Cost of Interior Design in Kenya

Any person seeking to have interior design work done in their home or office will sooner rather than later, find themselves wondering how much it would cost them to engage an interior designer or an interior design firm. Naturally, as a content writer, I knew that this would have to be a key piece of information to uncover. I carried out a fact finding exercise into interior design and interior architecture cost in Kenya; seeking to find out the answer to the question – How much do interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya?

The exercise got me talking to many Interior designers and architects. It also got me talking to a lot of people who have engaged interior designers either for their home designs or office designs. Any potential customer would like to know how interior design cost in Kenya are estimated so that they can work with a budget.

What was clear was that the pricing methods were as different as the designs that every interior designer in Nairobi Kenya came up with. This proved to be very confusing for clients. Answering the question “How much do interior designers charge in Kenya?” would be more challenging than I thought it would be.

In the end, my findings helped me decipher the pricing model for interior design projects and I will try to communicate how and how much interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya as best as I can. I think we can start by clearing up some misconceptions – Please note that interior designers in Nairobi Kenya are equipped to do much more than pick out furniture.

WHAT DOES AN INTERIOR DESIGNER REALLY DO?

Whether you are planning to gut renovate your home or looking for a way to update what you already have with new pieces, interior designers can step in at any stage in the process and lend expertise that ranges from wall placement, technical wiring choices, floor and tile selections, lighting and layout, and then continue until the last decorative pillows and desk accents are placed.

Furniture, window treatments, millwork design, lighting, flooring, AV, landscape selection, painting, and plaster types…interior design involves the knowledge of electricity, plumbing, wall construction, etc, all beyond creating the coziest of sitting areas.

So with such a wide range of services, where do they start with pricing? How and how much do interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya? What is the Cost of interior design in kenya?

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Size, Scope, and Schedule

It sounds like the key elements of budget planning involve space size and scope of work (the homeowner’s goals for the project and initial thoughts on the corresponding budget). The good news here is that homeowners can maintain a lot of control over the final budget of the project. For some renovation projects, you need to spend thousands of shillings on behind-the-scenes structural and technical costs regardless of how high-end you want the end result to be.

With interior design projects, value for money feels more predictable and impactful, because you are spending on items that you can see and feel, and you have more control over the relationship between what you pay and what you get thus you can control the cost of interior design in kenya.

Options for Structuring Interior Design Cost in Kenya

You can probably expect your interior designer in Nairobi Kenya to propose a few options for setting the budget:

1. To charge flat fees for different packages of service.
2. To charge hourly fees for consultation and visits.
3. 20% to 35% mark-up on purchases and services (like contractor oversight), or a commission based on the cost of planned construction (if renovation work is happening)
4. A mix of these options to allow for more flexibility.

If you are gut-renovating and relying on your interior designer for full design services, you can expect the interior designer to charge you Kshs 1,000 per square foot on design services alone. At this level, your interior designer is deeply involved in the project from start to finish and is sourcing, purchasing, and ensuring the delivery and installation of every visible aspect of your home.  Thus the cost of interior design in this case can be higher.

If you are gut-renovating a 1,000 square foot property, you can expect to pay a charge of Kshs 1,000,000 on design services, separate and apart from the cost of materials. If the scope of your project involves highly specialized selections or high-end and exclusive artisan work, you can expect the design cost and charge per square foot to rise accordingly.

Blog Photos – KONE offices in Nairobi (Kenya’s top Lift providers) Interior design & Build work by Design Forty

If you are focused exclusively on furnishings and are not planning any renovation work, you might see a cost or charge proposal where you pay the designer 20% to 35% of the total cost of the merchandise you purchase, or you might see a cost structure that combines a flat fee with hourly fees or commission-based fees. At this level, your designer is providing a design vision with colour and material selections, sourcing merchandise, and ensuring that pieces are delivered properly.

All in, bare minimum, you might be able to do one room for Kshs 800,000 for design services and furniture, provided that you’re open to mixing thrift shop finds with national retailer-type pieces with a few select higher-end accents. With a more average budget, you can expect to spend Kshs 1,500,000 to Kshs 2,000,000 for design services and furniture selections for one room. As you can see, how much interior designers charge in Kenya is highly dependent on the size of your project. The cost of interior design in kenya depends on you and how you execute your interior design project.

You might also find that you can conserve interior design cost in Kenya by handling some of the purchase and delivery logistics on your own, but you should be realistic in your capacity and desire to do so. Art will arrive in the wrong frame and rugs will fall off the truck en route, so you need to be prepared for the follow-up that a designer would handle.

If you are looking for guidance with vision and finding particular items, you might decide to work with an interior designer to charge on an hourly basis, which can range from Kshs 7,500 an hour to Kshs 25,000 and beyond, or you might agree to a flat fee for a “mood board” or “inspiration booklet”, where the designer provides you with layout, color, and material selections for the room but leaves the sourcing and buying to you.

