Throughout the years I’ve owned an interior design business, one comment has consistently come up when we ask potential clients about their level of investment comfort. In layman’s terms: What’s your budget for interior design? To that question, we often hear, “I’m not sure.”

Let me first say, I lean away from using the term “budget,” because, although it clearly indicates monetary boundaries, I feel the word itself has connotations, and that those associations devalue the work of an interior designer. There is interior design that can meet all budgets, but the truth is, interior design is a luxury service. It is not required to survive. (But I would argue it is necessary to thrive! ;)

Our ideal clients understand that hiring us is an investment in themselves - their home, their wellbeing, their comfort, but sometimes there’s still “sticker shock” to learn how much it will cost for us to design a space to the same level they’ve seen in our portfolio work. Often, it helps to see how we get to the numbers when we provide an estimate for a space, so we devised a document that helps show how each element contributes to the final product, and a range of how much each will cost. It’s a clarifying exercise, and one that I recommend for anyone considering a home project - whether it’s with or without the help of an interior designer.

So many of the digital Resources that are available in our online shop came about because of a need we experienced in the business. This can certainly be said of our Interior Design Investment Planner. We figured if it helped us and our clients to see how to estimate the investment, then it would probably be helpful to homeowners planning a design or decorating project. Understanding the level of investment needed to undertake a project is key to its success!