How much is an interior designer?
(and other FAQ’s)
How much is an interior designer?
Interior designers typically charge in one of three ways – flat fee, hourly rate, or percentage of total project budget.
I like to charge a flat fee where I can, giving clients a transparent, upfront understanding of the cost of my services.
Giving clients a flat fee is straight-forward in respect of many of my services, for example, my design plans and my design consultation services, as the parameters of this work are clear from the outset.
Charged at £250 for the first 90 minutes and £65 per hour thereafter.
Design-only plans are priced by room according to the size of the room & scope of the brief, starting from £1,500 per room. (Kitchens and bathrooms will be a higher charge due to their complexity).
Bespoke fee proposals for full-service interior design with project management are priced by room or by property. Cost efficiencies are available when working across several rooms or across a whole property at one time.
Why do I need an interior designer?
The short answer is – you don’t. You can improve your living space without any professional skills or experience, with plenty of images and ‘how to’ guides available online to inspire and inform, not to mention TV shows such as Grand Designs and Interior Design Masters.
However, if, like my clients, you’re working to a deadline or a budget, juggling work and family commitments, struggling to visualise your home’s potential, unsure where to start, desperate to avoid making costly mistakes and ultimately looking to get some serious bang for your buck, you’d be wise to involve a design professional.
It continues to amaze us how many people will invest five and six-figure budgets in creating the living space of their dreams, yet fall-back on their builder - a man whose wife (probably) buys his clothes - for colour and design advice. You’re spending a serious amount of money one way or another, wouldn’t it be better to have every pound of that expenditure considered & ratified by an independent professional?
What does an interior designer do?
There is a common misconception that interior designers will come in at the final stage of a project to advise on curtains & other soft-furnishings.
In simple terms, interior design is about creating practical and aesthetically pleasing spaces that are fit for purpose and enjoyable to spend it time in, delivered on time and in budget.
In more complex terms this involves spatial planning, considering flow and functionality based on client need, thoughtful sourcing & use of build & design materials, finding design solutions to mundane everyday problems, respecting a building’s provenance while simultaneously modernising and improving, imbuing a property with a sense of location without it feeling contrived, finding and managing builders & other tradespeople, creating & tendering schedule-of-works and overseeing budget - all while while taking into account client aspirations and style preferences and without anyone selling a kidney.
Day-today duties will include; drawing scale 2D or 3D layouts & elevations; designing cabinetry; recommending hard-furnishing materials such as bricks, cornicing, fireplace, radiators, kitchen units, sanitary ware and so on; devising colour palette and recommending paint & other surface finishes and selecting, sourcing and installing furnishings, accessories & art work.
An interior designer acting as project manager for a major build project may also coordinate building regulations, organise party wall agreements, act as a go-to point for neighbours, organise a skip licence, arrange an after-builder’s clean, test all electricals & equipment and finally oversee the client handover.
The earlier in the project you involve an interior designer, the better.
Why are you called Geek Vintique?
The business name reflects my passion for period architecture & preloved furniture & accessories - pieces with soul. Vintage and antique pieces have character & charm and they give a room personality and I always look to blend older finds with contemporary design in my schemes. While being called ‘Claire Botha Interior Design’ would work just fine, it feels boring & formal and not representative of the joy that’s at the heart of my work.
““I can’t recommend Claire highly enough. I had reached a real stale-mate with my sitting room and just couldn’t visualise how I wanted it. Claire came very highly recommended and came to meet me and my room and we discussed the brief and what I was trying to achieve. Her ideas and thoughts were just amazing. Her plan for my sitting room was so detailed and covered every part of the room. Claire pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me think in a totally different way. She gave me the confidence to change my thinking but was also on hand for any questions or queries I had. My sitting room is starting to look amazing and I can’t wait for the finished result.””