Excerpt below from an Interior designer – Design Forty Kenya

“Although I think clients find hourly fees easier to digest – and it can sound less expensive – I often find that the opposite is true. Clients often underestimate the time that goes into a project,” noted one interior designer. “I want to have the discretion to spend the time that may be necessary searching for the perfect piece without worrying about billing my client thousands of shillings.” Focusing on trying to reduce how much interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya may actually achieve the opposite. It may make the cost of interior design higher.

Savings and Access – How to reduce interior design cost in Kenya

As you think about these potential upfront costs or charges, you also have to consider two major benefits to working with an interior designer that might not be immediately obvious. My own personal “A Ha!” moment came when I realized that interior designers can tap into two of my most favourite life-long quests: hidden savings and access!

Because of to-the-trade discounts and insider access to industry sales, an interior designer can save you up to 40% of the cost that you might otherwise pay for materials and furnishings. One interior designer said: “I take on the aspect of saving clients money like a game show participant! I go hard as though I’ve got to throw my hand on a buzzer!” So while you may be calculating the costs and charges of working with a designer in Kenya, the experts I talked with more than made up for those costs and charges with savings that would be out of reach for most homeowners. So try not to worry about how much interior designers charge in Kenya and look at the value they bring to your project.

In addition to the value saved, an interior designer can get you access to items that you wouldn’t be able to get on your own in Nairobi Kenya, and can mix high-brow and budget items seamlessly, so that you are spending money on things that matter most to you. An interior designer will be able to get a custom piece that you will never see at a national retailer, and mix that splurge with vintage picks, or restore an antique or thrift shop find with a unique fabric to create a custom piece at a fraction of the cost. One of the interior designers we talked to warned that we should “be prepared for the price tag that to-the-trade and custom items have, even after a designer discount. There is value in beautiful, quality made items and I love to support the people making this work. However, I try to provide all of my clients with some special and unique pieces, no matter what their budget is.”

Blog Photos feature work by Design Forty Kenya – Interior Design, Interior Architecture & Construction

More wise words from our experienced Interior Designers

Design Forty Kenya top Interior designers shared super insightful guidance to keep in mind if you are planning a design upgrade. One offered savvy guidance for homeowners who are feeling unsure about their financial ability to replace an entire room of furniture at once, “work with a professional to create a design plan that can be executed over time as funds become available.”

He also recommends not to forget about accessories, the “final layer” that can really make a house your home. “Arrange a vignette of interesting or meaningful items, hang some art and bring in some greenery – a large plant can really add life and sculptural interest to a room, at a relatively low cost.”

Another Design Forty Kenya Interior designer highlighted the key role that timeline can play in a budget. If you have time for your designer to find the right pieces and pay for standard shipping, you will get the look you want without paying a premium to rush orders. Lead times for custom pieces and shipping fees can balloon if you are on a deadline and can increase the overall cost of interior design project in kenya.

She suggested that homeowners planning extensive renovation and design work should think about their budget in two buckets: one budget for the materials that will come with them when they move (furniture, art, drapery, etc.) and one budget for the materials that will stay with the house and add to its re-sale value (permanent features like lighting fixtures, wall treatments, custom millwork, etc.). By grouping expenditures that way, you can decide what to allocate for things you will keep for decades, and what you will invest in the value of your home.

The conclusion is simple. How much interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya is miniscule compared to the time and money savings and value they bring to your project.

Photos featuring work in Nairobi Kenya by Design Forty

If these photos aren’t enough to convince you that you need an interior designer in your life, take a look at our quick cost re-cap below, and get started with your project on Design Forty!

Interior Design Cost in Kenya: Key Considerations

~ If you are gut-renovating, plan for a charge of Kshs 1000 per square foot in design services alone.

~ If you are replacing furniture, plan to pay 20-35% of the net cost of your merchandise purchase.

~ If you are looking for ad hoc design help, plan to pay Kshs 7,500 to Kshs 25,000 per hour of consultation charges.

~ Remember that designers get to-the-trade discounts that can save you between 20 and 40% off the retail price.

~ All in, you should plan for an average charge of Kshs 1,500,000 to Kshs 2,000,000 for a full room re-do, and account for shipping costs and premiums you might pay if your timeline is tight.

How much does an interior designer in Kenya cost?

How much interior designers charge in Nairobi Kenya depends on the size of your work. If you’re doing a gut home remodel, expect to pay Kshs 1000/square foot for full interior design services. Not remodelling? For any furnishing purchased with design help, expect to pay a 25-30% fee of the total cost of the merchandise you purchase. To re envision a room and pick materials, interior designers in NAIROBI KENYA will charge on an hourly basis: Kshs7500-Kshs25,000+.

How much do interior designers charge in Kenya and how do they do it?”

There are 3 common ways interior designers charge clients. The first is to charge a flat fee for different service packages. These packages are tailored to the needs of the client. The second is to charge an hourly fee for any consultation and site visits. The third way is to add a 20%-35% markup on purchases and services (such as contractor oversight), or a commission based on the cost of planned construction if the client is renovating. An interior designer might also charge clients with a mix of these options, which provides more flexibility.

These are the things that determine the cost of interior design in kenya.