example, my rates start from £500 but as you will expect, costs can depend on your needs and how big your project is. There are several ways you can work with an interior designer so costs can vary widely. Let’s take a look…
An interior designer’s costs for e-design
E-design services are where you hire an interior designer to recommend a layout, colour scheme and a design for you to implement yourself. It works remotely, the designer doesn’t come to your house which keeps the service affordable.
E-design can typically cost anywhere from £500 per room for a basic design proposal, sometimes more if you need more bespoke support or drawings. My online design service typically includes layout options, colour schemes, design concepts, mood boards, furniture selection, fabric specification, and a full plan for how to design a room with your tastes and budgets in mind. I charge approx £3000 for a small ground floor which is competitively priced.
Online design is a very straightforward way of working with an interior designer that allows you to hire talent from all across the world (should the interior designers offer it) given it can be done completely remotely – you get all the knowledge and instructions from an interior designer without the costs of hiring them to install and manage the project. Take a look at my packages for more information.
How does e-design work?
You typically have a call with the designer, provide measurements to them, tell them your requirements and then pay a one-off fee for their E-design service. The designer will produce a completely to-scale, bespoke plan for your home that can include colour schemes, where to paint and paper, 3D visuals, furniture suggestions, shopping lists, lighting solutions and more. All completely tailored to your space. It’s a far more affordable option for bespoke support as the more traditional design approach that calls for site surveys, meetings, check ins start from £15,000. (feel free to get in touch with me for a quote if you’re curious about e-design – I tend to take on full ground floors and full properties working with clients who are usually renovating and want to achieve a timeless, Modern Country look).
You might spot some designers or businesses offering an e-design package for less than £250 per room. They could either be just starting out in the industry, or they may be relying on affiliate links in their proposals to you to earn a cut on everything you order. A word of warning here, I wouldn’t recommend working with a designer in this way simply because they’ll recommend affiliate partner’s products to you rather than really working to understand your personality and needs for the room, then researching the right items with your budget in mind. They might also be just repeating the same design proposal for each client rather than offering you a really bespoke service proposing a design that’s listened to your needs. My advice would be to check whether the designer you’re hiring is affiliated to brands they recommend before you work together and maybe ask to see some examples of their design proposals. Trade discounts are a completely separate thing to affiliates as savings are passed onto the client which means you can save up to 25% off furniture, tiles and high value items. Some clients I’ve worked with in the past have saved more than my design fee in trade discounts.
An interior designer’s cost for traditional design
Traditional interior design is more expensive and can cost roughly 5-10% of your overall project costs and can start from £15,000 upwards. Taking the traditional approach, you’ll typically hire a designer local to you so they can visit your property, get to know you, meet your architect, possibly project manage the build (if they offer this service and should you request it). They can even style the property for you so you turn the key and it’s ready to live in.
With the traditional interior design service, the key to understanding how much it will cost you, is by breaking down exactly what you need from the designer and asking that they put together a fee proposal bespoke to your project but the rough price is between 5-10% if you need to budget for this service.
To give you a finger-in-the-air example fee proposal, say you own an average sized 3 bed house and you’d like to hire a designer to help you with a kitchen extension you’re planning to spend £100,000 on. For the interior designer alone (i.e excluding architect, structural engineer or any planning/building regs fees) it can cost anything between £5,000 – £10,000 and upwards for the design of a kitchen extension renovation, depending on the individual designer’s fee and what you’ve asked for support with.
Advice for choosing an interior designer (I’m also sharing an alternative/more affordable route to hiring an interior designer below but it’s not for everyone)
The one and only piece of advice I can give to anyone looking to work 1-on-1 with an interior designer is to hire somebody who has demonstrated on their website or social channels that they design in a decor style you’d like in your home.
For example, if you love the Modern Country, timeless, elegant look you, then we’d be a great fit to work together (see my packages here). If you know you want a modern, contemporary style, I would recommend other interior designers who specialise in this area.
