How Much Does A Home Designer Cost
It's easy to become overwhelmed when it comes to decorating your home. Even the most experienced interior designers can feel under pressure when faced with a project managing a house.
As a result, hiring an interior designer can be a great way to make your vision a reality.
Hiring a professional interior designer will help you to design your rooms in a more affordable way. But how do you know if you can afford it because every professional has a fee?
Before hiring an interior designer, it's critical to understand the financials. We've outlined everything you need to know about the fees and how to decide if it's suitable for you in this article.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
Interior designers offer a variety of services that help bring a project from concept to reality. This is what they do:
- Come up with design ideas. Interior designers assist their clients by creating a design idea that covers the mood, color, project goals as well as project style of a room.
- Come up with a design plan. Designers then transform that vision into a strategy. They might suggest a specific layout for a new living room or draw out a plan for how furniture and accessories will appear in the space.
- Establish a reasonable budget for the client and assist them in sticking to it.
- Choose and design the project's products, finishes, and materials. This might range from advising paint colors to selecting a floor type to offer specific storage options.
- Project management. They will work with other professionals such as general contractors and architects to submit plans for permits. They will also check the project to verify that the correct items and resources are used.
- Buy, install, and manage the delivery of furniture, art, and accessories to the house. (Decorilla, 2020)
Cost to Hire Interior Designer
According to Home Guide an interior designer costs on average $5,406. Most homeowners end up spending between $1,893 and $11,180. On average, hourly prices range from $50 to $200, or $5 to $12 per square foot.
Interior designer charges are not known to be cheap. Most designers tend to price their services based on the following. The scope of the project dictates a flat fee, hourly rates, and even the total cost.
When looking for an interior designer, there are some phrases that you may come across. These include:
- Scope of the project
This is what needs to be achieved and the work that is to be done to deliver a project. This will also help designers determine the total cost of the interior design project.
ProTip Takeaway: The square footage of the room will have a significant impact on the interior design cost.
- Flat fee
Some companies, especially larger ones, might charge a flat rate for a project. Per room is the most typical flat charge, which is decided by the type and size of the total square feet in question.
The average room will cost between $2,000 and $12,000 if you add furniture purchases, but expect to pay between $450 and $1,500 for the design work.
ProTip Takeaway: It's easier to estimate the work involved when there are no architectural needs. Thus, interior decorator costs are based on a flat rate structure.
- Hourly rates
The most common method is to charge per hour for the designer's time. These interior designer charges are common for smaller businesses or individual designers. Smaller projects are especially prone to this. The designer's total cost will include their time and activities such as travel, site visits, and correspondence.
The average cost to hire an interior designer by the hour is between $50 and $200 per hour. The hourly rate can also depend on the years of experience with junior designers charging from 50$ per hour.
- Square Foot/feet
This is the amount of space a designer will work with per foot. You can expect to pay $5 – $17 per square foot. A rate based on square footage allows for the designer to take on projects of all shapes and sizes. Keep an eye on the interior design cost as it may end up being high depending on the square footage.
Interior Designers Cost
|
Charge Type |
Cost Range |
|
National Average |
$5,406 |
|
Minimum cost |
$449 |
|
Maximum cost |
$50,000 |
|
Flat fee per room |
$2,000 and $12,000 |
|
Per hour |
$50 – $200 |
|
Per Square foot |
$5 – $17 |
Source: HomeGuide
It is important to note that there is a difference between an interior designer and a decorator. When deciding between the two keep in mind that designers are more concerned with the structure's layout and function. Decorators only add color and furnishings after the house is built.
ProTip Takeaway: Interior decorator costs are usually less than interior designer costs if your needs are simple. (HomeGuide, 2021)
Hiring an Interior Designer
If it's within your budget, there are many reasons to hire an interior designer. Professional interior designers know the best paint colors to choose to create a warm atmosphere. They also know the best way to help you in making your dream house a reality.
An experienced interior designer will know how to do the following:
- Help you narrow down your ideas to get one great outcome. For example, if you have a smaller project like a living room as your interior design project. The designer will help you to narrow down layout options and paint color for the living room.
- They assist in project management of all aspects of the adjustments, freeing you your time to focus on more vital matters.
- They are trained and certified to arrange space in the most logical and mood-enhancing manner possible. They will do this while maintaining current on local and federal building requirements. These requirements might be for rewiring, plumbing, shifting walls, among other things. (Livspace, 2021)
Is An Interior Designer Really Worth It?
This is a question that most homeowners ask when thinking about revamping their homes. Should you use an interior designer? Should I turn the renovation into a DIY project or hire a decorator? The answer is yes! If the appearance of your home is important to you, then hiring an interior designer is worth it if you can afford it.
You need to hire a designer with years of experience if:
- Your home, for example, the living room, has a poor layout and you would like to resize it and add more light.
- You are planning to resell your house and want to stage it to attract more potential buyers.
- You have bought a new house and need some decorating help.
- You have a lot of visitors and want to impress them.
- You want to rent out a room or a section of your house for short-term stays. (Decorilla, 2020)
ProTip Takeaway: Homes that have been staged sell faster and for more money than homes that have not been staged by a professional.
How To Plan For Your Interior Design Ahead
Understanding your scope and budget is the most crucial thing to do before hiring an interior designer. Make a list of everything you want in your home and focus on your needs and wants.
Also, try to narrow down your preferences. Many styles can work in a room, but they rarely work well together.
Narrowing down your preferences might also assist you in finding designers who will fit both your style and your budget. Even though most designers can work in a range of styles, you'll find that everyone has a unique design process.
When searching for a decorator, hire based on recommendations from friends and family. Research the interior designer’s professional certifications, training, and years of experience.
You can also search online by looking at ratings and reviews on sites such as Google since most decorators post their work online.
Find an interior designer who matches your personality. Someone who you feel comfortable around them and can communicate your desires and needs at any time.
The cost of an interior designer or interior decorator does not have to be high. We hope you go into your interior design project informed and prepared after reading this article about the cost of an interior designer. (Forbes Advisor, 2021)
ProTip Takeaway: When it comes to buying furniture for let’s say your living room, it’s usually for you to decide. The designer can come up with a few specific options from which you can choose and buy.
Do you still want to hire an interior designer?
If you're thinking about hiring an interior designer in Houston Texas, keep in mind that the designer charges might end up adding up. Working with a designer like Smart Remodeling LLC in Houston to design your dream space will almost always save you money in the long run. We will ensure that every piece of furniture you buy is perfect for your home.
Get in touch with us today. We have a professional interior designer in Houston that will handle your project. Our interior designer cost is affordable and we will work with you from the beginning or planning stage of your project. Our opinions and guidance at Smart Remodeling LLC will contribute greatly to the success of the interior design project.