Overview: Interior Designers and Decorators
The two words in this category describe different jobs. A decorator works with the shell you already have: color, fabric, furniture, lighting, rugs and window treatments. A designer changes the shell, moving a wall, reworking a kitchen layout or rebuilding a bathroom, and produces drawings that the trades build from. Hiring one when you needed the other is the most common mistake in this trade.
Fees come in a few shapes. Hourly, a flat fee against a written scope, cost plus where you pay for goods at the designer's cost with a stated markup, or a retainer drawn down as work gets done. All of them work. What causes arguments is scope, so pin down how many revisions are included and what a site visit costs once the contractor is on the job.
A design only counts if it survives the budget. Say the real number out loud at the first meeting and watch what happens to the mood board. Furniture takes months to arrive and custom pieces take longer, so ask who receives deliveries, who inspects them and who claims when a sofa turns up torn.
Use the state and city lists below to find firms that work on your kind of project.
Cost of interior design and decorating
Decide whether you need a consultation, a room plan to carry out yourself, or continuing design help. Design fees are separate from furniture, construction and the terms for purchasing through the designer.
| Service or scope | Planning range | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| Design consultation | $400–$450per two-hour design consultation | An initial two-hour residential design consultation focused on your priorities, layout and finish questions.Confirm whether measurements and written recommendations are included and whether the fee is credited toward later work.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Two hours of agreed design advice Outside this estimate: Finished design plan; Furniture and materials; Implementation; Travel outside the included area |
| One-room design plan for you to implement | $1,200–$1,800per room, design fee only | Remote layout and furnishing selections for one residential room using client-supplied measurements; no structural or construction design.Compare the actual deliverables, revision limit and measurement responsibility. A design-only package does not include buying or installing the furnishings.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Agreed furniture layout; Color or material direction; Specific furnishing selections; Stated consultation and revision allowance Outside this estimate: Furniture, art and accessories; Contractor work; Site measurement unless listed; Procurement and installation; Extra revisions or hours |
| Additional design time | $175–$275per designer-hour | Separately approved additional design, selections or coordination time after the scope and billing minimum are agreed.Ask for an estimated time allowance, who performs the work and a spending cap before extra hours are authorized.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Approved professional time Outside this estimate: Purchases; Unapproved extra work |
| Purchasing service fee | 17%–45%of defined merchandise cost | A separately agreed cost-plus purchasing markup applied to the designer’s stated merchandise cost base.This is one billing model, not an automatic add-on. Ask who keeps trade discounts and whether freight, receiving, storage, tax and returns are also charged.Included scope and possible extrasScope used for this estimate: Contract-defined procurement service Outside this estimate: Furniture price; Shipping, receiving, storage, or installation unless included |
What changes the price
- Number of rooms, deliverables, and included revision rounds.
- Custom pieces, sourcing time, and purchasing responsibility.
- Site visits, coordination, freight, receiving, and installation services.
Ask before you book
- Which deliverables and revision rounds are included in the design fee?Define the work before comparing flat fees.
- How are merchandise markups, trade discounts, and purchasing fees handled?Clarify the total cost and any overlapping charges.
- Who pays freight, receiving, storage, and installation charges?These may sit outside both the design and furniture budgets.
Check the scope
Hourly, flat-fee, and purchasing-based charges may cover different services. Do not add them together unless the agreement says they apply concurrently.
Compare quotes wisely
Set a furnishing budget and approval limit, then compare a design-only package with a clearly scoped full-service package.
How to read these estimates
These ranges combine published U.S. prices and cost guidance for the stated work. They are budgeting estimates, not offers from listed companies or a statistical national average. Confirm the total, included work and additional charges in writing.
U.S. planning estimates. Local quotes vary by location and the scope of work.
Frequently asked questions
What separates a designer from a decorator?
A decorator works inside the room as built, choosing color, fabric, furniture, lighting and window treatments. A designer can change the room: move a wall, relocate plumbing, redraw a kitchen, and hand scaled drawings to a contractor. Plenty of people hire a decorator and end up with a handsome room in a poor layout. Decide which of the two problems you actually have before you call anyone.
How is design work usually charged?
Four common shapes: an hourly rate, a flat fee for a defined scope, cost plus where goods come at the designer's cost with a stated markup, and a retainer the hours draw against. Any of them is fair if the scope is written. What matters is what triggers extra billing, such as a third revision of the same room, a shopping trip, or a visit to the site during construction.
Who keeps the trade discount on furniture?
Designers buy at trade prices closed to the public. Some pass the trade price straight through and charge only their fee. Others buy at trade, sell to you at retail and keep the difference as their compensation. Both arrangements are legitimate. Leaving it unsaid is not. Ask the question plainly and get the answer written into the agreement before the first order goes out.
What if furniture arrives late or damaged?
Settle this before the first order. Ask who receives deliveries, who inspects and photographs them, where goods are stored until installation day, and who files the claim against the carrier. A designer who has things delivered to an empty house is handing you the problem. Upholstery and custom cabinetry run for months, and a single late item can hold an entire install.
Do the changes I want need permission?
Cosmetic work does not. Moving a wall, relocating plumbing or electrical, altering a window opening, or anything structural usually needs a permit and an inspection, and a condo board or HOA may add approval of its own. A designer should tell you where that line falls and bring in a licensed contractor, an engineer or an architect once the job crosses it.
What should I be given at the end?
Final drawings or floor plans, the specification list showing what was bought and from where, paint colors with their reference codes, fabric and finish samples, and care or warranty information for the pieces. Ask for the package in writing at the beginning. Nobody thinks about it until two years later, when a chair needs recovering and nobody can remember the fabric.
