How Much Does Interior Design Cost? (And Why Online Changes the Math)
Traditional in-person interior design typically runs $150–$300 per hour, with full-room projects often costing $5,000–$20,000 or more in design fees alone. Online interior design starts at $199 per room—and delivers a professional-quality result. Here's the full breakdown.
The Short Version
Interior design costs vary widely depending on what type of service you're using. Traditional in-person designers charge by the hour, by the project, or as a percentage of the total spend—and those numbers add up fast. Online interior design services like Havenly offer professional-quality design for a flat fee, making it accessible to people who aren't doing a six-figure renovation.
The Hidden Cost of Not Using a Designer
Most people who try to furnish a room without a plan spend more, not less. Here's why:
- Return shipping. Buying a sofa that looks right online but is wrong for the space, then returning it, costs time and often money.
- Wrong-scale purchases. The rug that's too small, the coffee table that's too big—these are expensive lessons that a designer prevents on day one.
- Decision fatigue. Spending weeks scrolling through options without a plan leads to either paralysis or impulse buys that don't work together.
- The 'close enough' trap. Settling for pieces that are almost right and living with a room that never feels finished.
The people who feel like they wasted money on interior design are almost always the people who tried to do it themselves. The people who feel like they got great value are almost always the ones who started with a plan.
What Traditional Interior Design Costs
Hourly rates — Most traditional interior designers charge $100–$300 per hour. More established designers in major markets can run $350–$500/hour or more. A typical room project might require 10–40+ hours of designer time—and that's before accounting for the cost of furniture, materials, or contractor work.
Project-based fees — Many designers charge a flat fee for a defined scope of work. A single-room design concept might run $1,500–$5,000. A full home design can easily reach $15,000–$50,000 or more in design fees alone.
Percentage of spend — Some designers charge 20–35% of the total project cost (furniture + materials + labor). On a $50,000 renovation, that's $10,000–$17,500 in design fees.
Minimum commitments — Most traditional designers have project minimums—a minimum number of rooms, a minimum spend, or both. It's common to see minimums of $15,000–$50,000 just to begin working together.
What Online Interior Design Costs
Online interior design works on a flat-fee model, and the numbers are dramatically different:
- Havenly Online Full: $199 per room—includes one-on-one designer communication, a personalized design board, a floor plan, a curated shopping list, and multiple revisions until you're happy
- Havenly In-Person: $699—adds an in-home meeting with your designer, 3D renderings to visualize your space, and a concierge service to help with measuring and photographs
- Havenly AI: Free to start—take a photo of your room, describe your style, and get an AI-generated redesign you can shop instantly
All Havenly packages include a Happiness Guarantee. If you're not satisfied with your design, the team will work to make it right.
The Real Cost Comparison
The math is stark. A single hour with a traditional designer costs more than a complete room concept with Havenly. But cost comparison misses the more important point: what most people actually need.
If you're doing a full renovation—new kitchen, structural changes, contractor management—a traditional designer is worth the investment. But if you're furnishing an apartment, refreshing a living room, or trying to figure out why your bedroom never feels quite right, you don't need six months and $10,000. You need a professional to look at your space, understand your style, and tell you exactly what to buy and where to put it.
That's a $199 problem.
What Affects the Cost of Online Design
Within online design, a few things determine what you'll spend:
- Number of rooms: each room is typically priced separately
- Service level: online-only vs. in-person packages carry different price points
- Revisions: most services include multiple rounds, but be clear on what's included before you start
- Furniture budget: the designer fee is separate from what you spend on furniture—be honest with your designer about your budget so they shop accordingly
Tips for Getting the Most Value
- Be specific about your budget upfront—tell your designer the total amount you want to spend on furniture, not just the design fee
- Share photos of everything you're keeping—working around existing pieces is part of a designer's job
- Come prepared with clear feedback on revisions—'the sofa feels too heavy for the room' is more useful than 'I don't like it'
- Use the shopping list as a starting point, not a mandate—your designer can suggest alternatives if something is out of stock or over budget