Interior design costs depend on the scope of work, the complexity of your space, and the depth of the studio’s involvement across Discovery, Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal. There is no single ‘design fee’—cost emerges from what you’re actually asking the studio to do, the size and condition of your interior, and how many decisions need to be made. Understanding these factors helps you budget realistically.
Why interior design doesn’t have a standard price
Interior design is not a commodity with fixed pricing. A commercial fit-out for a dental practice involves different work, timescale, and decision-making than a residential apartment refresh. A hair salon requires specialist knowledge of client experience flow, lighting for colour work, and durability of finishes in a high-traffic space. An estate agent’s office has different priorities again: brand legibility, space efficiency, and client confidence. The studio works across commercial and residential projects—Beaulieu Dental Practice, Fruittii Hair Salon, Keystones Estate Agent, and residential work in London and Witham—and each demands its own approach.
The variables that shape cost include the size of your space, how much existing infrastructure or decoration you’re keeping or replacing, the calibre of materials and finishes you choose, how many rounds of refinement happen during Concept, Design & Specification, and the complexity of the Commission and site management stages. A small flat with good bones and a focused brief requires different resource commitment than a large commercial space where every surface, lighting circuit, and spatial decision is new.
How the studio’s process stages affect what you’ll invest
The studio works through five named stages: Discovery, Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal. Not every project requires the same depth in every stage, and that shapes cost directly. Discovery is listening and research—understanding your brief, your space, its constraints, and your vision. Concept is the creative thinking: how the interior will function and feel. Concept, Design & Specification is the detailed work: choosing every material, finish, fixture, and colour; writing specifications for suppliers; preparing drawings and schedules that builders and craftspeople can work from. Commission is placing orders, managing makers and suppliers, and overseeing the work on site. Reveal is the handover and how you learn to live in the finished space.
A residential apartment might involve all five stages in full depth because the interior touches every part of your daily life. A commercial refresh might focus on Concept, Design & Specification with lighter Commission support if you have experienced contractors on site. A smaller project might combine Discovery and Concept, then move directly to specification work. The studio tailors the depth of involvement to what your project actually needs.
What you’re actually paying for at each stage
During Discovery, you’re paying for the studio’s time to listen, measure, photograph, research the space and its history, and develop a genuine understanding of what you need. This is foundational—a rushed Discovery leads to poor decisions later. Concept work is creative problem-solving: generating ideas, testing them against your brief and your space, and building a coherent vision. This stage often involves multiple conversations and iterations.
Concept, Design & Specification is where the bulk of detailed work happens. The studio makes every material decision, sources options, writes specifications that mean suppliers and builders understand exactly what’s needed, and prepares drawings and schedules. For a residential project like the London Embankment Apartment or the Witham Project, this is substantial work. For a commercial space like Tone at Canary Wharf, it includes coordinating multiple trades and suppliers. Commission is active site management: checking deliveries, solving problems as they arise, managing the quality of installation. Reveal is ensuring you can actually use and enjoy the finished interior—it’s not merely handing over keys.
The difference between a small refresh and a full overhaul
A small refresh—redecorating a room, reupholstering furniture, refreshing finishes in a defined area—requires lighter Discovery and Concept work because the bones and use of the space stay the same. Concept, Design & Specification is more focused. Commission might be minimal if you’re only refreshing surfaces and soft furnishings. Cost scales accordingly.
A full interior overhaul—where you’re rethinking layout, reconfiguring the use of space, replacing structural elements, or coordinating multiple trades—demands deeper work at every stage. Discovery takes longer. Concept involves more testing and iteration. Concept, Design & Specification involves more coordination, more suppliers, more detailed drawings. Commission is longer and more hands-on because more is being built. Projects like Fruittii Hair Salon or Beaulieu Dental Practice, where the interior is purpose-built for a new use, are full overhauls. They require more studio investment and therefore carry higher cost.
Materials, finishes, and supplier choice shape your spend
Once the design direction is set, the choice of materials and finishes significantly affects cost. The studio sources and specifies materials across a wide range—from affordable to premium—depending on your brief and budget. A durable, practical finish might cost less than a rare or bespoke material. A reupholstered sofa keeps its original frame and focuses investment on new upholstery; a new sofa involves the whole piece. Bespoke joinery costs more than off-the-shelf furniture but may be necessary for fit or durability in a commercial space.
The studio’s role during Concept, Design & Specification is to understand what you genuinely need (durability, maintenance, aesthetic) versus what is aspirational, and to specify materials that will serve your interior for years. This honest conversation about materials is part of avoiding wasted spend and building an interior that performs as intended.
Questions to ask before committing to a project
Before engaging with a studio, clarify the scope of your project. Are you working with a fixed space or exploring a move? Is the interior for residential use, commercial use, or mixed? How much existing infrastructure (electrics, plumbing, structure) do you need to adapt? Do you have a clear vision or do you need the studio to help you develop one? Are you working to a timeline?
Be clear about what you want the studio to do. If you want creative direction and material specification but plan to manage building work yourself, that’s a different brief from asking the studio to manage Commission as well. If budget is finite, discuss that early—the studio can design within constraint, but knowing the boundary helps from the start. Ask whether the studio charges by project scope, by time, or by a combination of both. Ask for a clear breakdown of what’s included at each stage and what happens if the project scope changes. The more honest the conversation at the outset, the fewer surprises and better the outcome.