Here's How to Hire an Interior Designer on a Tight Budget
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Anyone who has decorated or is in the process of decorating their home can attest to the challenges it presents. The biggest tends to fall into one big bucket: aesthetic. After all, there are thousands of amazing home stores out there with more than enough inventory to keep us busy forever while we search for the perfect pieces to fill out space. So, how are we supposed to actually find things that fit our personal design style and square footage? That's where an hiring interior designer comes into play. A full-service firm will visit your space in person, study the blueprints, and source every single item to make your house feel like a home. The only issue? Not everyone has the additional funds to pay for an interior designer's help, which can run up thousands of dollars. Of course, the actual cost is dependent on the scope of the project, where you live, and the firm you enlist.
Does that mean those of us on a small budget have to be left to our own devices? Thankfully, no. Ahead, we offer three cheaper alternatives for sourcing expert design help.
Online Interior Design Services
There are quite a few online interior design services out there. These are the most popular choices:
Spacejoy, a service that pairs you with interior designers relatively new to the field, and a concierge team who handles all of your furniture and decor orders. The key with Spacejoy is social media: The designers peep what you like on Pinterest to get a sense of your style.
Laurel & Wolf is a top-notch one, as it, like many of the similar services, pairs you with a trained interior designer based on your personal style preferences; you can even decide if you want a local designer or not. Laurel & Wolf also provides you with exclusive discounts at the big-name retailers, which is definitely something to consider if you're planning on ordering pricey pieces and want to save.
The Expert is another amazing option, though a bit more costly. Like its name implies, The Expert allows you to tap renowned designers, like Leanne Ford, Jenna Lyons, and Brigette Romanek. Here's how it works: Book a 15- or -55-minute video appointment on the site's calendar with a designer you admire, and they will consult you on anything from a one-time consultation to refresh a nook or several calls to discuss more in-depth projects, like a full home decoration scheme. The price can range from just $150 to $1,500 per call.
I was able to test out Havenly, which is extremely user-friendly. Download the app or use the website to take an in-depth style quiz and wait a few minutes to be paired with any of the thousands of freelance designers, which vary by skill: some are certified interior designers with degrees in a specific field and others are talented decorators with an eye for style. Once you chat with your designer about budget, scope, style, and the pieces you're looking for, they'll send a 3D rendering of your future space, send a shopping list of specific furniture and decor, and handle all of the shipping on-platform.
As a shopping editor who spends my days poring over beautiful furniture and decor, I assumed decorating the apartment I'm moving into with my boyfriend would be easy, but I quickly realized even I have no idea what I'm doing. What sofa color would tie together beige swivel chairs and a dark wooden media console that we already own? How big should the area rug be? Do we need end tables flanking the couch? If so, do they need to be the same?
I could spend hours (and dollars) testing all of this myself, so I decided to call Havenly and chose the most affordable option, the Mini. For $129, I was paired with an interior designer, who sent two living room design concepts complete with vision boards and a customized shopping list based on the elements I liked most from the concepts below.
Not only were all of my frantic questions answered, but they included furniture that fits perfectly in the floor plan she created based on the real dimensions of our space. After we picked out the pieces we'll buy—a deep L-shaped sectional covered in a rich navy velvet, a low-pile area rug with a gentle Southwestern pattern, an adorable marble cocktail table, our expert designer sent an exceptionally realistic 3D rendering of the space with the new furniture and the things we are bringing with us so that we can visualize what the room will look like.
What's nice about this service is that I don't have to go to different retailers' websites to buy what I liked from the custom shopping list; I just order everything directly through Havenly. What's more; You don't have to buy anything on the list, which never expires, so if you want to wait a few days, weeks, or even months to shop, you can.
Interior Design Firms' Off-Menu Services
Most full-service firms can do everything from transforming your entire home to refreshing just one room, but all that work can cost tens of thousands of dollars. What you may not know is that many firms offer a much more affordable route to creating a beautiful home: consultations. Rose & Mortar's co-principal designer and Magnolia Network's Where We Gather star Amy Neunsinger says, "When it comes to our consultations, we like to say, 'We give you the recipe, and you bake the cake,' and sometimes we'll come back to 'frost the cake.'"
Rose & Mortar's consultations are $1,500 per hour, a fraction of the full-service cost that provides all of the designer-approved tools you need to spearhead your own decoration project. Neunsinger and her design partner Kate Martindale offer advice regarding everything from floor plans and finishes to paints and furniture. "We share our resources and offer a bit of help along the way," she adds. The great thing about consultations—whether they're with Rose & Mortar or any other firm—is that you get to drive the process. You can decorate or redecorate as many details as you see fit. They can also help you save money by reconsidering what you already have. "Keep what is working: refinish, reupholster, and reuse wherever you can. Beautiful design does not happen overnight."
If you love a certain firm's style and would love the opportunity to work with the creatives behind it, reach out to ask if they offer consultations. Also look at emerging designers on Instagram, who might offer a consultation within your budget as they grow their own portfolios. It's the easiest way to get that magic touch with out maxing out your credit cards.
Retailers' In-House Interior Designers
If you're moving into a brand-new space with no furniture in it, we'd be remiss not to recommend turning to your favorite home brands for help. Some of them—including West Elm, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, Maiden Home, and Pottery Barn—offer in-house designers who can help you decorate your entire space in the brand's wares. These designers don't just pick out a few pieces of furniture that may look good together; they choose specific pieces based on your floor plan, square footage, budget, style, and timeline. The best part? You can do all of this online. "The range of design services encompasses everything from a full interior design consultation (we'll build a room from concept to completion) to just incorporating the finishing touches," says Anthropologie's senior home stylist, Tom Magill.
Our only warning is that a lot of these brands' upholstered pieces are made-to-order, so if you're in a hurry to sit on your midcentury modern-inspired sofa, you may need to get it elsewhere. Otherwise, give yourself a few months to receive your pieces, and enjoy. The brands take care of all of the ordering, tracking, and white glove delivery. The best part? The services are free. "No project is too small, so feel free to reach out even if you’re just looking to get some ideas and inspiration," Magill adds.
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