How much should I charge for the services?

How much does an interior designer charge and what kind of services should I expect?

• What kind of deliverables does an interior designer provide? How much do they typically charge in the bay area and what do the services entail? Do they charge by hour or they charge by project? What should I look for when working with an interior designer and what should I expect?

• Answer:

  There are three main ways that interior designers charge for their services: 1. Hourly plus markup on product (markup is usually in the range of 20-40% above wholesale/designer pricing). 2. Hourly only. 3. Flat fee. I work with most of my clients on an hourly basis only ($150/hour), and I pass along my discounts whenever the vendor is willing to work directly with the client. If I have to broker the transaction because the vendor does not sell to the general public, I charge a nominal fee to do it, but I don't charge a markup that is a percentage of the product cost. (This is somewhat unusual in the industry.) Sometimes I work with people on a flat fee basis, but usually only if I have worked with the person before. If we are working together for the first time, I will give them a ballpark estimate of how much time I think it will take, but the reality is the client has a LOT of control over how much time it takes a designer to do the project. If they are super clear about what they want, and generally decisive by nature, the project tends to move along at a rapid clip. If they are still in the early stages of defining their personal style, or have a hard time to deciding on a direction, or change their mind frequently, then many iterations of the design may be needed in order to get to a place where they really feel comfortable and happy. I'm a very patient person by nature, and I'm more than happy to spend as long as necessary with my clients to get to a result they really love - as long as I'm being paid for my time to do it. I'm slightly gun-shy about flat-fee pricing with new clients, and based on my conversations with other designers, I don't think I'm the only one! In terms of deliverables, it depends very much on the project. Sometimes people just call me for a color consultation. In that case, the deliverable is a few 3" x 5" paint color swatches and simple chart like this one: For redecorating projects, my first deliverable is a simple list of the pieces that I feel they need for the space, along with an approximate budget for what each item will cost. Very often people get sticker shock when they see the whole list laid out like that! They did not think about little items like coasters and tissue box covers and those little things add up! Which is why I start there. It gives us a chance to refine the scope and get it truly in line with what they want to spend before wasting time on creative work that won't be executed. In my experience, it's somewhat rare that people have a firm budget in mind before they start to redecorate. They want to get a sense for what it costs to do what they really want to do. From there, they can adjust as needed. I spend a lot of time up front on the project scope. Once the project scope is complete, my deliverables for redecorating projects are mostly fabric swatches, color swatches, and tear sheets like this one: For redecorating projects, I may or may not produce a formal furniture space plan. It depends on the project scope and budget. Sometimes we just tape the configuration out on the floor in blue painter's tape! Most people find this easier to visualize and it is faster and cheaper than producing formal drawings. However, if there is construction involved, then of course detailed drawings are essential. Here's a sample of some drawings I recently completed for a bathroom remodel: We are still selecting finish materials, but here's the current set for this project: The final set will include floor tile, wall tile, cabinet door wood sample, smoked glass, cabinet knobs, tear sheets for the light fixtures and a few accessories. For kitchen remodels, additions or any expensive construction project that might be difficult to visualize, I almost always produce 3D models of the space, so my clients can rotate the room on their own computers, "walk" around in the space, and look at everything from a variety of different angles. While I obviously can't demonstrate the 3D functionality in this Quora answer, here is a 2D snapshot of what this type of model looks like: Sometimes, to visualize how all the finish materials are going to look together, it can be useful to produce a photo-quality rendering. This gives you a extremely accurate idea how the space is going to look, and it's not even very expensive to do, if you already have a working 3D model. Here's a sample of a photo-quality rendering: As far as what to look for when hiring an interior designer, I suggest you look at samples of their previous work, talk to some of their previous clients; and above all make sure you have a good personality and values match with the person. Working with an interior designer in your home can be a very intimate and personal process. So, you need to trust them, enjoy spending time around them, and feel like they really "get" you. Good luck!