HOW MUCH WILL MY INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT COST?

When planning for anything, whether it’s buying a house, a car, going on vacation, or even buying a piece of jewelry, you want to know that you have the amount you need to get what you want. Planning for an interior design or decorating project is no exception. Hiring an interior designer is an investment of time and resources which takes thoughtful planning and a set of realistic expectations. But how much should you plan to spend on your interior design project? Let’s get into it.

How Much Will My Design Project Cost?

If you’ve ever reached out to a custom home builder or an interior designer for an estimate, 9 times out of 10, they’ve not been able to provide you with a blanket answer. Quite simply–there isn’t one. The reality is that there simply isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to your interior design investment. There are endless variables that are unique to each home and circumstance. The same kitchen floor plan within the same neighborhood can vary in cost quite significantly due to varying homeowner needs and desires. You want the basics– painted cabinets, quartz countertops and backsplash. Your neighbor wants a custom hood, marble countertops, paneled appliances and a built-in espresso machine. The variability in design needs are significant. So how do you plan? How do you budget?

Interior designers are aware that many potential clients don’t know how much to budget for their interior design project. Unfortunately, reality television has done the design industry a disservice by leaving viewers with a false idea of what design projects costs. Take what you see on television and double those costs (maybe even triple them!). Designers know that educating you on real costs for your specific location is important and very much needed. Your interior designer not only wants to help give you the home of your dreams, but also help you realistically understand what it takes to get there financially.

Fees

During an interior design project you will have at least two to three separate sets of fees–design fees, labor/construction fees and furnishings fees. These are all usually billed to you separately and various stages in the process. You can expect your interior designer to bill you for design fees and furnishing costs. Labor and/or construction costs may be billed to you separately by the tradesperson doing the work. However, this may vary depending on the interior design agreement and how the firm is set up to work.

Interior Design Fees

Deciding that you want to work with an interior designer on your home project requires an understanding that you are hiring a design professional. You’re not in the DIY realm when hiring an interior designer. You’re hiring a qualified professional to interpret your needs in order to bring your home goals to life in the most functional and beautiful way. You’re paying for their design knowledge, their industry expertise, their creative problem-solving abilities and project management skill. You can expect a professional service of this nature to cost anywhere from $150 an hour to upwards of $450 an hour or more. The hourly range varies as it all depends on the design firm and their location among other things. If you live in a higher cost of living part of the country then you can expect the hourly rate to lean higher.

So how many hours will my design project take?

This all varies greatly depending on your specific needs and by individual design firms. As an example, a living room or family room could take anywhere from 20-30 hours depending on the specifics of the room. Whereas a full new kitchen design could take 60 hours. Your designer will estimate these numbers for you and depending on how they bill, will invoice as the project moves along or upfront as a flat fee. This will all be specific to the interior design firm you’ve hired.

What If I Have a Tight Budget?

Based on your specific needs, your designer should be able to provide you with investment guidance for your project. Let’s say that you have $75k to spend and 3 rooms you’d like to work on–a mid-sized kitchen renovation along with furnishing your living room and dining room. Your designer should guide you on whether that $75k is enough for 3 rooms (I will tell you that it is not) and what your alternatives are instead (scale back the project to focus on the kitchen only, as an example). Your designer will also ask for you to clarify whether that $75k budget is inclusive of design fees. If so, this may also affect the direction you’re guided in because there is less money for materials in this scenario. Let’s say you insist on all 3 rooms being completed together. Well, in that case, your designer should sit with you to plan out a more realistic budget for all 3 rooms. However, this will mean that you will have to increase your budget. If there is no flexibility in your budget, that is okay. Some of your project may have to be put on hold for a later date. You would much rather that you have more flexibility in your project to get what you truly desire from your interior design project than make compromises that don’t provide you with what you are desiring. Your designer cannot turn water into wine, but can educate you on how to realistically get the home you desire.

How Much Might It Cost To Furnish a Living Room?

At Three Luxe Nine Interiors we want to provide you with a high quality, completely finished, turn-key home which includes everything from furnishings, lighting, art and the smallest of accessories. Given that, how much might furnishing that living room cost? You can expect a typical living room investment for furnishings only to start around $35,000. This might include:

Sofas

Chairs

Rug and pad

Coffee Table

End Tables

Lamps

Console Table

Window Treatments

Wall Decor

Additional costs to consider are painting, wallpaper, millwork and labor (painter, electrician, carpenter, etc.,). These are usually quoted and billed separately than the furnishings budget. Initially, these costs may seem a bit surprising, but if you were to go through a room you’ve furnished on your own in the past and add up what you may have previously spent on that room, you may find that you have come pretty close to this number in the past, just over a longer period of time.

We’re here to guide you along the design process. Being upfront about your budget limitations, if any, and also flexible to scope adjustments, if needed, will ensure an open and transparent relationship with your designer. Remember, your interior designer wants to see your home dreams realized for you just as much as you do!