A Note from Susanne

Good question. Most homeowners want to know what working with an interior design studio costs, but many hesitate to ask. I get it. Money isn’t my favorite topic either, but I’ve learned to talk about it openly from the start. You should be comfortable telling your interior designer how much you want to invest.

Nobody wants to fall in love with a renovation plan and then find that the builder’s bid comes back $200,000 above what they wanted to invest. That’s no fun for anyone. We keep the budget in view as the design develops.

How much do interior designers charge?

There’s no single price. Angi’s 2026 cost guide lists 10% to 30% of total project cost as one pricing model for large or luxury renovations. The American Society of Interior Designers describes other ways designers charge, including fixed and hourly fees. The number only makes sense when you know what work it includes.

For easy math, let’s say...

The renovation itself costs $300,000 and the design fee is $30,000. Together, that’s a $330,000 investment. The fee is 10% of the construction cost. In this example, that $30,000 covers months of work by our studio.

We develop the concept and space plan, refine the floor plans, establish a preliminary budget, and prepare a drawing set for contractor pricing. Then we review the bids with you and work through scope and selections if the numbers need adjusting. In the Design Completion phase, we make the final selections, design the cabinetry and lighting in detail, and prepare a complete interior drawing set, schedules, and specifications for the builder and trades.

That work determines every single detail of how the renovated home will look, feel, and function, from the floor plan down to the smallest tile cut. The design fee covers that complete interior plan. The $300,000 construction investment pays to build it.

Why do the details matter?

Take shower tile. If nobody has drawn the layout, the installer has to decide where the pattern begins and where the cuts fall around the niche and edges. Even a great installer can’t read our minds. The tile may be installed beautifully and still end with a narrow sliver in the most visible spot.

When decisions are left until construction, the costs can turn up later as change orders, delays, or work that has to be redone. We can’t prevent every surprise, especially in an older home. But a drawing is much easier to change than a finished shower.

How do we keep the budget in view?

Every project begins with a complimentary 20-minute call, followed by a Design Consultation. We meet with you, learn what you want to change, understand the scope, and talk honestly about the full investment you have in mind. That gives us enough information to prepare a proposal with our design fee and the work it covers.

We begin with the Exploratory phase so we can test the direction and budget before the Design Completion phase, when we develop the details and source the project. If the early numbers tell us to rethink something, we can change the plan while it’s still on paper.

If you’re planning a renovation, addition, or new home in Raleigh or the surrounding Triangle, tell us about your project. We can start with an honest conversation about both the home and the budget.