The question is inevitable.
We meet a great couple, ready to take the plunge into designing their new, custom home. They adore our team, they understand and trust our process, and they absolutely love our designs. Then, despite all the happiness, the mood in the room shifts when someone reluctantly asks, “Alright… how much does it cost to hire an interior designer?”
This is always a loaded question. Hiring an interior designer is not going to be cheap –– we won’t sugarcoat it –– but we can promise you that it will be worth the investment. If money is a concern for you, we encourage you to look at how the benefits of hiring an interior designer outweigh the costs of it all.
A professional interior designer takes the guesswork out of the perfect design by handling all aspects of the project from start to finish. Not only that, an interior designer will save you time, money, and energy in the long run.
Let’s break down how much an interior designer costs before we dive into the many benefits of investing in this service.
How Much Does An Interior Designer Cost?
So, how much does an interior designer cost? We’ll discuss some of the baseline costs that you can expect when it comes to an interior designer’s fee structure. Keep in mind that these average costs for interior designers may not reflect every designer’s cost.
The way that an interior designer sets out their compensation and pricing may vary from person to person. We will discuss the most common compensation structures for interior designers.
Compensation Structures: Average Costs for Interior Designers
The way that interior designers charge clients for their services is their choice. It typically is one of two structures: flat rate or hourly.
Flat Rate Pricing
A flat rate is a charge that doesn’t vary based on the number of hours spent working. The average cost for an interior designer at a flat rate is between $2,000-$5,000, excluding the cost of furniture. This does not include additional upgrades that may be added to the project.
We typically charge a flat-rate fee calculated by the square footage of your home based on the service you are requesting.
Hourly Pricing
Other interior designers may charge anywhere between $100–$500/hour for their services. Your total price will vary depending on the number of hours taken to complete the project. Again, furniture and design upgrades are not included in this estimate.
In addition to the general fee for hiring an interior designer, there are other factors that may influence the final cost of designing your custom home. These factors include:
- The size of your home. Larger homes will cost more per square foot.
- The service requested. Depending on what services you’re requesting, there may be a price increase to cover the cost of any renovations or additional requests.
- Experience level of your interior designer. A more experienced designer will likely charge more for their services.
- Type of materials. More luxurious, high-end materials may come with a higher price tag than others.
- Construction level. The more construction that needs to be done to your space, the higher the price may be to complete the work.
These are just a few of the potential factors that may increase the average cost for an interior designer.
When and How Do I Pay An Interior Designer?
You may be wondering what the payment timeline looks like for interior designers. Many interior designers require a deposit of at least 10% before beginning the project. Typically, you will pay the rest of the balance in installments outlined and agreed upon in your contract. When furniture is purchased, some interior designers request a 50% payment upfront for each piece of furniture.
How Long Do Interior Design Projects Take?
This will depend on the project at hand. Some interior design processes may only take one month while others with a number of custom orders, upgrades, and construction may take six to eight months. Overall, the average interior design process takes two to three months.
Is It Worth It To Hire An Interior Designer?
It’s hard to step back and look at what the benefits of hiring an interior designer are, so we came up with 3 ways the benefits outweigh the costs:
1. Optimizing Your Time
We’ve been in the interior design industry long enough to know that building a home always seems to take a little bit longer than anyone originally anticipated. Delivery trucks always seem to come an hour after your 5-hour time window, and the couch you fell in love with won’t get shipped out for another 6 weeks… after it gets back in stock. We’ve learned to laugh through it all!
Hiring an interior designer takes the stress of time completely off your hands. We handle the entire process for you, so you can focus on the other things happening in your life. Having a professional manage your interior design project saves you time because you’re not worrying about it, we are!
2. Improving your Home Value
The best part about hiring an interior designer is the happiness you will feel in your beautiful new home after the process is done. You really can’t put a price tag on the enjoyment of a refreshed space that perfectly reflects who you are and supports your lifestyle.
Another plus of hiring an interior designer is that you will probably experience an uptick in your home’s value, as long as you’re making smart updates. An interior designer will guide you in making the right upgrades if getting a return on your investment is your main goal.
Knowing the market is essential here! And as interior design professionals, we know the market. We will help you make wise decisions if resale is on your mind, but most importantly, we will make you feel happy and comfortable in your new space.
3. Sticking To a Budget
If you decide to move forward with a design, working with an interior designer can actually save you money. I know we just said it was expensive, but stay with us here!
When you first meet with an interior designer, we agree to a set budget based on your preferences and the interior designer’s fee structure. We work hard to stay within this budget and create a design that you will love! When trying to design a home on your own, it’s easy to spend carelessly and buy things that don’t fit with your space, wasting money in the long run.
In the luxury spaces where we practice, we help our clients know when to splurge on that exceptional piece for the room. We bring these pieces to you and make professional recommendations. We also tell you where you can save! Overall, we will help you make all the right decisions when it comes to your space so you are spending your money wisely.
As our client, you will also receive insider access to the interior design world. We have trade discounts, partners in moving and shipping, and the inside scoop on material costs that we share with you. With exclusive access to certain vendors, an interior designer will give you reduced pricing on items you won’t find in a retail environment.
We hope that this guide has helped answer the question, ”How much does an interior designer cost?” and more. When considering hiring an interior designer, you can see that the benefits truly outweigh the costs.
Contact us today for more information about what hiring Alisha Taylor Interiors really will cost!
