HOW MUCH IS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?
(AND OTHER FAQ’s)

HOW MUCH IS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Interior Designers typically charge in one of three ways – flat fee, hourly rate, or percentage of total project budget. We like to charge a flat fee where we can, giving clients a transparent, upfront understanding of the cost of our services. Giving clients a flat fee is straight-forward in respect of many of our services, for example, our design essentials service and transformation toolkit package,  as the parameters of this work is clearly set out.

Similarly, for our in-person end-to-end full interior design service, a flat rate can usually be quoted for a one or two- room renovation. This is based on our estimated design time + our estimated project management time =  flat fee.

As no two projects are ever the same, that fee will depend on the size of the room and level of improvements required – e.g are we insulating floors, wiring in new lights and changing radiators, or just redecorating?  Are we sourcing new furniture and accessories or are you keeping what you have? A single room full service interior design fee range could be anywhere between £1,200 - £5,000.

Where full service projects involve multiple rooms or whole house renovations, implementation time becomes harder to estimate fairly, so our fee structure is hybrid. Design time (flat fee based on the design creative required) + actual time spent on project management (billed in five minute blocks pro rata’d at an hourly rate of £60ph)

We’re fully-flexible so can agree a project management time split with the client with respective roles agreed, and/or cap project management hours to an agreed limit.

As a guide, most whole property renovation projects involve on average 7-10 project management hours per week.

WHY DO I NEED AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?

The short answer is – you don’t. You can improve your living space without any professional skills or experience, with plenty of images and ‘how to’ guides available online to inspire and inform, not to mention TV shows such as Grand Designs and Interior Design Masters.

However, if, like our clients, you’re working to a deadline or a budget, juggling work and family commitments, struggling to visualise your home’s potential, unsure where to start, desperate to avoid making costly mistakes and ultimately looking to get some serious bang for your buck, you’d be wise to involve a design professional.

It continues to amaze us how many people will invest five and six-figure budgets in creating the living space of their dreams, yet fall-back on their builder - a man whose wife buys his clothes - for colour and design advice.

WHAT DOES AN INTERIOR DESIGNER DO?

There is a common misconception that interior designers will come in at the final stage of a project to advise on curtains & other soft-furnishings.

In simple terms, interior design is about creating practical and aesthetically pleasing spaces that are fit for purpose and enjoyable to spend it time in, delivered on time and in budget.

In more complex terms this involves spatial planning, considering flow and functionality based on client need, thoughtful sourcing & use of build & design materials, finding design solutions to mundane everyday problems, respecting a building’s provenance while simultaneously modernising and improving, imbuing a property with a sense of location without it feeling contrived, finding and managing builders & other tradespeople, creating & tendering schedule-of-works and overseeing budget - all while while taking into account client aspirations and style preferences and without anyone selling a kidney.

Day-today duties will include; drawing scale 2D or 3D layouts & elevations; designing cabinetry; recommending hard-furnishing materials such as bricks, cornicing, fireplace, radiators, kitchen units, sanitary ware and so on; devising colour palette and recommending paint & other finishes and selecting, sourcing and installing furnishings, accessories & art work.

An interior designer acting as project manager for a major build project may also coordinate building regulations, organise party wall agreements, act as a go-to point for neighbours, organise a skip licence, arrange an after-builder’s clean, test all electricals & equipment and finally conduct the client handover.

The earlier in the project you involve an interior designer, the better.

DO I NEED A BIG BUDGET TO USE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Another popularly held belief is that interior designers want you to fill your house with expensive stuff. As a profession it’s become synonymous with high-end properties and luxury living rather than with practical need. The reality is that there is NO designer price tag on style and taste and there is no-end of well-considered design-inspired homeware to be found in everyday places such as Marks & Sparks, of course IKEA, Sainsbury’s Home (which now owns Habitat) and - a constant source of surprises - Dunelm.

Of course there is no substitute for beautifully crafted, thoughtfully considered design pieces for your home that can be handed down through generations.

The answer is an interior designer should be able to propose design-led pieces to enhance the finished look of your space at a variety of price points.

In a recent project a client was forced to abandoned dreams of a bespoke traditional Crittall (steel) door and window between the kitchen and family room due to unforeseen build costs, until we sourced genuine Crittall pieces salvaged from a factory demolition for a fraction of the price and got the builder to make the door & window openings to fit the pieces - rather than the other way around.

why are you called geek vintique?

Claire said: "The business name reflects my passion for period architecture & preloved furniture & accessories - pieces with soul. Vintage and antique pieces have character & charm and they give a room personality and I always look to blend older finds with contemporary design in my schemes. While ‘Claire Botha Interior Design’ would have worked just fine, it felt boring & formal and not representative of the joy & enthusiasm that’s at the heart of my work.”