How much do interior designers charge?
Most interior design projects range between $1,900 and $11,400. Interior designers who don’t charge a flat rate cost either $50 to $200 per hour or $5 to $15 per square foot.
Most projects include an initial design consultation at a price of $150 to $500. The consultation, which takes 2 to 4 hours, will determine project scope and cost.
Hiring a designer will save you a lot of time and possibly a lot of money. Designers have all the necessary tools and equipment, so you won’t have to buy anything that you’ll never use again. The price range for interior designers is huge, partly because different designers use different price structures.
What does an interior designer do?
Interior designers work with you to come up with and plan the structural and aesthetic design of your home or property. Planning from the ground up, they’ll consider a range of variables:
- Building codes
- Safety and flow
- Available space
- Efficiency of use
- Current design trends
You can hire an interior designer for the initial planning only or ask them to transition into the actual building process with the architect.
What are the differences between interior designers and interior decorators?
The terms “interior decorator” and “interior designer” are not interchangeable. These are two different professions, and the main difference between them is the level of education.
Becoming a decorator doesn’t require any formal training, and they are not qualified to make structural changes to your home. They focus on decorative aspects: paint, wallpaper, window treatments, and so on. Designers have a college degree in something like interior design or interior architecture and have passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification exam. Because of their education and knowledge about building codes and regulations, they can work with you to complete more complicated design projects.
Interior Designers
- Plan a space from the ground up.
- Have a formal education.
- Focus on the layout and function of the space.
- Can act as project managers.
- Can also help with decorations.
Interior Decorators
- Focus on the decoration of an existing space.
- Don’t necessarily have formal education.
- Focus on aesthetics only.
- Can’t perform design functions.
What questions can help me find a good interior designer?
- What’s your experience with projects like mine?
- What is your education?
- Are you licensed in my state?
- Are you certified for interior design, and where?
- Do you charge by the project, hour, or square foot?
- How much do you charge, and do you have any flexibility?
- Can I see examples of previous work?
- What design styles and trends inspire you?
- Do you have references of previous clients like me?
- What happens if I don’t like the design?
- Can you work with me on transitioning from design to build?
