Most people asking this question have already been quoted a range that felt vague, or worse, gotten no number at all until after a long call. Here’s the real breakdown.
Every project with me starts with an on-site design consultation. It’s $499, and if you move forward, that fee is credited toward your full design fee. During that visit, we walk your space together, talk through what’s not working, and define a realistic direction and cost before you commit to anything larger.
That’s the floor, not a typical project. Home engagements start around $300,000 in total investment, which includes design fees and furnishings together, not design fees alone, and scale up from there depending on square footage, how many rooms are involved, and how much is being sourced versus reused. There’s no ceiling on the upper end, larger and more complex homes represent a proportionally larger investment.
If your project involves construction, a full renovation, or a scope that isn’t fully defined yet, there’s usually a step between the consultation and the full design fee: an Exploratory Phase, starting at $3,600 and scaling with the size and complexity of the project. It covers measurements, a base plan, contractor pricing, and a real budget summary, so you know the actual scope and cost before signing on for full design. If you move forward, this fee is credited toward your design fee.
This step exists to protect you. It’s easy for a renovation to look affordable at the start and then turn into a budget problem once construction is underway. Getting a real number first avoids that.
A single-bedroom refresh and a full home renovation with new construction elements are different orders of magnitude, even though both technically fall under “interior design.” The $15,000 floor isn’t about how many rooms are involved, it’s about the depth of attention every engagement gets: full sourcing, coordination, and a completely defined direction, even for a single room done at that level.
