How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost in Los Angeles? A Guide to Interior Design Fees
Bear with me, this is a long one, but let's just get this out of the way: there is no magic number for what an interior designer costs.
I know. Not exactly the answer you came here looking for.
But if you're considering hiring an interior designer in Los Angeles or anywhere, there are some realistic numbers you can use to start planning, and understanding why those numbers vary so wildly is just as important as knowing the numbers themselves.
Professional interior design fees can range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars for a larger renovation or furnishing project. For comprehensive whole-home renovations, new construction and highly involved luxury projects, design fees well into the six figures are absolutely not unheard of.
As a very general starting point, someone planning a substantial interior design project should be prepared for professional full-service design fees that could represent roughly 10–20% of the overall anticipated project budget, sometimes more and sometimes considerably less.
That is not a universal formula, and I'll explain why later.
But if you're trying to figure out whether hiring a professional interior designer means budgeting $2,000 or $20,000, or whether your project could realistically involve a $100,000+ design fee, that gives us somewhere useful to start.
Quick Answer: What does an Interior Designer Cost in Los Angeles?
When trying to determine interior designer cost in Los Angeles, there isn't one universal number. Fees can vary dramatically depending on the scope of the project and the designer you hire.
Focused design projects: Fees may start in the several-thousand-dollar range.
Substantial renovations and full-service projects: A reasonable starting point is to budget approximately 10–20% of the anticipated project budget for professional interior design services.
Large-scale new construction: Design fees often represent a smaller percentage of the overall project investment, particularly as construction budgets move into the multi-millions.
Luxury, whole-home and highly complex projects: Design fees can easily reach six figures and, at the upper end of the market, substantially more, particularly when working with highly experienced, sought-after or nationally recognized designers.
Why Is There Such a Huge Range in Interior Design Fees?
Because “I need an interior designer” can mean about a thousand different things.
Someone who wants help furnishing a primary bedroom does not have the same project as someone renovating a kitchen and three bathrooms. And neither of those clients has the same project as someone building a 7,000-square-foot house from the ground up.
The amount of work isn't determined solely by square footage, either.
A small kitchen with complicated custom cabinetry, detailed stonework and major layout changes can require more design time than several larger rooms that simply need furniture.
What matters is what you're actually asking the interior designer to do and what service(s) that designer or design firm actually offers.
Are we selecting furniture?
Are we developing the floor plan?
Are we designing cabinetry?
Are we specifying every plumbing fixture, light fixture, finish and piece of hardware?
Are we producing elevations and drawings for the contractor?
Are we reviewing architectural plans?
Are we designing custom furniture?
Are we involved throughout construction?
Are we purchasing everything?
Are we coordinating an installation?
The word “interior design” can describe all of those things, which is exactly why asking what an interior designer charges without understanding the scope of your project or their services is a little like asking what it costs to build a house without showing the builder architectural plans.
The answer is always going to be: what house?
A Useful Starting Point: The 10–20% Rule
If you're at the very beginning of a project and simply trying to establish a realistic budget for professional design services, 10–20% of the overall anticipated project budget can be a useful planning range for a substantial full-service interior design project.
It is a rule of thumb- not a pricing formula.
Let's say you're planning a $300,000 renovation. Setting aside something in the neighborhood of $30,000–$60,000 for professional design services gives you a reasonable place to begin thinking about the design component of the project.
On a $500,000 project, that same rough exercise would put you somewhere around $50,000–$100,000.
However, this is where percentages begin to require some common sense because if you're building a $5 million home, that doesn't automatically mean your designer is going to hand you a $1 million design fee because someone told you to budget 20%.
Could they? Absolutely. More power to them.
But the relationship between overall project cost and design fee generally changes as projects become larger and overall investment increases. A project of $5m or more could, for example, involve a design fee in the $250,000–$400,000 range or even substantially higher, and still represent a much smaller percentage of the overall investment than a design fee on a smaller project.
It could also be considerably more depending on the designer, the scope and what is included.
Additionally, once construction administration, purchasing and other ongoing services are factored into the life of a multi-year project, the client's total interior design expenditure may look different again.
The point of the 10–20% guideline isn't to calculate your designer's proposal before you receive it.
It's simply to help someone planning a substantial project from expecting a fee that is 2% of their budget for interior design and being completely shocked when the proposals arrive.
The Designer You Hire Matters Too
This is something that rarely gets discussed in articles about interior design costs, but it totally should.
You're not only paying for the scope. You're paying for the designer.
A designer who has just opened a studio will likely charge very differently from someone who has spent 15+ years developing their craft, relationships, processes and portfolio.
A highly published or widely recognized designer may command considerably higher fees. And at the very top of the industry (AD100 and Elle A-List), designers with international reputations, years-long waiting lists or enormous demand can charge fees that bear very little resemblance to any of the numbers or percentages I mentioned above.
That doesn't automatically make one designer better for your project than another.