Image: modern country design, border oak
Why is this important? The designer is going to be a specialist in that niche and if they’re a specialist they’ll know all the suppliers, all the best colour schemes, the most ideal materials for your budget inside out.
As I specialise in timeless, country, or modern farmhouse (not vintage, not industrial, not retro) I know all the suppliers, materials and I’ve seen colour schemes being developed + translated in real life in this style. Yes, I can do contemporary, industrial and other designs too, but it wouldn’t come as easily to me as the country/timeless look and I’d rather recommend a designer who can deliver exactly what you need.
Photography: Adam Carter
Country home decor is my speciality and this means my clients receive that expertise. Having similar styles, you and your designer will enjoy the whole process together, you’ll find it very easy to work and communicate, you’ll learn about different suppliers and colours for future room projects and properties, and you’re more likely to love the outcome.
A more affordable solution to hiring an interior designer
What happens when you can’t afford an interior designer’s fee for e-design or traditional design, and you desperately need help?
I created my Home Design Lab online course showing students how to build a vision and create a cohesive design scheme for their home for a fraction of the price.
Having built a community of renovators and home decorators, I have seen a different need for homeowners who don’t need a full service interior designer but do want to be shown the ropes and learn colour techniques, visualising techniques and project management tips.
Is this you?
You already have interior ideas for your home – You don’t need to pay for an interior designer’s ideas, you just need help working out which idea you should go with
You want to be a part of the whole design process for your house – you don’t want to hand over to someone else. You enjoy design and want to put your own stamp on your home but you can feel overwhelmed with which style to choose, where to start or what to do next.
You have nobody to really bounce ideas with – There’s no one in your life that understands the importance of your house design and it’s impact on your life/psychology. Your partner isn’t interested and you feel a bit defeated every time you try to make a decision and they’re not on board.
You’re keen to learn some basic design principles – Ultimately you don’t need to be an interior designer to get an amazing look for your home but it helps to understand an interior designer’s principles that can be applied to the design of your house, and your future houses rather than paying for an interior designer to ‘do it for you’.
You have a few specific questions about certain elements of your house design – you don’t need a designer to propose a big package, you just need a little layout or colour advice.
Does any of this resonate with you? Because Home Design Lab could be the solution for you.
Take a look at the results Anna has achieved in her holiday cottage, using the method I share in the Home Design Lab program:
In my experience, you’re either somebody who wants to hand over and pay someone to do design for you, or you’re eager to do it yourself but get support and know-how to do it well.
If you’re the latter and you’re a renovator or you’re redecorating your home looking to feel more motivated to form your own design plan for your house, then you are the reason I focus my work on e-design services and offering an online course to support people with their interior design.
My aim is to empower you to design your own home in a way that transforms your life. Because you can do it.
With my help through Home Design Lab, I’ll give you all the design principles and the process to follow to get your home right and ultimately be your own interior designer without the fees I normally charge 1-on-1 clients.
What service should you go for?
Hopefully this guide has introduced you to the costs and services an interior designer can offer, and hopefully I’ve shown you an alternative and more affordable route if that’s for you and you’re looking for a different level of support.
If you enjoyed this post then consider signing up to get notified for my next Home Design Lab enrolment where I support a small, tight-knit group of homeowners to form a design plan that will transform their home and life. Alternatively if you have a large house renovation project and you’re looking for a timeless, Modern Country design, get a quote for my 1-on-1 interior design service.
New here? Hi, I’m Fi
I’m an Interior Designer in Brighton supporting hundreds of first time renovators through our online course – How to Renovate a House and the Home Design Lab. I offer an affordable, convenient Interior Design service nationally for renovators, to help them overcome design challenges and ultimately turn their fixer uppers into their forever homes.
I’ve been featured on world-acclaimed interior websites such as Farrow & Ball, Anthropologie, Laura Ashley, John Lewis and more. I’ve worked in the interior industry for over 7 years and in that time I’ve acquired the skills, the eye and the contacts to transform homes to be as practical as they are beautiful. It’s a constant blast :)
