How much does an interior designer cost in the UK?

Hiring an interior designer sounds expensive, and it can be. But "interior designer" covers everything from a two-hour consultation to someone who runs a whole renovation, and the price changes with it. Here is what UK designers typically charge, what you get, and the cheaper ways to get a plan for a room.

The figures below are rough ranges from UK price guides and designers' published rates. Prices vary a lot between London and the rest of the country and between a new designer and an established studio, so treat them as a starting point and ask for quotes.

The four ways designers charge

Per hour

Most designers charge somewhere between £50 and £150 an hour, and well-known London studios more. Hourly rates suit small jobs: a consultation, help choosing paint colours, or a second opinion on a layout. A one-off home consultation of two to three hours often costs £150–£450.

Per room, online (e-design)

You send photos, measurements and a brief, and get back a layout, a mood board and a shopping list to buy yourself. This usually costs about £200–£700 per room. It is good value if you are happy to do the ordering and the project managing.

Per room, full service

The designer visits, measures, designs, sources everything, orders it and oversees delivery and trades. Expect about £2,500–£5,000 per room for the design fee alone, and more for high-end work or complex rooms.

A percentage or a fixed project fee

For whole homes and renovations, some designers charge a percentage of the project budget, often 10–30%, or a fixed fee agreed up front. Some also earn a trade discount on furniture and add a markup, often around 10–15%. Ask how they are paid before you start.

What is on top of the design fee

The fee is only part of the cost. The furniture, lighting, rugs, paint and trades are paid separately. For a living room, a refresh can be a few hundred pounds and a full redo with new floors and furniture several thousand. Our guide to what a living room makeover costs breaks it down level by level.

Questions to ask before you hire

• What exactly is included? Number of layouts, revisions, a shopping list, drawings for trades.
• Who buys the furniture? You, or the designer with a markup?
• Do they work to your budget? Ask for a past project at a similar budget.
• How many site visits are included, and what does an extra one cost?

Cheaper ways to get a plan

Free room planners

Free 2D and 3D planners let you draw the room and drag in furniture. They are good for checking that a sofa fits, but you do the design work, and the furniture in them is often generic rather than something you can buy.

Shop design services

Many kitchen, wardrobe and furniture shops plan for free or for a small fee if you buy from them. Useful, but the plan only uses their range.

AI room design tools

AI tools can restyle a photo of your room in seconds. They are fun for ideas, but the furniture in the picture usually does not exist and is not to scale, so you cannot buy the room you see.

Where Gaudi fits

We are building Gaudi to sit between a free planner and a designer: you send a photo of your room and set a budget, and Gaudi plans the layout and style with real products from shops you know, in the same view as your photo, so you can see it before you buy. If that sounds useful, get early access below. For awkward rooms, start with our awkward living room layout ideas.