It just means that interior design has a market value component just like architecture, art, fashion and plenty of other professions and industries.
Experience matters.
Demand matters.
Reputation matters.
The complexity of the work a designer is accustomed to handling matters.
And yes, pedigree can matter.
So, when you see enormous differences in what interior designers charge, the explanation isn't always hidden somewhere in the scope of work. Sometimes one designer simply commands a higher fee than another.
How Do Interior Designers Charge?
There are several common fee structures in interior design, and many firms use more than one.
Hourly
Some interior designers charge an hourly rate for their time.
This can work very well for consultations, smaller assignments, construction involvement or projects where the scope isn't easily defined in advance.
The important thing to remember is that “design time” isn't limited to the time you're sitting across the table from your designer.
Sourcing, drawing, researching, reviewing plans, communicating with vendors, answering contractor questions, preparing presentations and working through details behind the scenes are all usually billable professional time.
Flat or Fixed Design Fee
With a flat fee, interior designers establish exactly what they're being hired to do and assign a fee to that scope.
This gives the client more predictability and is particularly useful when the design deliverables can be clearly established before work begins.
But and this is an important but, flat fee does not mean unlimited design services forever.
There should still be a defined scope.
If you add another bathroom halfway through the project, completely redesign an approved kitchen or decide that the guest house should suddenly be included, that is additional work. Additionally, many firms will put a projected time frame on that project. Once the time frame has come and gone if the project is still moving, many interior designers will begin to charge an additional fee until the project completes.
A good proposal should tell you where the original scope ends and how additional work/time will be billed.
Percentage of Project Cost
Some interior designers charge a set percentage based on construction costs, furnishings expenditures or the overall project investment.
Depending on the firm and project, percentages may be used for the entire design fee or only for certain portions of the designer's services.
Again, the percentage by itself means very little until you know what it includes.
By Square Foot
Some interior designers charge based on the square footage of the home or area being designed.
This is more common on larger renovations, new construction, or commercial projects where square footage can provide a useful baseline for determining the scale of the engagement.
But I wouldn't evaluate a design proposal based on square footage alone.
A 4,000-square-foot house with relatively straightforward finishes is not necessarily more work than a 3,000-square-foot house filled with custom everything and specialty materials.
Hybrid - How We Typically Structure Fees at Ethan Charles Design
A lot of interior design firms don't fit neatly into one of these categories. Many use a combined structure of any of the above fee methods I have mentioned.
At Ethan Charles Design, we generally use a hybrid fee structure.
For most projects, we first establish a very specific scope of design work and assign a corresponding flat design fee to that scope. Services that are more difficult to predict in advance, particularly certain construction-phase services, additional work outside the original scope and other ongoing involvement, are usually charged separately.
Order management of purchases is also handled separately.
I prefer this structure because I think the client and us should be aligned on what we're agreeing to design and what that design work is going to cost, while acknowledging that there are parts of a renovation or construction project that simply cannot be predicted perfectly six months, a year, or even two years in advance.
What Are You Actually Paying Your Interior Designer For?
This is where I think interior design fees are frequently misunderstood.
On the surface, people see the finished room. They see the sofa. The beautiful stone. The light fixtures. Maybe a very pretty presentation with fabric samples. What they don't necessarily see are the hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions that got us there.
Depending on the scope and/or the firm, your design fee may cover things like space planning, reviewing architectural plans, developing cabinetry elevations, creating millwork/tile elevations, creating RCPs (reflected ceiling plans), selecting materials, specifying plumbing and lighting, developing tile and stone details, selecting hardware, creating a color and finish story, sourcing furniture, designing window treatments, producing renderings, preparing specification books and coordinating with the people responsible for actually building everything and this is just a small fraction of the things the firm you choose might be handling for your project.
And then there are the decisions we go through that never make it into the house.
The sofa that was the wrong scale.
The stone that looked beautiful in a photograph but terrible next to the flooring.
The faucet that didn't work with the sink.
The cabinet configuration that would have driven you insane every morning.
The light fixture that was completely wrong for the ceiling height.
A huge part of what you're paying for is judgment.
The finished room may look effortless.
Getting there usually isn't.
What Isn't Included in the Design Fee?
This depends entirely on the interior designer and the agreement.
Construction administration, site visits, project management, additional revisions, travel, installation, procurement, order management and services added after the original scope may all be charged separately.
Some firms bundle many of those services into one fee.
Others don't.
Neither approach is right or wrong. You simply need to know which one you're agreeing to.
This is also why I would never compare two designers based solely on the number at the bottom of their proposals.
How Do Interior Designers Charge for Furniture and Purchasing?
There are a lot of different models here and plenty of debate about them within the industry.
A designer may sell furnishings at retail pricing. They may charge a markup over their net or trade cost. They may charge a markup over retail pricing. They may charge a separate procurement or order-management fee. They may charge hourly for purchasing-related work.
Or they may use some combination of those methods.
