Interior Design Fee Structure

Flat Rate Design Fees:

With an hourly design fee structure, there are so many unknowns. What one designer might take a week to do, another can do in a day. Like many other professionals, designers are not all created equally, which is reflective in the wide range of industry rates and fee structures.

At Curated Home, we operate on a flat rate design fee structure because we want our clients to have the peace of mind in knowing what their design fees are upfront, so they don’t have to worry about any unexpected or hidden costs later.

A designer with over a decade of experience has far more experience than a designer who’s been in the industry for only a few years. Unsurprisingly the rates for a seasoned designer are higher, as they should be. They have a deeper well of knowledge, solid relationships established with reputable contractors and trades. They are often more equipped and efficient in handling the challenging obstacles that can arise during a build or renovation.

Once we have had the opportunity to do an onsite consultation or a comprehensive pre-build design brief with a potential client, we can provide a flat rate design estimate.

Structure

Our clients are busy, and we want to ensure that every minute spent together in meetings is of high value. To ensure that the design process has the structure needed to run efficiently, we determine ahead of time the amount of time and structure each client needs. Every design package includes at Curated Home consists of a predetermined set of in-person site meetings/design presentations for their projects. For a client building a dream home, a package including twenty or more meetings isn’t uncommon, while a client simply re-furnishing a small apartment under typical circumstance shouldn’t require more than four sessions. While a great deal of the value that we bring to the table happens behind the scenes curating your design, how we manage our design meetings and presentations are essential in creating the right project flow.

By having a design schedule based on the scope of work, we create a structure of accountability to our clients for reaching design targets on time, and our clients are accountable for making design decisions within the schedule.

Expertise & Trust

While some designers will deliberately drag out the design process to ensure their bottom line, other designer's inexperience only ends up costing their clients in inefficient use of time and errors. At Curated Home, every project that we undertake is overseen by Chrissy Cottrell to guarantee that you always have a seasoned expert guiding your project with care every step of the way. Paint color alone can cost thousands to tens of thousands to correct if not carefully considered, and that's just one of the dozens of decisions required when undergoing any project. Our advice, choose wisely, or higher someone who can and remember free or cheap design advice all too often comes at a price.

For clients who work within the design structure, our projects run smoothly, on budget and on time. We've been doing this for over ten years, so we know what it takes to make a dream home a reality. However, at the end of the day, our clients are always in the driver's seat. If a client wants to take two full meetings just choosing fabric for a sofa, they're welcome to do so. However, they will likely need to add additional design meeting time to their package if they are continually struggling with indecision, changing their mind, or micromanaging the design process.

When given a few choices and you're having a hard time choosing, differ to your designer…you hired them for a reason after all.

White Glove Project Management:

There are are a lot of moving parts with builds and renovations. Even restyling an entire home and ensuring that everything is put in its right place can be overwhelming. The last thing we want for our clients is to go from thrilled to overwhelmed when it comes time to implementing their design, which is why we offer a range of project management packages to help you ensure that your design concept is executed properly.

From coordinating the right trades to flawlessly execute a dream home from concept to completion, to managing the delivery teams, steaming curtains, hanging art to styling your decor just the right; exceptional design doesn’t just miraculously fall into place. It takes outstanding care and attention to every detail.

To ensure the best possible design and experience for our clients, we offer full project design management packages to ensure that no detail is left behind. We want our clients to experience the ‘Big Reveal’ beautifully. Imagine while you’re at the spa or on a weekend getaway, we’re grooming your place to perfection and chilling champagne so we can celebrate in style when you see your beautifully designed home for the very first time.

Real Connection.

Now with all that said, there is nothing more important than the power of genuine connection. Taking the time to get acquainted and to share space with the key people you're considering as the team for your project is a fundamental first step in making your house a home. You wouldn't run a marathon in a pair of sneakers you've never worn before, and likewise, you wouldn't want to build a dream home with a designer you can't share a laugh with. Trust me, long haul complicated projects can feel daunting from time to time, and a light-hearted connection is essential in keeping the vibrancy alive in any project.

A good client/designer fit can be the difference between running a marathon in a pair of Valentinos or a pair of Nikes. And at the end of the day, we're all in this together. Our job is to help you cross the finish line of your project with as much ease and grace possible, and a well-suited client/designer relationship means a more enjoyable design journey. Life can be crazy sometimes and metaphorically speaking; we could all do with fewer blisters due to abrasive challenges.

Our in-store design consultation it's a great chance to get acquainted and learn about one another in a no-pressure environment so we can see what it might feel like to work together. Design fees are one thing, and we like to think we have that nailed down in a way that best serves everyone, but the first step to any successful project is finding the right client-designer energy. We are your visual autobiographers, after all, we want to ensure that you feel heard and understood just as we want to work with clients who have beautiful stories to tell and are lovely to be around.

Check out this article to learn more about different types of interior design fee structures.