It’s always exciting to envision the transformation of a space in your home, even before hiring an interior designer. But when it comes to bringing your dream home to life, there is another crucial aspect to consider: your budget. While there are a variety of ways to work alongside an interior designer, one of the first questions a designer always ask is, “What is your budget?” Today, we’ll explain the cost to hire interior designer, from setting your budget for materials and labors to paying the designer working alongside you.
Create A Mood Board
If you don’t already have a budget in mind for your interior design project, it may help to create a mood board or inspiration collage of what you are looking to achieve. The mood board is not meant for planning out every single detail of your project. Rather, it is to help you get an idea of the direction you want to go in.
When creating your mood board, take into consideration the scope of your project. Are you redecorating a room, knocking down a wall, or planning something that has not yet been built? An effective mood board will give you a better understanding of what you want to accomplish. And looking at design inspiration can help you get a better idea of pricing to help shape your budget.
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Set Your Budget
Once you have an idea of how much things cost, it’s time to set your budget. When planning your investment, you need to consider materials, labor, unexpected costs, and design services. Material costs include everything from flooring to wall coverings, lighting to window treatments, and furniture to accessories. This will also include new additions, such as a new wall, architectural elements, or built-ins. Labor costs will include the contractors who get the work done, such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and so on.
While every homeowner desires their home projects to go without hiccups, there is always the possibility of unexpected costs. It could be a permit, repair, shipping costs, or a piece of furniture that costs a bit more than anticipated. Setting aside some of your budget for these potential costs will help you feel more prepared in any surprise situations.
Design projects are shaped by the project budget you are working with. For example, your kitchen renovation budget may be $100,000. If your priority is to get top-of-the-line appliances, we will set those costs aside. Then, moving forward, we will plan other aspects of the renovation around the remaining budget.
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The Cost To Hire An Interior Designer
Lastly, it’s time to consider design services in your budget. There are a few ways you can pay for interior design services, including hourly fees and percentage rates. Depending on the scope of your project, there is likely a retainer fee as well.
Hourly fees will include any time worked on your project, including meetings, space planning, lighting design, color selection, material selections, drafting and sourcing furnishings. For many homeowners, this seems like a simpler option and you get a breakdown of your project. If you are budgeting interior design services by percentage, then your designer will charge based on the percentage of your project’s final budget.
Setting a budget for your interior design project helps you anticipate costs and plan your project effectively. Without the proper planning, you may end up spending way more money on redesign fees, replacement furnishings, or restocking fees. Ultimately, the cost to hire an interior designer means avoiding extra costs later on, and we can help manage your budget so you are not overspending. To learn more about how WPL Interior Design can help guide and oversee your design project, contact us at (215) 592-9570.
Photos: Jay Greene Photography
