How To Charge as an Interior Decorator (2024)

FAQs

How to charge for decorating? ›

Charging your clients per room is another easy billing option. You can charge a per-room fee for interior design work only, which can range from $500 to $1500 per room. If you charge for furniture, materials and finishes selection as well as your design work, your fee would go up to between $1,000 and $7500 per room.

Once you've come up with a total estimate, your interior design fees will be based on a percentage of the estimate that will be added to the cost of the project. For example, you would add 30-45% to the project cost to cover your interior design fees.

On average you can expect to pay $100 to $200 per hour, typically totaling around $5,200 in design fees, not including the cost of furniture. Understanding the different levels of service that interior designers offer can help you determine if hiring one is the right choice for your project.

How much you might pay for a painter and decorator will depend largely on the size of the room you want painted: A small room, such as a bathroom (up to 100 square feet) could cost anywhere from £250 to £450. A medium-sized room, such as a bedroom (around 100-200 square feet) could cost anywhere from £350 to £750.

As a general rule of thumb, we suggest allocating about 7-10% of the home's value for interior design expenses. This will give you a design with some "Mid-Range" products. If you're looking for "Designer" level finishes, we recommend budgeting about 25% of the home's overall value.

A simple rule of thumb many interior designers follow is the 70:30 hack for decorating a room. 70% of the room in one style and 30% in another. This delicious “Mix” of 2 or more styles creates a unique and eclectic look making the space more personal and individual and bringing your own personalised style signature.

Most interior decorators and their firms have a gross profit margin of 35-40%. It is also a rule of thumb for all interior design services to budget for 20-30% net profit. A good budget, based on your business model, appears to be 3-12% of your gross sales revenue.

Estimating an interior design budget involves considering the cost of materials, labor, and any additional expenses like shipping or installation. It's also important to include a contingency for unexpected costs.

How much should you charge for decorating? ›

Hourly Interior Designer Rates

Interior designer hourly rates can cost anywhere between $50 to $500 or more per hour. This rate structure works great for smaller projects with limited amount of time required for completion.

Interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building, while interior decorating is the furnishing or adorning of a space with decorative elements to achieve a certain aesthetic. In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design.

A decorator's services can range from providing mood boards, furniture plans and color selections to overseeing the project installation and any necessary collaboration with other professionals, such as interior designers, architects or contractors to bring your design vision to life.

It can cost anywhere from $60 to $80 per hour. To make your birthday party planning easier, consider visiting a party supply store near me where you can find a wide range of decorations, balloons, and other supplies to suit your budget and theme. We've listed some budget-friendly party decoration ideas below.

Agencies typically charge $50 per hour for junior designers and between $75 and $150 per hour for senior designers.

Average Cost to Hire an Interior Designer

If hiring an interior designer by the hour, you can expect rates to start at $100 for a junior designer. From there, the price can go up to $500 for the most experienced designers, but typical rates are around $150 to $200 per hour.