The important thing isn't necessarily which model the designer uses.
It's that you understand it.
If Designer A charges a larger upfront design fee but uses one purchasing model and Designer B charges a smaller design fee but uses a different purchasing structure, you cannot determine which relationship will ultimately cost more by comparing their initial design fees alone.
And purchasing isn't simply clicking “add to cart.”
On a full-service project, somebody has to quote, order, verify, track and coordinate all of those products. Somebody has to deal with freight, receiving, damages, replacements, backorders and vendors. And eventually all of it has to arrive at the right place at roughly the right time.
That is a service, and interior design firms charge for it in different ways.
Why Do I Have an Order-Management or Procurement Fee If I Already Paid a Design Fee?
Because they're two different jobs.
The design fee is for designing the project.
The procurement or order-management fee is for managing the process of getting the things we've designed and specified into the project.
It sounds simple until you have a sofa arriving from North Carolina, a light fixture coming from Italy, six dining chairs with a 26-week lead time, a damaged console sitting at a receiving warehouse and a fabric that has suddenly been discontinued.
Multiply that by an entire house and you begin to understand why procurement is its own operation.
Some designers build that work into product pricing. Others charge separately for it.
Again, neither is inherently better. You just need to understand the structure.
Why Did One Designer Quote Me $15,000 and Another Quote Me $30,000?
Maybe one is expensive.
Maybe one is inexpensive.
Or maybe they aren't quoting you the same thing at all.
Suppose you're renovating a kitchen.
Designer A is providing a design concept, selecting finishes and fixtures and attending a meeting or two.
Designer B is developing the space plan, designing the cabinetry, producing elevations, detailing the stone and tile, specifying plumbing, lighting and hardware, creating renderings, preparing a complete specification package and remaining involved with the contractor during implementation.
Those aren't two prices for the same service.
They're two completely different scopes that happen to have the words “kitchen design” written at the top.
Then add everything we discussed earlier about experience, reputation and demand.
This is why I really recommend reading the actual scope before deciding whether a design fee is high or low.
Ask yourself:
What am I actually getting for this investment?
Do Interior Designers Charge for Consultations?
Yes, many established interior designers charge for professional consultations.
But there's an important distinction between a consultation and an introductory phone call.
At Ethan Charles Design, we typically begin with a complimentary introductory conversation. That's our opportunity to hear about the project, understand the broad scope, and talk about timing and budget. It is also your opportunity to ask us any questions you have been dying to ask or just curious to know so that we can determine whether we may be a good fit for one another.
A professional interior design consultation is different.
Once we're evaluating the property, discussing potential solutions, identifying issues and giving professional design advice, you're receiving the designer's expertise.
It's perfectly normal for that time to be paid.
And frankly, I think the distinction is helpful for everyone. You should be able to have an initial conversation with a designer and determine whether you mesh enough on the phone or over Zoom to even want to work together before committing to anything.
What Should You Ask Before Agreeing to an Interior Design Fee?
Don't just ask, “How much?”
Ask what you're getting for it first.
Does the fee include drawings?
How detailed are those drawings?
Are renderings included?
How many revisions do you get, if any?
Are meetings included, if so, how many?
What happens during the construction phase?
Are site visits additional or included, if so, how many?
How does purchasing work?
Is there an order-management fee?
What happens if the project expands?
What happens if the timeline doubles?
Those answers are what allow you to compare proposals intelligently.
A $20,000 design fee can be pricey for one scope and an absolute deal for another.
So, How Much Should You Budget for an Interior Designer?
If you want a simple number to put into your early planning spreadsheet, start by allowing approximately 10–20% of your overall project investment for professional interior design services. On very large new-construction projects, the design fee may represent a much smaller percentage of the overall project investment simply because the construction budget is so substantial. This is where the percentage-based rules of thumb become less useful, and the actual scope of services becomes the most important thing to determine your interior design investment.
You should treat that number as a conversation starter, not gospel.
A smaller, design-intensive project may require a higher percentage.
A very large or an extremely high investment project may fall below those percentages.
A highly sought-after designer may command substantially more.
A limited design scope may cost substantially less.
A comprehensive renovation or new construction project can easily involve a design fee in the tens of thousands of dollars, and move well into the six figures. For some projects, you might even expect design fees higher than that. It entirely depends on the scope and the firm you are engaging with.
Most importantly, don't evaluate the fee until you understand the scope behind it and how it will make your life easier.
At Ethan Charles Design, we start with a complimentary introductory conversation so we can understand what you're actually trying to accomplish. From there, we can determine the level of design involvement the project requires and establish an appropriate scope.
Because there really isn't a universal answer to what every interior designer will provide for your project.
And that's exactly why understanding the scope behind the fee matters.
HAVE A PROJECT IN MIND?
Every project is different, and so is the level of design involvement it requires. If you're planning a renovation, new construction, or furnishing project, we'd love to hear what you're working on.
Tell us about your project and let's see if we're a good fit.
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