Hiring a professional to help you design your interior spaces

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Published Date 9/20/2022

While home stagers are now a common way to prepare a house to sell for the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time, it’s about potential buyers — not about you.

So where do you go to truly get your home looking the way you’ve always wanted it to? Enter the interior designer — the person who can create your very own dream space. It’s true that every professional comes with a price tag. So how do you know whether you can afford it? The Spruce’s Ashley Knierim says before you decide to hire an interior designer, it's important to understand the financials. She proceeded to break down what you need to know about the costs associated and how to decide if it's right for you.

“The most important thing to remember is that the cost of hiring an interior designer will vary dramatically based on where you live and how extensive your design needs are,” she says. "As with most professional services, you can always shop around and get a few quotes, but it's important to keep in mind that you get what you pay for.” She goes on to say that they often charge one of two ways: flat rate or hourly and it all depends on the professional you work with and how many rooms you want to have designed.

“If you're hiring an interior designer by the hour, you can expect rates to start at $100 for a junior designer,” says Knierim. “From there, the price can go up to $500 for the most experienced designers, but typical rates land somewhere around $150 to $200 per hour. It's worth noting again that this is location-dependent; expect to pay more in large metropolitan cities, such as Los Angeles and New York.”

Flat rate prices are dictated by the size of your home and the number of rooms contained within. “For a single room, prices usually start around $2,000, but can reach into five-figure sums,” she says. "An entire house design will usually start around $5,000 and go up from there. The flat rate will often be determined by how many hours your designer expects to spend on the project.” She advises, however, that in the end, the price shouldn't be your determining factor. “It's important to find a designer who understands your style and has a similar communication style as you. Finding the right fit is as much about personality as it is about taste.”

The one thing about interior designers is that there is no one-size-fits-all here. Perhaps all you want to do is consult with them on a single project. “Say you love a specific couch, but you're really struggling to pair it with the right easy chairs or you don't know what type of rug would work best. Here, you'd work with a designer on an hourly basis and he, she, or they would help you come up with ideas to address this specific need,” explains Knierim.

“On the other end of the spectrum, you can hire your designer to create a whole room's look and feel. In this scenario, you would sit down with an interior designer and tell him or her what you like, what you dislike, what feeling you are trying to create, and more. They will move forward with these ideas in mind and come up with options that work perfectly in your space. The larger or more unusual the space, the longer it may take to come up with the right design.”

How about hiring a designer just to help you pick finishes for your renovation? For instance, if you're redoing your primary bathroom, an interior designer can help you pick the right flooring or backsplash for your space.

Let’s go one further and you want help not only with the design, but also need help with choosing and purchasing furniture. “Whether your interior designer buys your room's furniture is typically up to you,” says Knierim. “You can ask your designer to come up with a few specific options for each piece, and then you can purchase them on your own if you'd like. This gives you the ability to make the final selection and purchase however you want.”

Another option is allowing your interior designer to purchase furniture from interior designer-focused vendors he or she works with, often snagging discounts that may not otherwise be available to you. “You set the budget, and your designer will find pieces that fit within your range. This option can save you a lot of time and allow your interior designer the opportunity to commission custom pieces that fit your space,” says Knierim.

She sums up by saying that if you're considering hiring an interior designer, it's important to know that the costs can definitely add up. “That being said, working with a designer to create your dream space will often save you money in the long run and ensure that every piece of furniture you buy is perfect for your home.”

The Spruce, TBWS

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